Chef Victor Scargle


Victor Scargle has loved cooking since childhood, when he and his father would prepare such family favorites as spaghetti with clam sauce, lemon meringue pie and sugar cookies. He cooked in restaurants during high school and college, so no one was surprised when, after studying economics at University of California, Santa Barbara, he returned to his childhood passion by enrolling in a one-year apprenticeship at Fess Parker's Red Lion Resort under Executive Chef Brian Bird. Following Chef Bird's advice to travel and work with a variety of chefs and ingredients, Scargle worked for a year each under Chef Robin Haas of the Colony Bistro in Miami's South Beach and Douglas Rodriguez at Patria in New York, then did stages at some of Manhattan's best restaurants including Gramercy Tavern, Tribeca Grill, Park Avenue Cafe, Lespinasse and Aureole.

Scargle returned to the West Coast to work for Michael Mina at Aqua, San Francisco, then assisted in the opening of Aqua, Las Vegas. He then worked as the Executive Chef at Pisces in Burlingame, where he received three stars from the San Francisco Chronicle and became one of the newspaper's annual "Rising Star Chefs." Scargle moved back to San Francisco to work at Jardiniere as Chef de Cuisine, followed by a stint as Executive Chef at Kimpton’s Grand Cafe.

In 2003, Scargle joined The Patina Group and was appointed Executive Chef of Julia's Kitchen at COPIA. In 2004, the Wine Spectator named Julia's Kitchen one of the top upscale restaurants in Napa Valley, the San Francisco Chronicle awarded Chef Scargle three and one-half stars (out of four), and he was invited to prepare dinner at the famed Beard's House in New York. In 2005, the San Francisco Chronicle named Julia's Kitchen one of the "Top 100 Restaurants" in the Bay Area.

Recently, Scargle joined restaurateur Cindy Pawlcyn at her new venture Go Fish as Executive Chef. His new venue is a classic West Coast fish restaurant that allows him to channel his passions for fresh seasonal ingredients and impeccable seafood into exciting flavor combinations.

Dungeness Crab Salad with California Avocado

Ingredients:

  • 18 oz. Dungeness crabmeat
  • 1 Meyer lemon, peeled and sectioned; reserve juice
  • 1 bunch chives, chopped
  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 each California Avocados, peeled and coarsely chopped
  • 1 Roma tomato, concassé
  • ½ each red onion, minced
  • ½ cup cilantro, chopped
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • 1 tsp Napa hot sauce
  • 1 Ruby red grapefruit, peeled and sectioned; reserve juice
  • 1 Tangerine, peeled and sectioned; reserve juice
  • 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • ½ cup Micro cilantro
  • 2 Tbsp grapeseed oil
  • 6 each tuna fish can, top and bottom removed and washed
  • kosher salt to taste
  • white pepper to taste

Method

  1. Mix crab, Meyer lemon sections, chopped chives and olive oil; season with salt and white pepper. In a separate bowl mix California avocados, tomato, red onion, cilantro, lime juice and hot sauce; season with salt and white pepper.
  2. Toss citrus sections in extra virgin olive oil season with salt and white pepper. Combine lemon, grapefruit and tangerine juices and reduce; cool and whisk in grapeseed oil to emulsify.
  3. To plate place a layer of avocado mixture 1/3 of the way up tuna can. With a spoon smooth out the top and remove any excess from the sides higher up. Next place crab mix in mold on top of avocado base. Unmold salad onto service plate. Place a pile of mixed citrus sections on opposite side of plate. Dress micro arugula in juice left from citrus sections; do not over dress. Drizzle citrus reduction around the plate and serve.

Source: Chef Victor Scargle, Julia's Kitchen/Copia - Napa, California

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Avocado Scallop Ceviche

Ingredients:

  • 4 pounds sea scallops, cleaned
  • 3 cups fresh lemon juice
  • 1 cup chopped cilantro
  • 1 cup chopped red onion
  • 1 cup tomato ketchup
  • 1 cup fresh orange juice
  • 1 cup clam juice
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped jalape–o pepper
  • 8 (4 pounds) California Avocados, diced
  • cilantro sprigs - As needed for garnish
  • hot pepper sauce To taste
  • salt to taste

Method

  1. Clean and quarter scallops. Cover scallops with lemon juice; marinate until firm and opaque, about 2 hours.
  2. Meanwhile, mix red onion and remaining ingredients, except avocados.
  3. When scallops are ready, drain, reserving lemon juice. Fold scallops and avocado into ketchup mixture. Stir in some of the reserved lemon juice to taste. Chill to marry flavors.
PER ORDER: Put 2/3 cup ceviche in martini glass or other stemmed glass. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.

Yield: 24 Servings

Source: Chef Victor Scargle, Julia's Kitchen/Copia - Napa, California

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