Crabmeat Agnolotti with Pancetta Sauce
Recipe courtesy of Barracuda Restaurant, Virgin Gorda

Dough: 6 eggs, pinch of salt,
3 pints flour (preferably 00 or semolina)

Crack eggs into a bowl and whisk with a pinch of salt. Make a well in the 3 pints of flour, pour in egg mixture and blend. Knead dough for 15 minutes. Place in plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour.

Crabmeat filling: 1 can lump crabmeat,
1 bunch tarragon (cut), 1 tbsp. lemon zest

Mix above ingredients together and set aside.

Agnolotti: Roll out dough and cut in strips about 4 inches long and 2 inches wide. Lay the crabmeat mixture in long strips on the pasta, leaving room around all sides to seal. Use egg yolk and a pastry brush to seal edges together.

The sauce: Sauté in butter half cup of each — chopped walnuts, dried apricots and diced pancetta — until the mixture starts to caramelize.

Conclusion: Drop agnolotti into salted boiling water. When agnolotti start to float, remove them from the water. Allow them to sizzle in the sauce. Sprinkle with chives and serve.

Make It “Spiceman”

By Elise Donovan

If magnificent sunsets and breathtaking views overlooking an idyllic village in a quiet secluded hilltop aren’t attraction enough, then tasting one of the Spiceman’s special creations will make it worthwhile.

William “Spiceman” Mitchell has been Bananakeet and Heritage Inn’s live-in chef for four years. He hails from “Spice Island” Grenada, but acquired his moniker because of his knack for blending exotic spices — flown specially from his native Grenada — to create dishes, which by their names alone promise to delight the palate. Whether it’s his Jerk Pork with Banana Chutney, Asian SautČed Sesame Shrimps, Herb Crusted Snapper, Stuffed Baked Cornish Hen with Tamarind Sauce or Spicy Marinated Grilled Salmon, he says it’s the spice that makes the difference.

“I’m a shy person; I don’t talk too much,” says Mitchell. But simply ask about his special blend of spices and he will retreat to his kitchen to reappear smiling with a large bowl of spices. He then offers aromatic sniffs of saffron, nutmeg and others, while describing the zing each spice adds to his varied concoctions. “You just have to use your imagination,” says Mitchell.

Mitchell cooks up to 65 dishes to order nightly. “Every night I have a different special, so that people will have a different experience every time.” That is why some customers return for his unique dinner creations four nights a week rather than visiting the many other restaurants on the island.

Customers often ask for his recipes, but he says, “I create my own thing from my mind.” Recipe seekers need not despair: He plans to write a Spiceman recipe book sometime in the future. Other plans for this self-taught chef, who learned to cook as the youngest of five boys in his grandmother’s kitchen, include officially studying cooking in college.

Davide Pugliese's artistry, creative flair and sublime taste are not exclusive to his culinary endeavours. Influenced by his surroundings while growing up in Tuscany, he studied art and photography, becoming a professional photographer and eventually settling in New York City. While in the Big Apple, his interest in the epicurean arts blossomed into a second career.

In 1984, Pugliese visited the BVI while on vacation, did a bit of sailing, and "fell in love with the place." He bought Brandywine Bay Restaurant in 1988 with his future wife, Cele, by his side.

Through the years, Brandywine Bay's fame grew, and new customers quickly became regulars. "Brandywine Bay still has the charm of an old estate, with an incredible view of Sir Francis Drake Channel," says Pugliese. "We have filled the property with beautiful art, African tablecloths, much colour, style, candlelight, and flower arrangements." The service, he adds, is exceptional. "We are not just known for our food, but also for our service. My staff can hear a fork drop and will be there within seconds. You can sit down, relax and know that your glass will be topped off at all times. The experience at Brandywine Bay is about being taken care of and pampered."

The choices at Brandywine Bay are incredible. "We always have an extensive menu: anywhere from seven to 12 appetizers, and a similar amount for the main course," Pugliese explains. "We write the menu on a board each night and go table to table describing it to our customers. Everything is fresh and cooked to order. I change the menu as often as I can."

Although there is always a tantalizing mix of dishes in which to indulge, the one item he cannot take off the board is his signature roast duck. "It can't come off the menu," he says, "or I'd be in trouble!" Among partakers of this delicacy is Princess Anne, who visited the restaurant in early 2005.

The key to Brandywine Bay's success? "We would not be where we are without teamwork; from start to finish, it's a combination of hard work, great service, excellent location and staff. I take care of the kitchen and Cele takes care of the front of the house and the wines - we have a very large wine selection. She often describes the menu to diners as well." Pugliese is also an active member of the BVI Culinary Team, participating in the annual Taste of the Caribbean competition put together by the Caribbean Hotel Association.

There is no better advertising than word of mouth, and Brandywine Bay receives nothing but compliments from patrons far and wide. "A recent customer," says Pugliese, "told me he heard of us while on duty in Afghanistan." Even on the other side of the world, Brandywine Bay is recognised as one of the finest dining experiences in the Caribbean.

Brandywine Bay Restaurant is open for dinner Monday through Saturday. For reservations, please call (284) 495-2301.

Keith Audette, Food and Beverage Director for the Village Cay Resort Marina/Hotel, has an emotional pull to his chosen profession. A native of Rhode Island, he grew up "in the kitchen, around the heels of my mother, who's also a chef."

Audette attended Johnson & Wales University and worked his way up the corporate ladder, arriving in the BVI in late 1997. He has been part of the Village Cay family for almost six years and also serves as chairman of the BVI Culinary Team.

The BVI adds its own sprinkling of magic to the cuisine at Village Cay. "There's a lot of diversity of ingredients here — we work a lot with mangos, avocados, dasheen, christophine," he explains. Audette also cites East Indian influences, where curries and rotis reign supreme.

For the ultimate experience in BVI dining, Village Cay has a dockside grill with a varied menu and the freshest of ingredients. "We do a great braised oxtail and use a lot of lamb and goat down here, which is a lot of fun to experiment with," says Audette. "We also have fresh lobster and lots of seafood — our restaurant is right on the dock." Mahi-mahi, swordfish and yellowfin tuna come in right to Village Cay's dock, he explains. Diners also get to enjoy some of the most magnificent yachts in the world.

Other top draws on their menu include a cristophine-crusted rack of lamb, coconut and dark rum-laced sweet potatoes, Caribbean bouillabaisse, and their signature jerk duck. There's also Sushi Night on Fridays, which Audette says is very popular.

For lighter fare, there's Dockmaster's Deli, a high-end, New York-style gourmet deli featuring handcrafted sandwiches, wraps and soups. This relative newcomer in Village Cay has done very well, surpassing everyone's expectations.

"I like to think we're all things for all people," says Audette. "Our menu has something for everyone." Even for Jimmy Buffett, who declares he was inspired to write "Cheeseburger in Paradise" while on a blissful and flavoursome moment at Village Cay. Audette confirms that the resort has carried on that tradition. "Our cheeseburgers are still great."

Village Cay is open for three meals a day, seven days a week. For more information, call (284) 494-2771.

Myett's Garden Restaurant

Cane Garden Bay is the islands' most beautiful and most popular beach. The white-sand beach is lined with palm trees, arching around in a perfect crescent. Perched right in the middle of this slice of paradise and only yards from the water's edge is Myett's. Over the years, Kareem and Valerie Rhymer have created a hotel, restaurant and bar in a perfect tropical setting whose ambience is second to none. Before dinner, enjoy live happy hour music at the bar. After dinner, patrons can enjoy a live band and dancing on most evenings.

The Myetts' success was not earned overnight. They recently celebrated their 15th anniversary with the opening of three new hotel rooms and a spa offering a full range of body treatments and facials. For the visiting yachtsmen, there are Internet and messaging services.

Quiet progress in keeping with the local surroundings is the byword at Myett's. Judging by the popularity of this beautiful garden inn, the prosperity is likely to continue.

Recipe courtesy of Myett's Chef, Radcliffe Stones
Tuna Tropicana

Ingredients
10 oz. yellowfin tuna steak, about an inch thick
2 oz. olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauce
1 oz. pineapple, diced
1 oz. mango, diced
1 oz. papaya, diced
1 orange, in segments
The juice of an orange
The juice of a lime
1/2 oz. red pepper, diced fine
1/2 oz. green pepper, diced fine
1/2 oz. red onion, diced fine
1 tsp. chopped cilantro
A pinch of Scotch bonnet pepper, chopped very fine
1 oz. olive oil
1 oz. apple cider vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste

Preparation
Mix all the ingredients for the sauce together and simmer slowly for 7 minutes over medium heat. Set aside. Heat the olive oil until just smoking. Sear the seasoned tuna on each side for about 2 minutes or until medium rare. Slice the tuna steak to expose the pink interior and serve the sauce on the side.
This dish is excellent served with plantains, mashed potatoes and mixed grilled vegetables.

As Executive Chef of the highly acclaimed Peter Island Resort, the very charming Willfor "Willo" Stoutt knows a thing or two about top-notch dining. Amid a fantastic setting of sea and sky, he adds a fresh and creative combination of ingredients and the region's signature warmth to both Caribbean and international cuisine in Tradewinds, the resort's main restaurant. The tables are adorned with German china, French silverware and Italian crystal. "Tropical classic" would describe both the cuisine and the ambiance, although Asian and Italian influences are evident as well.

Besides oveseeing Tradewinds and Deadman's Beach Bar & Grill, which offers lighter but equally tasty fare, Chef Willo also directs the resort's daily Caribbean Tea, mixing a tropical flair of fruity pastries and other delights with English tradition.

Among Chef Willo's recommendations: Peter Island crab cakes, the delectable rack of lamb, Caribbean bouillabaisse and coconut rice. But word around the Caribbean is you can't make a bad choice when it comes to dining at the Peter Island Resort — Chef Willo sees to that.

A 30-year veteran of the resort and a native of Tortola, Chef Willo is also recognized for his pivotal role in the advancement of the BVI's culinary milieu. A member of the first gold medal-winning team from the BVI in Taste of the Caribbean — an annual culinary event celebrating Caribbean cuisine — he is looking forward to upcoming competitions and to being actively involved in fundraisers, practices and other ways in which to give other chefs the opportunity to proudly represent the BVI. And who wouldn't be inspired to create here?

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