Photo by CARRIE WISE

Ralph Feraco, executive chef at Naples Sailing and Yacht Club, demonstrates how to make gang plank shrimp salad with a sweet chili lime dressing.

NAPLES — Ralph C. Feraco is the executive chef of the Naples Sailing and Yacht Club, 896 River Point Drive, Naples, 774-0424, and the immediate past chapter president of the Academy of Chefs. Feraco is a graduate of Johnson and Wales University and his first cooking experience upon graduation was at the Harrison Conference Center in Glen Cove, N.Y. He stayed on Long Island moving to the Garden City Hotel as assistant chef garde manager (preserver of the food) and worked his way up to executive sous chef within five years. He arrived in Naples in 2003 at his present position.

Watch award winning Feraco make his gang plank shrimp salad in the video on the left and make it at home with the following recipe:

Gang plank shrimp salad, with sweet chili lime dressing

Ingredients

1/2 cup green cabbage, shredded

1/4 cup red pepper, julienne

1/4 cup snow peas, julienne

1/2 cup mixed greens, chopped

1/4 cup carrots, julienne

Scallions, sliced, for garnish

Cellophane sticks, for garnish, available at Asian markets

Sesame seeds, for garnish

Preparation

Place the cabbage, pepper, snow peas, mixed greens and carrots in a bowl and mix.

Refrigerate until ready to add shrimp and the sauce.

Serves four.

Sweet lime chili dressing

Ingredients

4 ounces sweet chili sauce

1 ounce fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon fish sauce (Golden Boy brand is preferred), available at Asian markets

Preparation

Place all ingredients in a small bowl and mix well.

Gang plank sauce

Ingredients

1 cup mayonnaise

4 ounces sweet chili sauce

1/2 teaspoon fish sauce

1 tablespoon Shiraz hot sauce, available at Asian markets

Preparation

Mix all the ingredients in a medium bowl and whip until well incorporated. Hint: This sauce can be stored in refrigerator up to one month.

Gang plank shrimp

Ingredients

20 large shrimp peeled, cleaned and halved

Cornstarch, as much as needed

Salt and pepper, to taste

Preparation

Dredge shrimp in cornstarch and fry at 350 degrees for four minutes or until golden brown.

Place in a bowl and toss in gang plank sauce.

Toss salad with sweet lime chili sauce and place in middle of bowl.

Place bang plank shrimp around salad.

Garnish salad with sliced scallions, sesame seeds and crispy cellophane sticks and serve.