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Dishing with chef Brian Dukes at Blue Marlin. Dukes and Brock have prepared Grilled Wahoo with succotash and sauteed spinach.
Makes 1 serving
7-ounce filet of wahoo
½ teaspoon olive oil
Salt and pepper
• Spray or spread olive oil on wahoo.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Cook about 4 minutes on each side.
— From Blue Marlin
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING:
Calories, 189.91; protein, 36.77 grams; carbohydrates, 0.34 grams; total fat, 3.66 grams; cholesterol, 144.87 milligrams; saturated fat, 0.68 grams; dietary fiber, 0.14 grams; sodium, 756.31 milligrams; sugar, 0 grams; vitamin A, 107.26 retinol equivalents; vitamin C, 0.11 milligrams; calcium, 32.44 milligrams; iron, 2.41 milligrams; alcohol, 0 grams.
NOTE: Information is meant only as a guide; the ESHA Research program does not compensate for crop-growing conditions, and some methods of cooking affect nutrient content.
Makes 2 servings
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
½ cup cooked butterbeans
½ cup grilled corn (see instructions in story)
¼ chopped tomatoes
• In a warm saute pan, add canola oil and garlic. Cook until fragrant.
• Add butterbeans and corn. Cook until warm.
• Add tomatoes and cook until hot.
— From Blue Marlin
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING:
Calories, 140.54; protein, 4.39 grams; carbohydrates, 18.99 grams; total fat, 7.14 grams; cholesterol, 0 milligrams; saturated fat, 0.52 grams; dietary fiber, 3.85 grams; sodium, 352.12 milligrams; sugar, 3.02 grams; vitamin A, 26.6 retinol equivalents; vitamin C, 6.68 milligrams; calcium, 36.63 milligrams; iron, 1.19 milligrams; alcohol, 0 grams.
NOTE: Information is meant only as a guide; the ESHA Research program does not compensate for crop-growing conditions, and some methods of cooking affect nutrient content.
Makes 1 serving
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
2 ounces fresh spinach
¼ teaspoon salt
• Add canola oil and garlic to a hot saute pan. Cook until fragrant.
• Add spinach and salt. Stirring often; cook until wilted.
— From Blue Marlin
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING:
Calories, 130.04; protein, 1.77 grams; carbohydrates, 1.02 grams; total fat, 13.78 grams; cholesterol, 0 milligrams; saturated fat, 0.97 grams; dietary fiber, 4.97 grams; sodium, 649.13 milligrams; sugar, 0.03 grams; vitamin A, 299.47 retinol equivalents; vitamin C, 14.18 milligrams; calcium, 49.81 milligrams; iron, 3.83 milligrams; alcohol, 0 grams.
NOTE: Information is meant only as a guide; the ESHA Research program does not compensate for crop-growing conditions, and some methods of cooking affect nutrient content.
Makes 8 servings
¼ cup white wine
½ teaspoon chopped garlic
¼ cup lemon juice
1 teaspoon shallots
1 tablespoon heavy cream
4 ounces salted butter
Parsley
• Put white wine, garlic, lemon juice and shallot in a saute pan. Reduce until almost dry.
• Add heavy cream and allow it to come to a simmer. Take pan off heat and very slowly whisk in fine diced butter.
• Finish with a touch of parsley.
• Pour the butter sauce over the entire dish.
— From Blue Marlin
NUTRITIONAL INFORMATION PER SERVING:
Calories, 115.64; protein, 0.22 grams; carbohydrates, 0.92 grams; total fat, 12.19 grams; cholesterol, 33.04 milligrams; saturated fat, 7.71 grams; dietary fiber, 0.04 grams; sodium, 82.97 milligrams; sugar, 0.26 grams; vitamin A, 80.21 retinol equivalents; vitamin C, 3.82 milligrams; calcium, 6.51 milligrams; iron, 0.05 milligrams; alcohol, 0.69 grams.
NOTE: Information is meant only as a guide; the ESHA Research program does not compensate for crop-growing conditions, and some methods of cooking affect nutrient content.
For chefs specializing in seafood and Lowcountry fare, there is no time like summertime.
Sweet corn sliced off the cob, juicy tomatoes from South Carolina fields, fresh fish from Southeastern waters.
“I love this time of year,” said Brian Dukes, executive chef and general manager of Blue Marlin in the Vista.
Dukes and Nick Brock, the Blue Marlin’s chef de cuisine, took advantage of the bounty of the season to prepare grilled wahoo with succotash and sauteed spinach.
“Succotash is great in the summertime,” Dukes said. “And it’s such a traditional Southern dish.”
The chefs grill the corn before removing it from the cob to add to the tomatoes and lima beans. Grilling gives the corn a bit of a smoky flavor, Dukes said.
With the husk still on, the corn is submerged in water and soaked for about 30 minutes. Then it’s ready to put on the grill for about 10 minutes. After grilling, the husk is removed and the corn sliced off the cob.
The succotash and spinach are paired with wahoo, a meaty fish that’s a descendent of Spanish mackerel, Brock said. It’s something like a cross between mahi-mahi and swordfish, with the texture more like swordfish and the taste closer to mahi.
Dukes and Brock also prepare a butter sauce to be poured lightly over the entire dish. The sauce can be made ahead of time, while the fish can be grilled while the succotash is being made.
The wahoo can be cooked in a saute pan, baked or grilled.
“An outdoor grill would be awesome,” Dukes said. “Wahoo lends itself to grilling. It’s a meaty fish. Some fish doesn’t grill as well.”
And it’s an easy dish for people to make in their own kitchens.
“We wanted a dish people can buy here; they can find all the ingredients locally,” Dukes said.
It’s also the way Dukes and Brock like to cook at the restaurant, finding as much as they can from local growers and suppliers.
Brock had taken a trip to the Charleston area two days earlier, making connections with Johns Island produce growers.
Dukes has been working on preparing seafood and other specialties at the Blue Marlin for four years. His uncle, Bill Dukes, was part of the founding team of the Longhorn Steakhouse chain. Brian Dukes got his first taste of the restaurant business at Longhorn when he worked there in high school.
Brian Dukes is a 1997 Johnson & Wales graduate who worked in restaurants in the Pacific Northwest, New York and Virginia before returning to Columbia in 2004. Last year, he was invited to prepare a meal as a guest chef at the prestigious James Beard House in New York.
Brock is new to the Blue Marlin. He trained at Magnolia’s in Charleston and worked at the Summit Club and Saluda’s in Columbia before moving to the Vista restaurant in January.
ABOUT BLUE MARLIN
WHERE: 1200 Lincoln St. in the Vista
PHONE: (803) 799-3838
HOURS: 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5-10 p.m. Monday-Thursday; 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 5-11 p.m. Friday; 4-11 p.m. Saturday; 11:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday.
WHAT’S AVAILABLE: Fresh seafood and steaks, prepared in Lowcountry recipes. Most popular item is shrimp and grits, with the grits coming from nearby Adluh Flour.
MORE: bluemarlincolumbia.com
AND THIS, TOO: The Blue Marlin has joined the Sustainable Seafood Initiative.
Before it puts items on its menu, the restaurant considers the long-term viability of individual species and the oceans’ ecological balance. The Blue Marlin won’t serve non-sustainable fish, including Chilean sea bass, orange roughy and imported shark.
“We’re a seafood restaurant. We want to do as much as we can to sustain the environment and teach people about this,” Brian Dukes said.
DISHING WITH THE CHEF
Once a month in 2008, we’re going into the kitchen with a local chef to learn about a favorite, easy-to-prepare dish.
If you are a chef who would like to cook for us, or if you would like to nominate someone, e-mail Megan Sexton at msexton@thestate.com or call (803) 771-8418.
