Passport to China: "Pearl of the Orient"

Life is a delicious journey through culinary art.

The role of a chef is to create a feast for the senses; telling the tale of a region and its people via taste, texture, scent, and sight. I am always striving to discover unique ingredients, and breathtaking cuisine deep in tradition of my destinations’ cultural roots through my travels. This inspiration keeps The Marine Room dishes fresh, exotic and enchanting for our guests to enjoy.

Today my journey begins in a 300 year old Chinese fishing village of Tai O, just outside of Hong Kong. Baskets of salted fish, dried seahorses, starfish, blowfish, shark fins and smoked meats are displayed as symbols of the surrounding culture.

The salted fish is steamed then stir-fried with ginger, vegetables and shrimp paste. My favorite dish was the preparation of dried scallops called “conpoy”, prepared in a clay pot with rice, greens, black mushrooms, with the unique ingredient Lee Kum Kee XO sauce – It is heaven on earth!

I packed a few precious glass jars filled with the Lee Kum Kee XO sauce. Just after landing in San Diego, I made my way to The Marine Room kitchen to experiment with my new culinary treasures alongside Chef de Cuisine Ron Oliver and created a fantastic twist on our summer halibut preparation. The halibut is crusted with pistachio and fennel pollen while the sauce is an infusion of tangerine, saffron and my secret ingredient - XO sauce.

Next time, join me on another journey where we will explore more hidden treasures of the globe.

Until then, Life is Delicious!

To read the entire story on Chef Bernard’s travels, visit

www.marineroom.com

Red Walnut Crusted Alaskan Halibut

Carrot Corn Risotto, Saffron Tangerine LKK XO Sauce
Serves 4

Halibut

3/4 cup           shelled red walnut, chopped
1 teaspoon      fennel pollen
1 tablespoon    minced chives
1 tablespoon    toasted white sesame seeds
2 tablespoons  grapeseed oil
4 6-ounce        Alaskan halibut fillet, boneless, skinless
To Taste          sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine  walnut, fennel pollen, chives and sesame seeds in bowl . Add oil to large oven-proof skillet over medium high heat. Season halibut with salt and pepper. Lay in skillet, flesh side down. Sear 2 minutes. Flip over. Top  with walnut mixture. Transfer to oven. Cook 3 minutes or until slightly underdone. Transfer onto warm serving platter.

Saffron Tangerine LKK XO Sauce

2                    shallots, minced
1/2 cup           white wine
1/4 cup           rice vinegar
1/4 cup           tangerine juice
1 tablespoon    lee kum kee XO sauce
**                  generous pinch saffron
2 teaspoon      heavy cream
2 sticks           unsalted butter
To Taste         sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Add shallots, white wine, vinegar, tangerine juice, saffron to sauce pan over medium heat.  Reduce by 2/3. Add XO sauce and cream. Bring to simmer. Slowly whisk in butter until fully incorporated. Season to taste with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Transfer to sauce serving dish.

Carrot Corn Risotto

2 cups             carrot juice
2 tablespoons  olive oil
2/3 cup           Arborio rice
1/4 cup           minced shallots
1 teaspoon      minced garlic
1/2 cup           white wine
1 cup              sweet corn kernels
1 teaspoon      minced ginger
1 tablespoon    mascarpone
1/4 cup            grated parmesan cheese
To Taste          sea salt and freshly ground white pepper

Bring carrot juice to a boil but do not reduce. Add olive oil to large sauce pan over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic. Cook 1 minute without browning. Stir in rice. Cook and additional minute stirring often until oil is absorbed by rice. Add wine. Cook until liquid is absorbed.  Stir in 1/3 of carrot juice. Cook until absorbed. Repeat process using 1/3 cup carrot juice at a time.  Remove from heat. Fold in remaining ingredients. Season to taste. Transfer to serving dish.

Chef Bernard Guillas is the executive chef of the Marine Room, the Shores Restaurant and La Jolla Beach and Tennis Club. He can be reached at bguillas@ljbtc.com or via Twitter @chefbernard.