Spinnaker chef takes club food up a notch

A club at the vortex of Spring Break gets a turn in the latest "Emerald Coast Chefs" segment. But it's the food, not the party, that's in focus at Spinnaker .

Host Tim Creehan visits with Chef Doug Harris of the Paradise Grill at the Panama City Beach superclub at 6:30 p.m. tonight and Sunday on Beach TV. Harris is a Gulf Coast Community College graduate who leans toward casual Southern cooking, and his experience in the Panama City area includes time at O'Charley's.

Three Spinnaker's favorites are on the show's menu, and Harris zips through each recipe in a fast-paced 30 minutes. It's traditional club food - a burger, a rack of ribs and a BLT. But Harris takes them all to a new level.

The Monster Burger calls for a one-pound beef patty with not one but four types of cheese, as well as a sautÈed mixture of garlic, onion and mushrooms, plus three slices of bacon. For a bun big enough for all of that, Harris uses what otherwise would be a hollowed-out sourdough bread bowl for soup.

The ribs cook in an oven for nearly three hours before they go on the grill with Spinnaker's barbecue sauce. The BLT adds a blackened tuna fillet dredged in Creole seasoning with red pepper, and served with wasabi mayonnaise or a horseradish-based dipping sauce on the side.

Monster burger

16-ounce beef patty, sprinkled with Cavender's Greek seasoning

Sourdough bread bowl

Butter

1/2 cup sliced onions

1/2 cup sliced mushrooms

Pinch of garlic

1 slice Swiss cheese

1 slice cheddar

1 slice provolone

1 slice pepper jack

3 slices smoked bacon

1 piece leaf lettuce

2 slices tomato

2 slices red onion

4 pickle chips

Grill burger slowly over medium heat. Place bacon in 350-degree and cook to preference (crispy or chewy).

Cut soup bowl roll in half, butter and toast on griddle or nonstick pan, flat side down

Saute onions, mushrooms and garlic in butter.

Begin building burger on toasted bun - lettuce, then tomato, then onions and pickles

Melt cheese on burger, then build other side with burger, sautÈed mixture and bacon strips in a star shape (arranged at 90-degree angles).

Serve with a side (Spinnaker has a choice of fries, baked beans or slaw).

Baby Back Ribs

11/4- to 13/4 -pound rack of ribs

Brown sugar

Salt and pepper

Cavender's Greek seasoning

2 cups Liquid Smoke marinade

Barbecue sauce of choice

Score membrane on back of ribs in X pattern with sharp knife.

Rub in brown sugar, salt and pepper and Cavender's Greek seasoning on each side.

Place ribs bone-side down in 350-degree oven on grated pan, cooking over 1 gallon of water and 2 cups of Liquid Smoke for 2 hours, 45 minutes.

Place on grill and coat liberally with barbecue sauce, cook for 2-3 minutes.

Serve with deep-fried Onion Tanglers with Texas Petal Sauce.

Spinnaker Beach Club and Paradise Grill is at 8795 Thomas Drive in Panama City Beach. More information: (850) 234-7892 or spinnakerbeachclub@spinnakerbeachclub.com