Executive Chef Shaun Sells has joined Martha’s Vineyard’s storied Harbor View Hotel, leading the food and beverage operations for Water Street restaurant and Henry’s Hotel Bar. He relies on the best fare from the island’s local farms and fisherman to craft menus that offer a contemporary twist on classic New England cuisine.
Prior to his arrival on Martha’s Vineyard, Chef Sells held posts at the Pelican Isle Yacht Club in Naples, Fla., The Ritz-Carlton, St. Thomas and The Westin St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands. He is a graduate of Johnson & Wales University in Providence, R.I.
Chef Sells has quickly become an active member of the local community, and when he’s not behind the scenes in the kitchen at Harbor View, he can be found leading cooking demonstrations around the island. A fan favorite is his mouthwatering Oysters Rockefeller with Brie, using shellfish. Chef Sells shares his recipe, below:
Oysters Rockefeller with Brie by Chef Shaun Sells
12 oysters
1 lb. of spinach
2 minced shallots
1 minced garlic
∏ cup of diced, cooked bacon
1 oz. garlic oil
1.5 oz. Pernod
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
π cup of heavy cream
1 tbsp. corn starch
3 tbsp. cold water
4 oz. brie
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
· Sauté garlic, bacon, shallots and spinach in garlic oil over medium-high heat
· Add lemon juice and Pernod and cook for 45 seconds
· Stir in heavy cream and cook for one minute
· Mix corn starch with cold water to make a slurry, then add spinach to mix. Cook for one minute while stirring continuously; the mixture will thicken up and pull together
· Shuck the oysters and leave them on the half shell
· Top oysters with .5 oz of spinach mixture
· Place a quarter-sized slice of Brie on each oyster
· Bake at 400° F for six to eight minutes
· Serve on a bed of rock salt, if desired
About Harbor View Hotel:
A beloved fixture on the Vineyard since 1891, Harbor View Hotel offers luxury guest rooms and suites in the heart of historic Edgartown. From its broad veranda, the hotel boasts spectacular views of the Edgartown Harbor, the Vineyard’s premier sailing and yachting location. Harbor View Hotel has been awarded “Best Hotel on the Vineyard” by Martha’s Vineyard Magazine and Cape Cod Magazine and was voted one of the “World’s Best Hotels” for 2012 by Travel + Leisure . The Harbor View is a member of Historic Hotels of America® and a property of Scout Real Estate Capital.
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