Avocado maestro rides culinary wave to fame/ Native chef starts his

Rob Wilson, California native and executive sous-chef at the Ritz- Carlton Laguna Niguel, surfed the waves of Salt Creek Beach long before the resort was built on the overlooking cliff. And today, Wilson still rides the waves at dawn, later changing from his wet suit into culinary whites to tackle the challenges of overseeing more than 100 staff members in the hotel's eight kitchens.

His responsibilities also include ordering fresh local produce. Those requisitions include plenty of ripe avocados. Wilson is an avocado aficionado.

A fan from the age of 5, Wilson had his first taste right out of its thick skin, seasoned with a little salt and pepper.

On July 25, Wilson, along with The Dining Room chef de cuisine Yvon Goetz, and pastry chef John Francois Lehuede, will present an avocado-based dinner at the James Beard House in New York City (a culinary milestone that can be compared to a musician playing Carnegie Hall).

Q: Who would you most like to "do lunch" with?

A: My wife. . . . With my work schedule and our two kids, it would be nice to sit down together. Or, the world culinary champion Los Angeles Lakers.

Q: What's your favorite dish to make at home?

A: I love to barbecue and be outside in the garden with the fresh herbs and figs. Most of the time, I barbecue fish or steaks.

Q: What culinary gadget could you not cook without?

A: My quail egg opener. Everywhere I use it people are amazed with it.

Q: What three ingredients could you not cook without?

A: Garlic, fresh ahi tuna and, of course, avocados.

Q: When it comes to eating, what is your guilty pleasure?

A: A Double-Double cheeseburger at In-N-Out Burger with grilled onions and extra cheese.

Q: What's your favorite restaurant?

A: The French Laundry (Yountville, Calif.).

Q: What one cooking tip could you offer to readers to make their time in the kitchen easier?

A: Organization and cleanliness. . . and mise en place, mise en place, mise en place (which means to have ingredients ready and laid out, peeled, cut or mixed).

Q: What's the biggest mistake you ever made while cooking?

A: When I owned a restaurant in Mammoth, Calif. (Cervino's), I forgot a red wine reduction that was on high heat on the stove. A reporter from a local newspaper was doing an interview when it burst into flames. I put out the fire by placing a sheet pan on top of the saucepan. Three hours of cleaning and we were back in business by dinner.

AVOCADO AND CRAB MILLE FEUILLE SALAD (Yield: 4 servings.)

8 ounces fresh cooked and chilled lump crabmeat or thawed, well- drained frozen

1 tablespoon mayonnaise or one-half ripe avocado (mashed)

1/2 yellow bell pepper, cored, seeded, finely diced

1/2 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, finely diced

1/4 red onion, peeled, finely chopped

2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley

1 tablespoon lemon oil

Salt and pepper to taste

4 medium, vine-ripened tomatoes, each cut into 3 slices

1 avocado, peeled, quartered, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch-thick wedges

OPTIONAL GARNISH:

Balsamic vinegar reduction

Basil oil

3/4 cup microgreens or baby lettuce

Thinly sliced, oven-roasted yellow tomatoes

Avocado "pearls"

COOK'S NOTES: Some markets sell lemon oil. Or, to prepare it: Combine 2 cups olive oil with 3 to 4 tablespoons lemon zest in heavy- bottomed saucepan; bring to 125 degrees and remove from heat. Pour into heatproof glass container; cover and steep 24 hours. Strain.

To prepare balsamic vinegar reduction, place 2 cups of balsamic vinegar in heavy-bottomed saucepan. Over medium heat, boil gently until reduced about one-half to two-thirds in volume, to a syrupy consistency. Cool. Place in squeeze bottle.

Some markets sell basil oil. Or, to prepare it: Dip one bunch fresh basil in boiling water; immediately strain and refresh with ice and cold water. Drain; place basil in blender with 1 cup olive oil. Whirl until pureed. Place in glass container; cover and set aside overnight. Basil will separate from oil. Spoon off oil for later use.

To oven-roast tomatoes, cut yellow tomatoes into 1/16-inch-thick slices. Bake in 200-degree oven 2 1/2 to 3 hours. Store in dry place at room temperature.

To make "avocado pearls," use small Parisian scoop to scoop avocado flesh into 3/8-inch spheres.

Combine crab, mayonnaise or mashed avocado, bell peppers, onion, parsley, lemon oil, salt and pepper; gently toss to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

To build each salad, start with 1 tomato slice topped evenly with generous tablespoon of crab salad and even layer of avocado; repeat tomato-crab-avocado layers two more times. Make 4 stacked salads.

On 4 plates, use squeeze bottle with balsamic vinegar reduction to create 5-inch square on each plate. Spoon thin pool basil oil inside each square. Place 1 salad stack inside each square. Top with microgreens. Cut a 3/4-inchwide inverted V (point of the V is in center of tomato) out of each oven-dried tomato. Place tomato, V-cut down, on top of greens in vertical position. Serve.

Nutrition information per salad, without optional garnishes: Calories 220 (61 percent from fat); fat 14.8 g (sat 2.3 g, mono 8.2 g, poly 3.3 g); protein 11 g; carbohydrates 14 g; fiber 3.06 g; cholesterol 59 mg; sodium 280 mg; calcium 44 mg.

Copyright 2002
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