Fish Out of Water

Eclectic and exotic are the two words that may best describe the latest menu at "Emerald Coast Chefs." But regional, fresh and seasonal will work, too.

The Beach TV cooking series has Chef Phillip Krajeck of Fish Out of Water as its guest at 6:30 p.m. Wednesdays and Sundays through Nov. 25. The restaurant at Watercolor on County Road 30A has won distinctions including a listing as one of the world's top eight most-romantic restaurants, by Delta Sky magazine; a Golden Spoon Award from Florida Trend magazine; and Best of Award of Excellence by Wine Spectator magazine.

Krajeck is a graduate of the International College of Hotel Restaurant Administration in Lebouvret, Switzerland, and he has worked with and studied under French chef Joel Antunes at the restaurant Joël in Atlanta.

"We're keeping our M.O." of local and regional flavors currently available for the show, Krajeck tells host Margit Bisztray. The segment was taped in the spring, so Krajeck prepares Spring Onion Capelletti fresh-made Italian ravioli suitable for stuffing with ingredients that include Vidalia onions, fresh goat cheese from Thomasville, Ga., hen of the woods mushrooms and organic arugula from a local farm.

There's also Italian brodo, or broth, flavored with Parmesan cheese, vegetables and prosciutto. For dessert, there are Plant City strawberries with balsamic sabayon, a frothy Italian sweet sauce; and rosemary ice cream.

It's a busy show that may work best if recorded and savored with a pause button. Here are some of Krajeck's recipes, as submitted to Beach TV:

Spring onion filling

5 spring onions (washed and julienned)

2 cloves garlic (peeled and whole)

1 tablespoon good cultured butter

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 fresh bay leaf

1 tablespoon freshly picked thyme leaves

Half-cup cup fresh goat cheese (fromage blanc)

One-fourth cup freshly grated Parmesano Reggiano

Sea salt and fresh cracked pepper to taste

Freshly grated nutmeg to taste

In a skillet melt butter with 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat until foamy. Add spring onions, bay leaf and lightly season with salt and a few cracks of pepper. Sweat for 15 minutes, add garlic and continue to cook for 5 minutes. Remove the onions from heat, add fresh thyme and allow to cool. Once cool, fold in goat cheese and parmesan. Add remaining olive oil and a few rasps of freshly grated nutmeg. Taste mixture and adjust seasoning as necessary.

Parmesan brodo

2 celery ribs

1 sweet onion

1 large carrot

2 spring onion

2 garlic cloves

4 ripe tomatoes

1 sprig fresh thyme

2 sprigs flat leaf parsley

1 1/2 quart chicken stock

4-ounce piece of scrap prosciutto or Serrano ham

4-ounce Parmesan rind

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Sea salt and freshly cracked pepper to taste

In a large pot sweat the celery, carrot, onions and garlic until transparent. Add herbs and tomatoes and cook for 5 minutes. Add chicken stock and ham scraps. Simmer for 30 minutes, skimming continuously. Add Parmesan rind and cook for 5 more minutes. Pass through a fine mesh strainer.

Rosemary Ice Cream

17 ounces heavy cream

17 ounces milk

10 egg yolks

7 ounces sugar

2 ounces fresh rosemary

In a non-reactive saucepan, bring heavy cream and milk to a simmer. Add rosemary and allow to infuse, off heat, for 15 minutes. Strain and return to a simmer. Whisk together sugar and egg yolks. Temper egg with hot dairy mixture (meaning to slowly add the hot mixture to the yolks without scrambling). Return to pot and cook until the custard just coats the back of a spoon. Cool mixture as quickly as possible. Freeze custard in ice cream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.