Summereats'14

By Joani Delezen with Blake Rushing, Alex McPhail, MariCarmen Josephs and Ashley McLain

resh seafood, colorful salads, cool cocktails and just about anything involving watermelon and pineapple—these are just a few of our summer food obsessions that you’ll find in this issue. We also included recipes and cookbook suggestions if you feel like getting in kitchen. And if you don’t, we have plenty of restaurant recommendations too. Enjoy!

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cooking school always make sure the gills a vibrant red and the eyes are clear. Also, smell everything!

The smell of seafood should be that of the sea. Some smell stronger than others, but none of them should make you stomach turn. I like buying from the Gulf or Atlantic because it has had less time in transit and is usually fresher.

Chef Blake Rushing / photo by Samantha Crooke resh seafood is one of the best things about summer, especially summer on the Gulf Coast. But just because it’s easy to come by doesn’t mean it’s easy to cook— trust us, we know. We’ve turned our fair share of shrimp into overcooked mush, so when we decided to do a story on how to cook seafood, we thought it was best to call in a pro. Enter Chef Blake Rushing. A veteran chef on the local scene, Rushing knows his way around a kitchen and a seafood market. He was nice enough to answer all of our questions, no matter how basic, and threw in lots of extras.

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IN: Where's the best place locally to buy fresh seafood?

RUSHING: Joe Patti’s IN: What's important to look for when buying seafood?

RUSHING: I always check to make sure it is on the sustainable seafood list. There are plenty of different delicious types of seafood, no reason for popularity or a food fad to hurt one particular species. On fish, you should 010 1

your mouth.

IN: Do you have favorite seafood to cook/use in recipes?

RUSHING: I love cooking skin on salmon in olive oil. The skin gets crispy and the flesh golden brown, while the inside can flake apart and be a perfect medium rare. Gently poached grouper is also a favorite.

The grouper flakes apart and melts in

IN: What should someone start with who's never tried to cook any kind of seafood?

RUSHING: Gulf shrimp in court bouillon or crab boil, grilled grouper or snapper or even

with Chef Blake Rushing

a nice piece of tuna or swordfish, which you can treat a lot like a piece of meat and is more forgiving.

IN: What should they avoid?

RUSHING: I would not want anyone to avoid cooking any seafood. Making mistakes is how you learn and get better. But there are some that use precision and a more delicate touch: scallops, salmon, oysters and lobster to name a few.

IN: Do you recommend pre-maid seasoning for stuff like crab boils? Or do you have any tips for making it yourself?

RUSHING: I love crab boil, but you can easily make your own. You can also use pre-made crab boil, but make it better. I like to throw a couple heads of fresh garlic and halved lemons in the pot. For the most part I make my own seasonings. Spices are a great tool, you just need to become familiar with them and experiment.

IN: Do you have any tips for steaming and not overcooking?

RUSHING: Steaming, grilling and baking are great for seafood, but there is a very short window between under and overcooked.

Seafood is much more delicate and the carry over cooking is something you must take into account. Carry over cooking is the amount the protein cooks after you have removed it from the heat source. If you were to bake a piece of salmon and you want it medium, you should pull it from the heat at medium rare and let it rest for five minutes. The residual heat will "carry" it to medium.

If you’d still prefer to just enjoy your seafood (and good food in general) and leave the cooking to someone else, make sure you visit Rushing at Type. Type by Blake Rushing, 501 N. 9th Ave.(in Duh), facebook.com/typerestaurant

READY TO COOK? DIY Rushing was also nice enough to share a recipe with us.

Visit inweekly.net and try your hand at this dish: Terrine of Gulf Shrimp and Cole Slaw, Pickled Aspic, Wasabi Tobiko, Spicy Mustard and Hot Pickled Banana Peppers. inweekly.net

what’s good there?

When on Pensacola Beach, nearly every local will point you toward Peg Leg’s for an authentic seafood experience. My favorites are the Cajun baked and raw oysters, but they do a good job with all of the seafood dishes I’ve tried. A trip to this affordably priced, iconic restaurant is like the cherry on top of a day at the beach and is worth the occasional long wait to get seated.

Plus, the kitchen manager is an old culinary chum of mine.

The Grand Marlin

Chef Alex McPhail / courtesy photo hether you prefer it fried, baked, grilled or all of the above, if you like seafood, you probably love the fact that most of our local restaurants feature at least one seafood dish on their menu. It’s just one of the perks of living in Pensacola. But even though we order seafood regularly, especially the fish tacos at Cactus Flower, we know there’s more out there we aren’t eating enough of. So we recruited local seafood connoisseur and Restaurant IRON Chef Alex McPhail to share some highlights from his dining exploits around town and on the beach. Though he’s touted as a progressive, modern chef, McPhail has a soft spot for the deep-fried Southern classics. Because of that, his recommendations are a perfect mix of old school and new school, complete with fried platters and tempura lobster fingers. Here are his top picks for the best local seafood “shacks” and why.

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Another great way to cap off a day at the beach is to swing through The Grand Marlin for some more contemporary and diverse seafood offerings. I appreciate the Pacific Rim-influenced flavors and techniques, and they source some of best quality fish of anyone in the area. I love their grilled fish dishes, and the creative appetizers, like the tempura lobster fingers, are always welcomed at my table. Another spot that you’ll likely have to wait for a table, but the payoff is worth it.

Marina Oyster Barn

One of my favorite neighborhood restaurants has always been the Marina Oyster Barn. But it’s not all about the ‘ol Bayou Texar nostalgia. Some of the best fried shrimp and oysters have been coming out of that little kitchen and into my mouth for decades. Being closed on Sundays and Mondays make it a little tricky to visit for those in the restaurant industry, but I get in when I can.

The Oar House

Another bayou favorite, though this one’s on Bayou Chico, is The Oar House.

Perched on the site where our town’s only draw bridge once operated, the setting is great for hanging with friends, enjoying some frosty beers and fish tacos. I’ve also been caught ordering the fried pickles and I’m not ashamed to admit it.

PENSACOLAMUSEUM.ORG

Sam’s Seafood

The official winner of my unofficial Captain’s Platter Challenge is (drum roll please): Sam’s Seafood. It may seem like an unlikely place to win such an illustrious award, but I really think Sam’s has the best seafood sauces. The house-made tartar and cocktail sauces are presented in jars rather than squeeze bottles and tastefully compliment their fried offerings like the scallops. A fried scallop is a rare find, but I’m glad I made the discovery because they are delicious. Their breading is always fresh, well seasoned and perfectly crispy. And their cheese grits are always on point.

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Chet’s Seafood (Navy location) I have yet to try this Westside not-sosecret spot, but I feel like I’m missing out based on the number of referrals I’ve gotten from some of my most trusted foodie friends. It’s definitely next on the list.

ADMISSION:

MEMBERS: $10 ADULTS: $12 CHILDREN 11 & YOUNGER: $8 TUESDAY - SATURDAY: 10AM - 5PM SUNDAY: 1PM - 5PM

Type by Blake Rushing

Having nearly the same hours as my restaurant makes it even more tricky to get over to Type, but there are few others on the Panhandle using such progressive cooking techniques and presenting such contemporary offerings.

For more proof that McPhail knows what he’s talking about when it comes to seafood, make sure you check out Restaurant IRON. His lunch and dinner menus include more than their fair share of seafood dishes, including a fresh takes on classics like shrimp and grits.

Restaurant IRON, 2500 Oak Pointe Drive, restaurantiron.com

VISIT TODAY

Peg Leg Pete’s

with Chef Alex McPhail

THIS EXHIBITION IS MADE POSSIBLE BY:

407 SOUTH JEFFERSON ST.

SCHEDULE SOME SEAFOOD Save the date for Sept. 26-28 because the Fiesta of Five Flags' 37th annual Pensacola Seafood Festival in Seville Square will be here before you know it.

With foods like grilled conch, seafood gumbo, oyster croquettes, soft shell crab, coconut shrimp, and Caribbean crab cakes, if you even remotely classify yourself as a seafood lover you won't want to miss out.

July 10, 2014

Festival Dates Friday, Sept. 26Sunday, Sept. 28 Details fiestaoffiveflags.com

On Sale Now @ Amazon.com BarnesandNoble.com • iBooks 11

summer on a plate

with MariCarmen Josephs

MariCarmen Josephs / photos by Samantha Crooke ne good thing about the summer heat is that it makes it hard to crave heavy, cheesy comfort foods. As the weather warms up and local produce becomes more and more abundant, lighter fare like grilled veggies and salads becomes more appealing. If you’re anything like us though, you get tired of greens tossed in dressing pretty quick. But you can do more with salads than that, especially during this fruit heavy season. We asked MariCarmen Josephs, chef and owner of Carmen’s Lunch Bar, to create a salad for us using two of our favorite summer flavors—watermelon and pineapple. What she came up with is so good we want to eat it everyday (and probably will until watermelon season is over).

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Heritage Berkshire Pork

DIY

Watermelon, Cucumber and Green Tiger Tomato Salad with Goat Cheese and Mint

Seedless watermelon—cut into triangles or cubes Local baby cucumbers from Farm Girl Produce—thinly sliced Ripe local green tiger tomatoes from Lazy K Farms—quartered Kosher salt Baklouti green chili olive oil from Bodacious Olive Pineapple white balsamic vinegar also from Bodacious Olive Goat cheese—crumbled

Mint chiffonade Toasted black sesame seeds •Arrange watermelon, sliced cucumbers and tomatoes on a salad plate.

•Sprinkle with salt, then drizzle with your oil and vinegar.

•Top with crumbled goat cheese, mint chiffonade and toasted black sesame seeds.

To keep up with Josephs creative salads, soups and always rotating lunch and tapas specials, make sure you like Carmen’s on Facebook.

Carmen’s Lunch Bar, 407-B S. Palafox, carmenslunchbar.com

Tuesday’s “Burger and Bordeaux” $15 Free Wine Wednesdays Try Our New Chef’s Table

Elegant Southern Cuisine

Type Restaurant by Chef Blake Rushing Inside Duh! 501 N. 9th Ave. Tue-Sat 5:30-10pm

Reservations @ 850-466-5181/ opentable.com + walk-ins welcome

Like us on Facebook and see our ever changing menu 212 1

inweekly.net

i been drinkin’

by Ashley McLain of abrightbite.com

ike every faithful Yoncé follower, ever since Ms. B first sang about drinkin’ watermelon, I’ve been on the hunt to find the perfect watermelon cocktail. While this Grilled Watermelon Mint Julep may not be what Beyoncé was sipping on, I’m confident it’s worth adding to your summer cocktail rotation.

Yes, grilled watermelon. I will admit that at first I was completely grossed out by the idea of grilled watermelon, but turns out it is beyond delicious. The grilling process really brings out a candied taste in the watermelon— think Watermelon Jolly Ranchers. No guarantees it will make you “Drunk In Love” though.

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DIY

Grilled Watermelon Mint Julep Yields 4 juleps

Drink: Mint simple syrup 1/2 pound seedless watermelon 6 ounces bourbon Crushed ice Simple Syrup: 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1/2 cup water A handful of fresh mint leaves (plus 8 more leaves for garnish) •A couple hours ahead of time, mix water, sugar and mint in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring mixture to a simmer and then turn off the heat. Let steep for an hour or so. Strain to remove mint leaves and pour liquid into a small container.

depending on your gadget). Pour the watermelon mixture through a strainer that you’ve affixed on top of a bowl. Discard the pulp left in the strainer.

•In four cocktail glasses filled will crushed ice, equally distribute the bourbon (1.5 oz. per glass) and watermelon. Feel free to add a few more dashes of bourbon if you prefer a less sweet cocktail—it will just make it more delicious. Top with two tablespoons of the simple syrup and stir. Garnish with a slice of the grilled watermelon you set aside and two mint leaves.

For more recipes and general good stuff, visit abrightbite.com.

•Cut watermelon into 1-inch wedges. On a hot grill (or you can use a griddle), grill the watermelon for a couple minutes on each side until it has grill marks and is a vivid red. Allow grilled watermelon to cool. Set aside one wedge to be cut into smaller pieces for garnish.

•Cut the remaining watermelon into small chunks, tossing out the rind. Add the watermelon to a food processor or blender and pulse until completely pureed (10-20 seconds

Ashley McLain

SCREAM FOR ICE CREAM As if we needed another excuse to eat ice cream this time of year. Not only is Sunday, July 20 National Ice Cream Day, but all of July is offically designated as the month for that oh-so-awesome frozen concoction. So visit your favorite ice cream shop (or for the super adventurous, try making your own), grab a spoon or cone, and dig in.

PINEAPPLE EXPRESS ast summer, I had a popsicle at Hester Street Fair in New York City that was so good not only did I not mind that it cost $4, but I actually ate two in a row. $8? On popsicles? I know, I know… but it really was that good. And it was a foodie flavor—spicy pineapple—so of course that made it special.

The same thing happened to me the next day at The Highline, only the flavor I fell in love with this time was honeydew ginger.

My main goal for this summer is recreate those cool, cold treats. Here’s the best recipe I’ve come up with so far.

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July 10, 2014

Spicy Pineapple Pop

DIY

Yields 4-6 pops (depending on the mold)

2 cups pineapple 1 cup water (might need a bit more later to fill up molds) 2 tsp. cayenne pepper (or more if you like the sweet heat) Juice of 1 lemon Pinch of sea salt •Blend all ingredients in a high-speed blender.

•Pour into popsicle mold.

•Freeze—at least a few hours, but preferably overnight.

•Sprinkle with a little extra cayenne before serving/eating if you’re really want to highlight the sweet/spicy effect.

It’s good, but not exactly like the one I had. Lucky for me, it turns out the culinary masterminds behind my favorite NYC popsicles have cookbooks, which will be arriving in my mailbox any day now.

People's Pops: 55 Recipes for Ice Pops, Shave Ice and Boozy Pops from Brooklyn's Coolest Pop Shop Hardcover

by Nathalie Jordi, David Carrell and Joel Horowitz

Paletas: Authentic Recipes for Mexican Ice Pops, Shaved Ice & Aguas Frescas by Fany Gerson

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