Chef's credo: Let fresh ingredients do the talking

When he closes his eyes and dangles his feet in the waters of Lake Zurich, Peter Saletta almost feels he's back home in Florida. Almost.

Saletta moved from the near-tropic Sarasota to the suburbs in 2008 when he joined Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Bar in Lincolnshire as its executive chef. While he's learned to love our deep dish pizza, the winters will take some getting used to.

"I don't think anyone really 'copes' with them. We just crank up the heat and pray for summer," he says.

New to the snow, Saletta is no stranger to the heat of the kitchen. He started his restaurant career as a dishwasher at his mother's restaurant, The Summerhouse. He worked his way up the ranks and honed his culinary skills at Mattison's City Grille in Sarasota.

He studied business at the University of South Florida and took on a larger role with chef Paul Mattison as executive chef of his steakhouse, learning more about French techniques and fine dining during his tenure there. He joined Fleming's Sarasota restaurant in 2004 and later moved to the groups's Memphis outpost.

Saletta believes what he learned in his mother's restaurant still applies today.

"I believe it's the ingredients that make the big statement in a dish," he says. "My job is to give them the chance to speak."

What is your earliest food memory? In my family, Thanksgiving wasn't always spent together, so we have always had to celebrate twice. "Not a bad thing," I would always say. My mother would make a leftover dish call turkey tetrazzini. We would all look forward to the day after Thanksgiving just for this dish.

You worked in the family restaurant ... did you know early on you were going to be a chef or did it just evolve? Yes, my entire family is all in the hospitality business, so I spent my life growing up around great chefs and have always known that it was what I wanted to do.

Any mentors you credit with helping you get where you are today? Jeffry Bowen, executive chef of the Summer House. He was the first one to really push me to my capacity. Teaching me and molding me, taking me under his wing at an early age. He never let me fall but always let me know where my weaknesses were, as well as my strengths.

What is your culinary philosophy? Fresh, fresh, fresh. You always have to use the freshest ingredients, there can be no compromise. You can truly taste the freshness in the dishes that we prepare everyday at Fleming's.

What are the best and worst parts about your job? There is nothing more gratifying to a chef than to hear how great the food is and how they have been waiting all week to come in. I would have to say the worst part of my job would have to be the end of the day when I have ended my shift and have to walk away from what has become my family, my team; that would be the hardest part.

What is your favorite ingredient and how do you like to use it? Kosher salt. This along with fresh cracked black pepper is what we use to flavor Fleming's steaks with. It is simple and pure, and lets the true flavor of the wet aged prime beef really stand out.

What ingredients should no home kitchen be without? Being Italian that's a no brainier. Garlic! There's nothing better then having your home filled with the smell of sauteed garlic.

What was the last meal you cooked at home? I brought home two of our Fleming's Prime Burgers to prepare for my fiance, Tara. I prepared them just as we do at the restaurant, two huge onion rings, chipotle aioli, juicy beef steak, tomatoes, and crisp iceberg lettuce. This is truly a great burger.

Any foods you miss from home? Mahi-mahi tacos at the Old Salty Dog on Longboat Key.

What do you do in your free time? I live on a lake (in Lake Zurich) so we try to spend most of our time there. If you close your eyes and dip your feet in the water it's almost like you're on the beach -

Tell us about this recipe: Sea Scallops with Orzo Pilaf. This is a perfect summer dish, very light and flavorful. The key is in two areas, marinating the scallops and cooking the orzo. You must not over cook the orzo; much like any over cooked pasta it will ruin the dish. And be sure to marinate the scallops to the recommended time to get the best overall flavors from the fresh herbs and shallots.

Try this at home or at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse, 960 Milwaukee Road, Lincolnshire (847) 793-0333 or 25 E. Ohio St., Chicago (312) 329-9463.

• To recommend a chef to be profiled, write to food@dailyherald.com.

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