Eight absolutely must-try recipes from the South’s top chefs

Nothing’s better than early spring when your favorite fruits and vegetables come back into season. Fresh citrus, crisp peas, crunchy carrots and leafy greens are all flavorful again. Not only does your cooking get lusher, but there’s suddenly a renewed desire to try out new recipes with these gems. 

Not to mention, as the weather warms up, it’s time for al fresco dinner parties!

As you plan your next meals, we’re sharing eight flavorful recipes from some of the South’s top chefs—Eileen Andrade, Richard Sandoval, Nikol Zarbalas, John Martin, Marcus Woodham, Chris Borges and Nina Compton—so you can get in the kitchen and try something completely new (and tested) by experts.

Below, you’ll find the recipes with full ingredient lists, instructions, photos of the dishes and information about their flavor notes.

Eileen Andrade’s Tuna Aguachile

Served at Amelia’s 1931 in Miami, this Tuna Aguachile is a gluten-free tuna dish with compressed, fresh watermelon, and complemented with the chef’s signature aguachile sauce.

Aguachile Sauce Recipe

20 ounces fresh cilantro
16 ounces lime juice
2 ounces serrano peppers
1 ounce garlic, minced
1 ounce. salt
0.25 ounce
White pepper
48 ounces of cucumber

Instructions:

1. In a Vitamix Blender, add cilantro, lime juice and garlic.
2. Blend until smooth and add the cucumber in small amounts.
3. Remove seeds from serrano peppers and add with the rest of the ingredients.
4. Finish with salt and white pepper. 

total prep time blending: 2-3 minutes

Note: Don't overblend as Vitamix gets warm and can affect color result for sauce

To Serve:

Fresh sliced bluefin tuna (sliced at a bias / sashimi style)
Fresh watermelon that has been compressed (sealed in vacuum sealer)
3 ounces aguachile sauce
4 ounces of tuna (about 5 slices rolled up)
2 ounces watermelon
Garnish: fresh cilantro / sliced radishes

Richard Sandoval’s Viva Abejas Honey Glazed Short Rib

Served at Toro Toro in Miami, this Honey Glazed Short Rib is prepared with agave honey, sweet potato, roasted heirloom carrot, chimichurri and grape demi-glace. The portion size is large, meant to serve about two dozen folks.

Short rib al carbon:

12.5 kilograms of short rib

140 grams sea salt

100 grams of apple vinegar

1. Seal the chuck flap pieces into the grill using salt and pepper.
2. Spray the pieces with apple cider vinegar and wrap them using aluminum foil.
3. Cook for 4 hours at 300 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Cool down and portion into 200 grams.
5. Wrap those pieces in a plastic wrap. Label and set for service

Grape demi-glace:

750 grams demi-glace

1 liter of grape juice

750 grams red wine

Reduce all the ingredients until get nappe (thick enough to evenly coat the back of a spoon) consistency. 

Sweet potato purée:

1250 grams sweet potato (orange), roughly chopped 

450 grams orange juice 

100 grams of butter

400 grams of water 

20 grams of orange peel 

8 grams kosher salt 

50 grams agave honey

1. Combine all the ingredients in a pot, place on the fire and bring to a boil. 
2. Once at a boil, keep it simmering until the sweet potato is cooked. 
3. Remove the pot from the heat and discard the orange peels.
4. Add the sweet potato and liquid to the Vitamix blender and blend until a smooth purée forms.
5. Season with salt and water, cool down and store in the chiller.

Roasted Heirloom Carrots:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F
2. Clean the heirloom carrots and keep about an inch of the green carrot top. Keep the purple carrots separate from the orange and yellow carrots.
3. In a mixing bowl, toss the carrots (always keep the purple separate, even when you bake) with all the ingredients.
4. Place the carrots on a sheet tray and bake until they are cooked and tender.
5. Cool down and reserve. 

Chimichurri:

2.4 kilograms parsley, fine chiffonade 

2.4 kilograms cilantro, fine chiffonade 

600 grams red bell pepper, brunoise

2.5 kilograms of garlic, fine mince

100 grams dry oregano 

50 grams chili powder

3.25 kilograms red wine vinegar 

20 grams black pepper, ground 

230 grams of salt 

13 kilograms blend oil

1. Dissolve the salt in the vinegar and then add the chili, oregano, pepper and mix.
2. Add this preparation to a bowl with the cilantro, parsley, garlic and pepper and mix. 
3. Add the oil until it covers the preparation very well.

To Serve:

100 grams sweet potato puree

50 grams veggie stock

20 grams of grape demi-glace

200 grams costillar a la leña

20 grams chimichurri

70 grams roasted rainbow carrots

2 grams sweet potato curls

1. Using an oven or grill, heat the short rib pieces previously sliced into a pan using the stock plus the demi until the rib pieces reach 150 degrees.
2. Reheat the carrots with olive oil, salt and pepper
3. In the middle of the plate, place the sweet potato puree, then set the sliced short rib on top of the puree, and arrange the carrots around the meat as shown in the picture. 
4. Add more demi on top, add the curls and some micro greens on top.

Nikol Zarbalas’s Spring Garden Arakas

Served at Hellenic in Coral Springs, Florida, this is a fresh take on the classic Greek arakas. It’s a spring garden version that highlights sweet peas, tender fingerling potatoes and fragrant dill with creamy whipped feta.

Ingredients:

Arakas:

3 cups baby peas (fresh or frozen)

1 lb fingerling potatoes, halved lengthwise (baby Yukon potatoes work too)

1 medium yellow onion, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 cup crushed tomato or tomato puree 

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for finishing

½ cup vegetable stock or water

¼ cup fresh dill, chopped

¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped

Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

Optional: pinch of sugar or tsp of honey to balance the tomato

Whipped feta:

6 ounces Greek feta, crumbled

3 tbsp Greek yogurt

1 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp fresh lemon juice 

Fresh lemon zest (optional)

Dill oil:

½ cup fresh dill

½ cup extra virgin olive oil

Pinch of salt

Instructions:

1. Prepare the dill oil: Blend dill, olive oil, and a pinch of salt until smooth and vibrant green. Set aside.
2. Make the whipped feta: Blend feta, yogurt, olive oil, and lemon zest until smooth and creamy. Chill until ready to use.
3. Build the base: Heat olive oil in a wide sauté pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
4. Add tomatoes and potatoes: Add the tomato and cook for 3–4 minutes until slightly thickened. Add fingerling potatoes, salt, pepper, and vegetable stock. Simmer gently for about 10–12 minutes.
5. Add the peas: Stir in peas and continue cooking until potatoes are tender and the sauce has lightly reduced, about 8–10 minutes.
6. Finish with herbs: Stir in dill and parsley. Taste and adjust seasoning. Finish with a drizzle of good olive oi

To Serve:

1. Spread a spoonful of whipped feta on the base of a shallow bowl.
2. Top with the warm spring garden arakas.
3. Finish with dill oil, fresh herbs, cracked pepper, and a final drizzle of olive oil.
4. Serve with grilled bread or warm pita.

John Martin’s Shrimp & Artichoke Dip

This Succulent shrimp at Tujague’s in New Orleans is blended with sour cream, cream cheese, onion, green bell pepper and fresh dill for a rich, creamy bite with a hint of herbaceous freshness.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons onion diced

2 tablespoons green bell pepper, diced

11 tablespoons celery, diced

1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced

4 quarts Shellfish stock

1/2 pound blonde roux

1 pound shrimp (peeled, deveined)

1 tablespoon creole seasoning

1 pound cream cheese

1 cup sour cream

1 tablespoon Crystal salt

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon dill

1 teaspoon gran onion

1 cup panko bread crumbs

Instructions:

1. Sauté trinity (onion, celery, and green bell pepper and a fat) until veggies are soft
2. Add flour and cook for 10 minutes
3. Cook to the desired color
4. Add stock and simmer over low heat until gravy forms
5. Add shrimp and remaining ingredients and cook (stirring constantly) until shrimp are done
6. Adjust for seasoning
7. In 6 ramekins: butter top, bottom and sides of dishes
8. Fill each dish ¾ to the top
9. Top with panko
10. Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes until bread crumbs are golden brown
11. Serve with warm, crusty bread or crostini

Marcus Woodham’s Redfish in Husk

This tender redfish in a husk at The Bower in New Orleans is topped with sweet corn, jalapeño and fresh green onion, finished with zesty lime butter and flavorful accents.

Ingredients:

4 6-ounce redfish filets

Corn husks pre-soaked in water for 10-15 minutes

3 ears of corn

1 jalapeno, small dice

1 shallot, small dice

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1 tablespoon torn basil

1 bunch of green onions

8 ounces pioppino mushrooms

1/2 pound of soft butter

4 lime zested and juiced

Instructions:

1. Lime Butter: Beat lime zest, juice and butter till combined.
2. Wrap each fish in a corn husk with the lime butter, dividing it equally among the 4 fish. 
3. Roast in a 400-degree oven for 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Toss corn, shallots, jalapeno, and herbs with olive oil, salt and pepper. 
5. Set Aside.
6. While the fish is roasting, sear mushrooms in oil and butter till crispy.
7. To Plate: unwrap fish halfway and serve in husk.
8. Garnish with corn salad and crispy mushrooms. Be sure to pour the lime butter that came out from roasting back onto the fish as well; there’s a lot of flavor there.

Chris Borges’s Star Anise Trout Gravlax Toast

Chef Borges at Charmant in New Orleans delicately cures this trout gravlax trout with star anise and bright citrus. It strikes a balance of warm spice and refreshing zest. Layered over crisp, toasted bread and finished with fresh, herbaceous accents, each bite is light, aromatic and elegantly vibrant.

Ingredients:

4 each Butterflied Rainbow Trout Filets, separated into 8 individual filets

¼ cup Sugar

¼ cup Kosher salt

2 tablespoons Lemon zest

1 tablespoon Lime zest

1 tablespoon Grapefruit zest

2 teaspoons Whole star anise

½ teaspoon Whole clove

½ teaspoon Whole fennel seed

½ teaspoon Whole coriander seed

1. To make the rub (curing mixture) for the gravlax, combine the sugar and salt in a mixing bowl. Heat a fry pan to medium-high heat and toast the star anise, fennel, and coriander seeds. Set aside to cool. Once cool, grind all seeds together. Add the ground spices to the salt and sugar, along with the citrus zest, and mix all together. 
2. Using a dish large enough for the trout filets to lie flat, sprinkle a layer of the curing mixture to lightly coat the bottom. Lay 4 of the filets skin-side down and sprinkle a generous amount of the curing mixture on the top side of the filets. Sprinkle the remaining four filets with a generous amount of curing mixture as well. Flip and place them over each of the first four filets, so that the meat side of the filets is touching. Then sprinkle the exposed skin side with the remaining curing mixture.
3. Lay a piece of plastic wrap over the fish, then place a smaller casserole dish on top of the plastic wrap. Add a weight to the dish (such as a few heavy cans). 
4. Allow the trout to cure for two days in the refrigerator. After 24 hours, turn the trout over once to ensure that it is being evenly cured. After 48 hours, rinse off and dry the trout to remove the curing mixture. Wrap and keep in the refrigerator until ready to use.

Nina Compton’s Fried Flying Fish

Chef Compton’s Fried Flying Fish at New Orleans’s Compere Lapin features tender fillets marinated in fresh herbs, garlic, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce with a touch of Scotch bonnet heat. The fish is then breaded and fried until golden and crisp and finished with a buttery garlic parsley sauce for a rich, aromatic finish.

Ingredients:

Marinated fish:

1 cup roughly chopped scallion

¼ cup chopped flat-leaf parsley

¼ cup white vinegar

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons chopped marjoram

1 tablespoon thyme leaves

1 teaspoon minced Scotch○bonnet pepper

1 garlic clove

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

⅛ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

8 (1½-ounce) fillets flying fish (or whiting)

Cooking the fish:

Canola oil for frying

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons kosher salt

2 large eggs, beaten

4 cups fine breadcrumbs

Garlic parsley sauce:

¼ cup (½ stick) unsalted butter

1 garlic clove, peeled

1 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions:

1. Marinate the fish: In a food processor, add the scallion, parsley, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, marjoram, thyme, Scotch bonnet, garlic, black pepper, and ground cloves. Pulse for a few seconds to incorporate the ingredients, then add the olive oil. Pulse again until it becomes a smooth paste. Rub the paste generously on the fish fillets and refrigerate for 30 minutes (no need to cover).

2. Cook the fish: In a medium sauté pan, add canola oil to ½-inch depth and heat on medium-high to 325°F; check with an instant-read thermometer. Line a plate with paper towels. Set up 3 shallow bowls to prepare the fish for frying. In the first bowl, add the flour and season it with 2 tablespoons of the salt. In the second bowl, add the beaten eggs. In the third bowl, add the breadcrumbs. Using tongs, dip the fillets one at a time in the flour, then coat them in the beaten eggs and let the excess drip off. Next, coat them all over in the breadcrumbs. Gently place the coated fish in the hot oil. Repeat with a few more fillets, taking care not to crowd the pan. Fry the fillets until they brown lightly, turning once, about 2 minutes on each side. Use a spatula or tongs to remove the fish from the pan and drain on the paper towels. Repeat with all the fillets. Season them with 1½ teaspoons of the salt.

3. Make the garlic-parsley sauce: Return to the pan, drain the excess oil into a small heat-safe bowl, and set aside. Put the pan over low heat and add the butter. Heat until the butter begins to foam. Add the garlic and sauté until gently browned, about 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the olive oil, parsley, and lemon zest and juice. Season with the remaining 1½ teaspoons of salt. Drizzle the fish with the parsley sauce.

4. To serve: Enjoy with lime wedges and Baron hot sauce

Buttermilk Ricotta Toast from Commons Club @ Virgin Hotels New Orleans

According to the Commons Club in New Orleans, this toast is the perfect spring bite as it’s made with creamy whipped ricotta and bright, fresh blueberry and verjus compote, topped with crunchy marcona almonds, thyme and a drizzle of honey.

Ingredients:

Whipped Buttermilk Ricotta

1 cup ricotta

2 tablespoons heavy cream

1/4 cup buttermilk

Pinch of kosher salt

Dried Blueberry & Verjus Compote

4 ounces dried blueberries

1/2 cup white verjus

2 tablespoons dark rum

4 tablespoons granulated sugar

To Serve:

4 thick slices of multigrain sourdough or country bread

Olive oil

1/2 cup fresh blueberries

1/3 cup Marcona almonds, lightly crushed

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

2 tablespoons sherry glaze or honey, for drizzling

Instructions:

1. Make the Blueberry Compote

Heat the oven to 375°F.

Place the dried blueberries, verjus, rum, and sugar in a small baking dish and stir to coat. Cover the dish tightly with foil and bake until the blueberries are plump and most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.

Let the compote cool to room temperature. It will thicken slightly as it sits.

2. Whip the Ricotta

In a bowl, combine the ricotta, heavy cream, and buttermilk. Whisk vigorously until the mixture becomes light and creamy. 

Season with a pinch of salt. 

The texture should be smooth and spreadable.

3. Toast the Bread

Brush the bread lightly with olive oil and toast it in a skillet or oven until golden and crisp on the outside while still tender inside.

4. Assemble the Toast

Spread a generous layer of whipped ricotta over each slice of warm toast. 

Spoon the blueberry compote over the top, letting some of the syrup soak into the bread.

Scatter fresh blueberries and crushed Marcona almonds over each toast. 

Finish with a drizzle of sherry glaze or honey and a sprinkle of fresh thyme leaves.

Serve immediately while the toast is still warm.

Cook’s Note: If you don’t have verjus, a mix of white grape juice and a splash of lemon juice works well as a substitute.