Indigenous: A Culinary Highlight in Sarasota

 

Chef Steven Phelps’s restaurant Indigenous is a favourite among locavores, especially for his genius with fresh fish and sustainable seafood. Phelps and his team work closely with local fisherman, artisans, and farmers to maintain the highest quality in everything they serve. The best restaurant in Sarasota, dining at Indigenous is a culinary highlight when we drive over from Longboat Key. Phelps's menu of seasonal American cuisine changes progressively throughout the year based on peak ingredient availability, but there's one dish that's always on the menu. The Wild Mushroom Bisque with truffle rye croutons. It's the chefs signature soup, and for good reason. It is quite simply the best soup I've ever tasted. Made from an earthy blend of porcini, shiitake and cremini mushrooms, there are customers who order it by the quart and have it shipped across the globe so they can enjoy it year round, and I could very well be next on that list. 

Glass of Bubbles as we perused the menu

Indigenous menu changes each week making the most of seasonal ingredients

Wild Mushroom Bisque with truffle oil and rye croutons has been on the menu 

since 2011 when Indigenous first opened

Florida Rock Shrimp and Sterling Caviar with arugula pesto, crispy parmesan grit cake, 

pickled mustard seeds and crème fraîche

Steel Trout from Snake River in Idaho, served with Congaree and Penn middlins, 

butternut squash, oyster mushrooms, Brussels sprouts, and ry truffle pangrattato

Yellowfin Tuna, pole caught from North Carolina, serve with Laotian pesto, peanut vinaigrette, 

rainbow carrots, cabbage, kohlrabi, romano beans, kale, cucumber, radish and wake purée

Chocolate Torte with strawberry cardamom compote and whipped vanilla cream

 The 82-year-old Sarasota cracker cottage is home to Indigenous

Chef Phelps weekly trip to the farm to stock up on vegetables and leaf greens

www.indigenoussarasota.com

Thai Green Curry Fish Dip

Serves 4-5

Recipe courtesy of chef Steve Phelps

Green Curry Paste:

1/2 cup onion, diced

1/2 cup lemongrass, chopped

1/2 cup ginger root, grated

8 cloves garlic

1 cup basil, chopped

1 cup cilantro, chopped

3 red Thai bird chiles, sliced

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

1/3 cup fish sauce

1/3 cup lime juice

1/2 tbsp curry powder

1/2 tbsp ground cumin

1/2 tbsp ground coriander

1/2 tbsp brown sugar

Thai Green Curry Fish Dip:

1 lb cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup mayonnaise

4 tbsp green curry paste 

24 oz baked whitefish, such as grouper, snapper, halibut, or perch, chopped 

Salt and pepper

Place all of the green curry paste ingredients into a food processor and purée until as smooth as possible. Set aside.

Place the cream cheese, mayo and curry paste into a food processor. Blend until smooth and place in a mixing bowl. Stir in the baked fish, and season with salt and pepper. To serve, spoon the fish dip into a mason jar or serving bowl, with some crackers or fresh veggies.