Former cruise ship chef lands at Green Valley
By Dawn DeCwikiel-Kane, March 14, 2007, News & Record
 Leigh Hesling's last executive chef posts meant overseeing preparation of up to
20,000 meals a day.
All at sea.
The Australian-born Hesling spent five years as a chef on cruise ships, rising to head chef on the Royal Caribbean line's Brilliance of the Seas, Radiance of the Seas and Explorer of the Seas.
Two years ago, he dropped anchor and moved to the home state of his wife, Lori. And he landed at the Green Valley Grill as executive chef.
Instead of 20,000 meals a day, he's responsible for up to 800 at Green Valley Grill (622 Green Valley Road, Greensboro; 854-2015) and the adjoining O.Henry Hotel.
"Here, it is so much more intimate," says Hesling, 32, whose accent reveals his Australian roots.
"You pay more attention to each plate because you're not trying to feed 3,500 people in a seating."
That attention is reflected in the artistically arranged, old-world European-style meals that Hesling and his kitchen staff of 30 plan and prepare with fresh, often locally produced seasonal ingredients.
"Leigh is certainly passionate about food and the quality of the ingredients," says Bart Ortiz, vice president of flavor and consistency for Quaintance-Weaver Restaurants and Hotels, which runs Green Valley Grill and the O.Henry.
The restaurant buys cheese from Goat Lady Dairy in Climax and produce from sources such as Eastern Carolina Organics. The Pittsboro-based co-op of organic farmers and producers will plant greens and vegetables that Hesling will incorporate into dishes.
Hesling's appetite for fresh ingredients stems from his upbringing on a farm in the mountains surrounding Cairns. His family drew on its fresh fruit and livestock for meals.
"I always appreciated home cooking," he says. "I have been around the world and cooked with the best chefs, but I miss my mom's cooking."
He had planned to become a physical education teacher after high school. But the restaurant where he worked offered him an apprenticeship.
That four-year apprenticeship took him to restaurants in locales such as a Whitsunday Islands resort.
After a stint at a London restaurant, he noticed a newspaper ad for chefs for the Queen Elizabeth 2 cruise ship.
He set sail as a chef de partie, or station chef, and learned what it was like to work at sea.
There he also met his wife-to-be, Lori Cox, an Albemarle native contracted as a Broadway dancer on board.
At just 28, he took his first executive chef post. He and 120 cooks were responsible for feeding 2,500 passengers and 1,200 crew members.
After more tours as executive chef, Hesling decided to become a landlubber.
His wife and newborn son had moved to North Carolina, and "being away four months at a time was agony," he says.
The job at Green Valley Grill opened just in time.
"It turned out to be a perfect fit," he says.
Hesling is sharing his recipe for pancetta-wrapped scallops. He serves the scallops with roasted red potatoes, lemon-basil aioli and kale, with a lemon wedge topping the kale. Spinach and arugula can be substituted for kale and need less cooking time.
This recipe makes one serving as an entree. It also can be served as an appetizer.
Pancetta Scallop Entree
Scallops:
6 to 7 scallops
2 ounces pancetta (prosciutto can be substituted for pancetta)
Clean scallops. Slice pancetta in thirds lengthwise. Roll a strip of pancetta around each scallop (as pictured), pressing the end of the pancetta to seal it.
Spray baking pan with pan spray. Set scallops on pan and bake at 375 degrees for seven minutes.
Lemon-basil aioli:
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped and tightly packed
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2 egg yolks
1 egg
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground pepper
1/4 cup cold water
3 cups olive oil
Add all ingredients except oil to blender and puree until smooth.
Add oil in slow stream until combined and smooth.
Kale:
4 ounces green kale, cut into long, thin strips
1/4 cup chicken stock
11/2 teaspoons chopped fresh garlic
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Heat oil. Add garlic and saute for 10 seconds. Add kale and broth and simmer for 2 minutes. Serve immediately.
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