Top Jacksonville Chefs Fire It Up

Azurea

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Every town has its share of chefs that make the A-list with foodies. A few weeks ago I had the privilege of sampling tasty dishes prepared by the Jacksonville five (pardon the pun) — Ted Peters and Nancy Slatsky of Azuréa, Tom Gray of Bistro Aix, Matthew Medure of Matthew’s and Brian Siebenschuh of Orsay. The gathering, a benefit dinner for the Friends of the James Beard Foundation, had the chefs cooking and laughing it up in the kitchen as a camera projected the behind-the-scenes action on screens in the dining room at One Ocean Resort Hotel and Spa in Atlantic Beach.

First out the door was Gray’s seared day boat scallop on pea puree with pea shoots and a nice citrus and herb salad. (“Day boat” indicates that the fishermen brought the scallops in at the end of a day rather than staying out at sea for several days and night. Translation: fresh.) Next a pork belly with a perfectly poached egg by Siebenschuh was served. (Some chefs wrap eggs in plastic wrap to guarantee they hold their shape, but Siebenschuh pours a tray of eggs into the water and amazingly transforms them into beautifully round poached eggs.) Following was Medure’s cepes mushroom agnolotti with a rich but not overwhelming white truffle emulsion. (I could have had seconds on this one.) The main course was Peter’s sous vide lamb loin with Vidalia onion jam, accented with morels and baby corn. (Sous vide by definition is a French cooking method in which ingredients are slow cooked in air-tight, vacuum-sealed plastic bags in hot water.) Wrapping the dinner was Slatsky’s strawberry tart, which teased the taste buds with its accompanying basil-scented ice cream. If you’re traveling to the Jacksonville area, remember these chefs. A dinner at any of their restaurants would be a treat.

Tags: Azurea | Bistro Aix | Jacksonville | Matthew's | Ocean One | Orsay