The Grand Strand of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina has a lot of things going for it. Warm weather. Great golf courses. Miles of beautiful beach.
But we really haven't gotten much well-deserved praise for a new generation of gourmet chefs who have settled along the Grand Strand. They have the chops to work anywhere — in any fine dining restaurant in the world. But, like the rest of us who love living along the Grand Strand, they choose to put down roots here.
So, where's the love? Do you think fine dining here consists of seafood buffets, pancake houses and places where grits is considered a vegetable? Do our low prices for gourmet meals make you suspicious? Don't think they can be good because we don't charge outrageous prices? Well, we don't have to charge New York prices because — duh — we ain't in New York.
So here's a little unabashed bragging — the Grand Strand is home to some of the best chefs in the western world. Bar none. And you get to sample their fare at reasonable prices and in some of the most charming establishments this side of the Mississippi.
One of the finest chefs is Ernest Bledsoe, executive chef at Pawleys Plantation, a beautiful little golf resort about 30 miles south of Myrtle Beach.
If you stay at Pawleys Plantation, you can eat your way through Ernest's tasty creations. Here's a really good deal: a three-night Turkey Day package that's easy on the wallet and includes golf, accommodations and a gourmet Thanksgiving day feast for just $272 per person.
Whenever you're bunking in Myrtle Beach, Ernest makes the ride south to Pawleys well worth it, especially on Thursday and Friday nights when he serves up two gourmet dinners for just $30. That's $15 each.
But, at that low price, you're probably wanting to ask: is Ernest's food really big-city good? Honestly, no. It's better than that. It's New York, out on the town, mouth-watering great.
Recently, Ernest has been in the mood to create something that's even more special than his usual menu items. He got into the spirit of Fall and started thinking about just what he could do with some little personal pumpkins.
So, in celebration of all the pumpkins staged on suburban front porches everywhere, here's a peek at what he came up with. Now, we're not giving away any trade secrets; he recently shared this with the local newspaper, The Sun News.
Yes, you can try this at home. You could even start a new tradition and make this treat for Thanksgiving eve. Your family will thank you for it.
And, they're sure to be very impressed.
Maine Lobster & Vanilla Risotto Stuffed Baby Pumpkins
6 Jack be little pumpkins
1.Cut the pumpkin tops off (make the opening wide to leave plenty of room for the stuffing).
2.Scrape out the seeds with a spoon, and set aside.
3.Place 1 heaping tablespoon of compound butter (recipe below) inside the pumpkins spreading to cover the bottom and sides
4.Bake the pumpkins in a pre-heated 350-degree oven, for about 20 – 25 minutes (until slightly al dente.
Compound Butter
1/2-pound of butter at room temperature
1/4-cup honey
1/4-cup light brown sugar
1/2-tablespoon ground cinnamon
1/2-tablespoon ground nutmeg
1/2-tablespoon ground ginger
1/2-teaspoon salt
Risotto
1 cup Arborio (risotto) rice
2 cups of lobster stock
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 leaves of fresh sage
1/2 pound Maine lobster
salt and pepper to taste
In a hot sauté pan start with one tablespoon of vegetable oil and chopped shallots, sauté until translucent, add the rice and one cup of the lobster stock and vanilla bean. Simmer on medium to medium high heat until the risotto starts to absorb the stock, then add more stock and repeat this process until the risotto is tender but not mushy. Add lobster, spices and sage (and vanilla extract if using that) and cook for about 2 minutes more stirring constantly, salt and pepper to taste.
Yum!
Next trip to the Grand Strand, be sure to try Pawleys Plantation and say hi to Ernest. It'll be the high point of your vacation— guaranteed!
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