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Chef
Spotlight
Mississippi Chef Goes Caribbean with Rum Runner Dish
(See Recipe Below)
Brent
Merilson doesn't have a problem with preparing time-honored
traditional dishes for his patrons at the Bay City Grill in
Bay St. Louis, Mississippi.
In
fact, the chef, who owns and operates the restaurant with
his wife, Kelly-Jo, likes nothing more than culinary sacred
cow-tipping.
The
Bay City Grill advertises itself as specializing in classic
Gulf Coast seafood and grilled steaks - but with a "contemporary
flair."
"I
based my style on Caribbean and Cajun influences," Merilson
said. "Most of the dishes I do are familiar, but nothing
is traditional. I try to change everything. I try a little
twist."
An
excellent example is Merilson's Rum Runner signature dish.
It consists of grilled Mahi-Mahi topped with a coconut rum
sauce.
"It's
a sweet, spicy sauce," the chef said. "It's a heavy
cream sauce with jalapeno, minced garlic and coconut rum."
The
Rum Runner is one of the top-selling dishes at the Bay City
Grill, possibly because of its exotic Caribbean flavor profile.
"It's
something different," Merilson said. "It's a lot
of flavor. It hits your mouth all over the place. Caribbean
is a flavor I like best. They use a lot of sweets and peppers."
Caribbean
is also an excellent complement to Cajun cuisine, which also
makes unique use of peppers. Merilson has found that locals
who are used to Cajun usually go for Caribbean dishes as well.
Chef's
Roots Go Back to Family Restaurant
Like
many chefs, Merilson got his first experience in food service
working in the family business. But in his particular case,
he wasn't born into the business.
He
married into it.
His
first job was working with his mother-in-law at her restaurant
in New Jersey. The young would-be chef was still studying
electronics, a field he would continue to work in while also
holding jobs in food service.
"I
did some short-order cooking for her," Merilson said.
When
Kelly-Jo's family moved to Mississippi, she and her husband
followed. They worked at the Harbor View Cafe in Bay St. Louis.
Again,
Merilson was in the kitchen, while his wife worked in the
front of the house. Soon, the couple was ready to branch out
on their own.
"My
wife and I decided to do our own thing, so we opened the Bay
City Grill."
The
restaurant opened in 1997 and has done well.
"It's
outstanding - extremely busy," Merilson said. "I
do about 90 hours a week. That's what it takes. It takes a
lot of commitment.'
by
David Noel, Editor
South
East News
Date:
August 1999
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Rum
Runner
by Brent Merilson
Ingredients:
8 ouncesMahi-Mahi filet
8 to 10Medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 cupHeavy cream
2 ouncesCoconut rum
1 tablespoonJalapenos, diced
1 tablespoonGarlic, minced
2 ounces Butter
A pinchPaprika
Preparation:
- Brush
fish fillet lightly with butter.
- Sprinkle
with a pinch of each seasoning and place over grill, cooking
each side approximately four to five minutes.
- In
medium skillet, melt butter over high heat. Add shrimp and
saute until fully cooked.
- Add
garlic and jalapenos; continue sauteeing until tender.
- Remove
from heat.
- Deglaze
pan with rum, then whisk in heavy cream and paprika. Return
to heat.
- Reduce
liquid to a slightly thick consistency. Pour over Mahi-Mahi
and serve immediately.
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