There's a New Chef in Town

Posted by Kathy Worm on 10 July 2012

Tags: Chapel Hill, chef, recipe

There’s a new chef in town. James Clark has been named the Executive Chef at Carolina Crossroads restaurant at The Carolina Inn in Chapel Hill. Chef Clark brings a bounty of experience with him from some of the top restaurants in the country, including the Ritz Carlton in Atlanta, The Palette Restaurant in the Madison Hotel in D.C., and the Windsor Court Hotel in New Orleans. His style of using only the freshest local ingredients with a minimum of fuss to allow the flavors of those ingredients to shine through has won awards and praise across the country. “I am really impressed with the North Carolina agricultural scene connecting chefs and farmers. I can’t wait to get out into the community and meet all the farmers,” he says. Judging from the glowing reviews from across the county, we bet the farmers can’t wait to see what Chef Clark cooks up! 

Just in time for the hot summer ahead, Chef Clark has shared his recipe for Lemonade Pickled Shrimp.  Enjoy!  

Lemonade Pickled Shrimp

This makes a great appetizer for a group of people, but if you wanted to use smaller shrimp and toss with some mixed salad greens, it would be great for a pre-dinner salad.  

16 large shrimp, peeled and devained, tail on
5 lemons (2 zested; all juiced)
1 small red onion, finely julienned
1 small yellow pepper, finely julienned
½ bunch of cilantro, chopped
3 Tbsp. sugar
2 Tbsp. hot sauce
3 Tbsp. Old Bay seasoning
1 oz. high-quality olive oil

Bring a medium size pot of water to boil and add the Old Bay and the shrimp. Cut off the heat. Once the shrimp begin to curl and turn red, pull out of the water and place on a plate. Refrigerate. (Do not shock them in water.)

In a glass or stainless bowl, add sugar, hot sauce, the zest of 2 lemons, and lemon juice. Mix together and set aside. In another glass or stainless bowl, add shrimp, onions, peppers, and cilantro and mix.

Add the lemon mix and shrimp mix and toss together. Season with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper. Cover the bowl and place in the refrigerator for at least three hours before serving. 

Drizzle olive oil over the shrimp before serving.

For more information about Carolina Crossroads at The Carolina Inn, visit the restaurant's website.