First City Café

7200 Plantation Road
Pensacola, FL
(850) 474-0100
Chef Elliott Wiggins


East Indian Curried Chicken, South of the Border New York Strip, Fish Mentonaise,
Bourbon Street Chicken with Pecans

East Indian Curried Chicken

  • Boneless, skinless chicken breast, pounded evenly
  • Olive oil
  • Toasted walnuts to taste
  • Toasted coconut to taste
  • Golden raisins to taste
  • Red apple, cubed, to taste
  • Granny Smith apple, diced, to taste
  • Chutney, to taste
  • Curry powder, to taste
  • Heavy cream, approximately 1/2 - 1 1/2 cups

Coat sauté pan with olive oil and heat to medium high heat. Cook chicken breast until brown on both sides. Reduce heat to low to medium heat and add some of the apples, walnuts, coconut, raisins, and chutney. Next sprinkle curry lightly over everything in pan and add cream slowly shaking pan to mix well. Reduce liquid and taste. Add whatever you like in the amount you like to suit you. If you wish, you may delete something from this recipe. As always, salt and pepper to taste. Who said curry had to be hot!

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South of the Border New York Strip

  • Olive oil
  • South of the Border seasoning
  • New York strip steaks
  • Julienne of onions
  • Julienne of peppers
  • 3-4 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
  • 1/8 cup diced tomatoes
  • Flour tortilla shells
  • Shredded cheddar cheese
  • Salsa

South of the Border Seasoning:

  • 2 tsp. chili powder
  • 2 tsp. dried oregano
  • 2 tsp. ground cumin
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
  • Pinch of sugar

Mix chili powder, oregano, cumin, salt, garlic powder, and pinch of sugar. This is your South of the Border seasoning. You may substitute dry taco seasoning if in a hurry. Rub steak with oil then with seasoning mix and place on grill. In small sauté pan, add a touch of oil and heat to high heat adding onions and peppers. Toss onions and peppers to coat in oil. Add cilantro to pan along with diced tomatoes and toss. Reduce heat and add a couple of pinches of seasoning and remove from heat tossing to mix well. Oil tortilla and place on grill or in skillet. Cover one half of tortilla with salsa, the other side with cheese. Fold in half with the cheese half covering the salsa half. Cook until golden brown and turn. When golden brown on both sides, remove and cut into 3-4 slices. When steak is done, remove and place on plate topping steak with sautéed veggies and garnish with quesadilla.

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Fish Mentonaise

  • Olive oil
  • Peeled and seeded diced tomatoes
  • 6-8 oz. fish filet
  • Salt and pepper
  • Flour
  • Chopped garlic
  • Chopped shallots
  • White wine
  • Sliced black olives

Coat sauté pan with oil and place on medium heat. Add chopped shallots and cook for just a couple of minutes. Next add garlic and toss cooking for another minute. Add tomatoes and toss, cooking for a few minutes. Add wine and reduce hat to a simmer and let cook until 70-80% of liquid is gone. Add olives and toss and remove from heat, tossing one last time. Sprinkle fish with salt and pepper, then dredge in flour. In medium sauté pan, add oil and heat to medium high heat. Place fish in pan, flesh side down and cook until golden brown. Turn and reduce heat and cook until brown. When fish is 80% done, add tomato mixture and reduce heat to low and cook until fish is done. Serve at once.

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Bourbon Street Chicken with Pecans

  • 4 Tbsp. butter
  • 1 Tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 1/4 cup chopped pecans
  • 1 1/2 oz. bourbon
  • Pinch of sugar
  • Seasoned flour (season with salt and white pepper)
  • 1/4 cup heavy cream

Melt half of butter with the olive oil over medium heat. Dredge chicken in flour and cook until 3/4 done. Add bourbon, being careful of flame. Mix remaining butter and mix with pecans and add to pan. When butter and pecan mixture is melted, add a pinch of sugar and the heavy cream. Cook just until sauce is thickened. Garnish with fresh parsley.

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