James Beard-honored chef Ted Peters fuses local ingredients and international flair to create his signature dish. By Lisa Rogak
Executive chef Ted Peters works his magic at Azurea restaurant, located at One Ocean Resort Hotel & Spa in Atlantic Beach, Florida. A confirmed locavore—that is, one who appreciates local ingredients—Peters ensures that guests experience the best of Florida’s First Coast cuisine by embellishing his dishes with a fusion of European and Latin American flavors. Peters changes his menu each season so he can take advantage of not only the freshest ingredients but also the latest trends. Early in 2010, he was invited to cook at the James Beard House in New York City, an accolade few chefs can claim.
Peters’s signature dish—Coriander Dusted Chilean Sea Bass with Spiny Lobster and Mango Gastrique—reflects his culinary philosophy and his tenure at some of the finest restaurants in the world, including Rosewood’s Mansion on Turtle Creek and London’s Savoy Hotel. Whether you head to One Ocean to dine on Peters’s best dishes in the beachfront restaurant or prepare them yourself at home, consider it all a tribute to the eclectic flavors of Europe, the Caribbean, and the Americas.
Coriander Dusted Chilean Sea Bass with Spiny Lobster and Mango Gastrique
serves 4
Sweet Potato Puree
3 sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed
4 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c. heavy cream
1 cinnamon stick, toasted and ground
Salt and pepper to taste
Simmer peeled potatoes in a pot of salted boiling water and cook until tender. Place through ricer and whip in butter and cream. Season with cinnamon, salt, and pepper. Place in piping bag and reserve for plating.
Spiny Lobster and Mango Gastrique
4 oz. extra-virgin olive oil
2 shallots, shaved
6 cloves garlic, shaved
2 jalapeños, diced
2 piquillo peppers, julienned
Juice from 4 limes
1/3 c. light brown sugar
8 oz. spiny lobster meat, roasted, shelled, and diced
2 ripe mangos, cubed
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
In a sauté pan over medium-high heat, add olive oil, shallots, garlic, and jalapeños. Add piquillos and deglaze pan with lime juice. Whisk in brown sugar until syrupy. Add lobster, mango, cilantro, and butter. Sauté until heated through.
Chilean Sea Bass
4 5-oz. filets Chilean sea bass
Kosher salt
1 oz. coriander seeds, toasted
and ground
2 oz. grapeseed oil
2 shallots, shaved
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened
2 c. mixed mesclun or micro-herb salad, seasoned with olive oil, salt, and pepper
Coriander oil
Season sea bass with salt and coriander. Add grapeseed oil to pan and sauté fish on both sides over medium heat. Add shallots and butter and place in a preheated 350-degree oven for 4 minutes.
To serve: Pipe 2 ounces of sweet potato puree in center of plate or bowl and spoon the lobster-mango gastrique around sweet potatoes. Set sea bass in center. Garnish with herb salad and drizzle with coriander oil.