In the Kitchen with Chef Mike Dunne

Mike Dunne, the executive chef at Indian River Club, first came to Vero Beach to work for the Los Angeles Dodgers. During spring training, he would cook for the team and for famed manager Tommy Lasorda, as well as overseeing the concession stands.

By that time, Dunne was already an experienced chef. Ironically, he got his start when he lost the third-base position on his high school baseball team to a rival and decided to get a job at a restaurant instead. Dunne is a native New Yorker, and the restaurant was a Beefsteak Charlie’s location.

One night they were shorthanded and put Dunne on the line preparing steaks. “It was exhilarating,” he recalls. When they tried to move him to the front of the house, he asked to go back to the kitchen.

His enthusiasm led him to the Culinary Institute of America, which he loved. After graduation, he says, “I immediately hopped in a car and drove to California,” where he worked as a chef in Monterey.

When he came to Vero Beach, he enjoyed working with the Dodgers, and he shares a story about the colorful Tommy Lasorda: “He had his own line of sauces, and he wanted his mushroom sauce for his table. I was cooking it up with a big pot of pasta, and he said, ‘Where’s the fork?’” Dunne assumed Lasorda wanted to stir the pasta. “I gave him this big kitchen fork.” In response, Lasorda stared at him and asked, “What am I supposed to do with that?” (Lasorda actually used slightly more colorful language, Dunne notes.) It turns out he wasn’t looking to stir, he was looking to taste.

The next time Dunne was cooking for Lasorda, he made sure there were regular forks all around the kitchen, and it became a joke between them. “We were friends after that.”

Dunne was also the chef at Dodger Pines Country Club, which was operated by the Dodger organization. The move to Indian River Club after Dodger Pines closed down was, he says, “the best thing that ever happened.” And soon, clubhouse renovations will include a brand-new kitchen.

Dunne enjoys doing themed events, including one that fit with Indian River Club’s focus on golf: a re-creation of Scottie Scheffler’s menu for the Masters dinner. “I love bringing everybody together, talking about what we want to do, then taking the event through to completion when, hopefully, everybody’s happy.”

Appetizer: Grilled Sea Scallops in Lemon-Dill-Butter Sauce

A no-fail combination of flavors, this appetizer reflects Dunne’s classical training
at the Culinary Institute of America.

Serves 4

• 4 sea scallops
• 1 tsp. olive oil
• 2 tsp. diced shallot
• 2 tbsp. white wine
• 1 oz. lemon juice
• 4 oz. heavy cream
• 4 tbsp. soft butter
• 1 tsp. chopped dill
• 4 large croutons
• Salt and pepper
• Ring of one lemon, sliced
• 1 sprig fresh dill

Rub the scallops with salt and pepper to taste and then with the olive oil. On a hot grill, sear the scallops for about 2 minutes on each side; they should have grill marks.

In a small saucepan, sauté the diced shallot in the white wine and reduce until nearly dry; add the lemon juice and cook for 1 minute. Add heavy cream and continue to reduce. Add soft butter and bring to a slow boil for a few minutes, stirring until the sauce thickens. Add salt and pepper to taste, along with the chopped dill.

Place each scallop on a crouton, coat with the sauce, and garnish with the lemon ring and fresh dill.

Entrée: Pineapple Mango Grouper

Dunne loves the rich flavor of grouper, and this preparation gives the fish a tropical flair appropriate for Vero Beach.

Serves 2

• 2 grouper fillets, 5–6 oz. each
• 4 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 Hawaiian gold pineapple, diced
• 1 mango, diced
• 3 oz. macadamia nuts, crushed
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 small jalapeño pepper, diced (or 2 if you want it spicier)
• 4 oz. red onion
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• Juice of 1 lime
• 4 oz. rice wine vinegar
• Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Rub the grouper fillets with salt, pepper, and 1 tbsp. olive oil. Place 2 tbsp. olive oil in a pan and heat. Sear the grouper for about 2 minutes to achieve a nice brown crust; remove from the pan, place in a baking dish, and finish for about 6 minutes in the oven.

In a bowl, mix the diced pineapple, mango, macadamia nuts, red bell pepper, jalapeño pepper, onion, cilantro, and the remaining olive oil. Add lime juice, rice wine vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix well to make into a salsa. 

Remove grouper from oven and spoon the salsa over the fish.

Dessert: Strawberry Cream Puff

This pâte à choux recipe reflects the emphasis on French cuisine during Dunne’s time
at the Culinary Institute of America. “Everybody loves these,” he says.

Serves 2

• 1 qt. strawberries, chopped
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup flour
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 qt. heavy cream
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 2 oz. sugar, plus extra for topping
• Vanilla extract to taste
• 1 sprig fresh mint

Place water, butter, and salt in a pan and bring to a boil. Add flour and stir constantly until the mixture rolls off the edge of the pan.

Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Then add eggs, one at a time, stirring until well blended.

Put mixture into a piping bag and create circular designs in a medium baking dish. Bake in a 400-degree-Fahrenheit oven for approximately 40 minutes or until brown and hollow. Remove and allow to cool. This is the cream puff.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, whip the heavy cream, adding the vanilla extract and sugar, until firm peaks are formed. Fold in the chopped straw-berries.

Cut the cream puff in half. Using the piping bag, pipe it with the strawberry whipped cream. Top with extra sugar to taste and mint sprig.