Posted By Michelle on May 28, 2008

God, it feels like it was just the other day we posted last week’s column. Oh, that’s right. We barely had enough time to breathe let alone keep up with anything of enjoyment.

Not to worry! Here’s this week’s column and OH MY GOD is the recipe good. Don’t be intimidated by the use of white chocolate. Chef Masson over at 717 South made believers out of us in seconds. We still can’t wait to dig into a huge plate of whatever he is serving at the quaint little digs on South Howard Ave.

Originally published in The Tampa Tribune/ Flavor May 28, 2008

Arugula Gets Some Major Mango-Chile Action 
Blog Note: (Oh, and yes, it is c.h.i.l.e not c.h.i.l.i.’.s. That would make the chilies own something. Actually, spelling varies greatly depending on region. We use the Central and Southern American spelling, -chile, as do most people in the world.

I mistakenly, publicly, attributed Robert Masson’s awesome spring roll to Jason Roberts. Boy is my face red.)

“What do you get when you mix a Puerto Rican, an Englishmen, a New Zealander, and a half Italian/ half Korean?

A kick-gluteus maximous Titanium Chef Challenge is what you get!

Joshua Adam Garcia (a.k.a. JAG, the Puerto Rican and star of Season 3 Next Food Network Star), Justin Timineri (the Englishman and Executive Chef for the Florida Department of Agriculture), Jason Roberts (the New Zealander and Executive Chef of ‘Jason Roberts LIVE’), and Robert Masson (the half Italian/ half Korean and Executive Chef of Tampa’s 717 South) rallied together in Famous Tate donated kitchens to battle over who would reign supreme over chocolate and Mahi Mahi.

Our floor side seats allowed us to watch the carrots fly as all four diced, chopped, stirred, sautéed, and seared their way through this Tampa Bay Food & Wine Festival showcase event. The heat was so hot light bulbs were exploding in true battle form, mahi mahi heads rolled, and pepper grinders were held captive.

The Masson-Roberts team ended in victory and rightly so. The two standout dishes from the challenge were a spring roll filled with lump crab and asparagus with a Sriracha (an Asian hot sauce) and dark chocolate sauce, prepared by Chef Roberts, and a seared duck breast with baby greens and a white chocolate and mango vinaigrette, by Chef Masson of 717 South.

White chocolate and mango? Sure, fruit and chocolate go hand in hand. Dark chocolate and Sriracha? Why not? Chocolate was blended with spices and chiles in the new world long before it made it’s way to Europe, where it became what we know chocolate as today.

All of the chef challengers demonstrated ninja like Chef skills, but Chef Masson took the, um, ninja star? We very well could have smeared that mango and white chocolate vinaigrette all over our bodies. It was that good. If he can do that in 60 minutes without the aid of a professional kitchen or any menu planning, you can bet we will be licking our plates at 717 South.

With inspiration from chefs Roberts and Masson, the brain has started churning. We live in a semi-tropical environment, where tropical fruits and chiles abound, so why not combine all three?

Here’s a simple Titanium Chef inspired salad that can be done without the pressure of a timer or the glare of TV lights.

Arugula and Mango Salad with White Chocolate and Sriracha Vinaigrette
Serves 4

For the salad:
1 package baby arugula leaves
1 ea mango - sliced
¼ cup cilantro leaves (no stems)

For the Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
½ tablespoon Sriracha (found in the Asian food aisle of most grocery stores)
1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup white chocolate (preferably shaved from a bar, but chips will do, in a pinch)
3 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

In a sauce pan over medium heat, combine the sugar, orange juice, Sriracha, and white wine vinegar. Stir and bring to a simmer to dissolve the sugar.
Remove from heat and add the white chocolate, stirring well to melt and incorporate it into the dressing.
Set aside and let cool, but do not refrigerate, the chocolate will set and become hard.
Combine the arugula, cilantro, and mango in a bowl
Whisk the olive oil into the white chocolate mixture to incorporate, season with salt and pepper, and toss well.
This goes well with duck (per chef Masson) or lean, red meat.”

Categories: Uncategorized
Tags: 717 South, arugula salad, mango, white chocolate