Article by Mama Jock
Best Ever Seafood Gumbo
1 lb. lump crabmeat, picked clean
3 lbs. raw shrimp (with heads)
Pinch kosher salt
6 TBSP. oil, divided
2 lbs. fresh or frozen (thawed) okra sliced
1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1 lb. andouille sausage, sliced thin
2 TBSP. flour
2 cups finely chopped onion
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup finely chopped green pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup chopped green onions, divided
1 (6-oz.) can tomato paste
3 bay leaves
1 tsp. finely chopped fresh thyme
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1/4 tsp. ground red pepper
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1 TBSP. Worcestershire sauce
1 (14.5-oz.) can small, diced tomatoes, liquid reserved
30 oysters
1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
Long grain rice, cooked and hot
Remove shrimp shells and heads.
Cover; refrigerate shrimp; place shells and heads in a large stockpot with 8 cups water and salt.
Bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium, simmer, partially covered, 1 hour.
Cool 30 minutes; pour stock through a fine wire-mesh strainer and reserve liquid for later use.
Discard shells and heads.
Heat 2 TBSP. oil in a large heavy skillet over medium heat and add okra; wipe out skillet.
Heat another TBSP. of oil to skillet over medium-high heat and sauté andouille about 8 minutes or until brown. Set aside.
Heat remaining 3 TBSP. oil in a large pot over high heat.
Add flour, reduce heat; cook, stirring constantly until roux is a medium to dark brown.
Add onions, celery and bell pepper; saute until vegetables begin to soften.
Add garlic and 1/2 cup green onions; cook 3 more minutes.
Stir in tomato paste and next 7 ingredients.
Stir in tomatoes and 1/3 cup of their liquid; gradually stir in shrimp stock.
Add sausage and okra.
Bring to a boil and cover.
Reduce heat to medium-low; simmer 30 minutes.
Stir in shrimp and remaining green onions; simmer 3 minutes.
Stir in crabmeat, oysters and parsley; simmer 1 minute.
Taste and add salt, if needed.
Serve over rice.
Serves 6.
Broiled Flounder with Butter and Herbs
Herb Mix
2 TBSP. minced fresh parsley
1 TBSP. minced fresh dill
1/3 cup minced fresh chives
Flounder
1 stick unsalted butter, melted
4 flounder fillets
Salt
White pepper
Bread crumbs
Lemon wedges
For the herb mix, toss the ingredients together in a small bowl.
Set oven rack in the top position, slide in a cast-iron grill pan and turn on the broiler.
Let it heat for 15 minutes.
Pour the butter into a soup plate.
Dip each fillet into the butter, coating both sides.
On a work surface, season the fish with salt and pepper, to taste.
Divide the herb mixture among the 4 fillets evenly.
Sprinkle each piece of fish with about 1 tsp. of the bread crumbs; pat the coating onto the fish.
Drizzle each piece with a little butter.
Set the fillets skin side down once the grill pan is heated.
Broil fish for about 3 minutes or until the crumbs are toasty and carmelized.
Serves 4.
Sauteed Bluefish with Chopped Tomato Sauce
4 bluefish fillets, skin on
Salt and pepper
Flour
Vegetable oil
2 TBSP. unsalted butter
Chopped Tomato Sauce
Heat two sauté pans over high heat.
Season both sides of the fillets with salt and pepper.
Dust the skin lightly with flour.
Add the oil to each pan.
Set in the fillets, floured side down; reduce heat to medium-high.
Press down the fish with a spatula to make a good crust.
Add 1 TBSP. butter to each pan.
Once it is melted, baste the fish.
Cook 2 minutes on first side.
When almost cooked through, turn it over and turn off the heat.
Let the fish sit for 30 seconds.
Transfer to paper towels.
Chopped Tomato Sauce
2 TBSP. olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tsp. chopped garlic
2 cups canned chopped tomatoes, drain a little of the juice
Salt
Heat oil in a saucepan.
Add onion; sauté for 3 minutes.
Add garlic, sauté for 30 seconds.
Add the tomatoes; bring to a simmer and cook until very thick and reduced, about 20 minutes.
Season with salt.
To serve, lay a bed of tomatoes on the dinner plates and top with the bluefish fillets.
Serves 4.
Garlic Shrimp
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
Red pepper flakes to taste
24 large shrimp, shelled, deveined, tails intact
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt
Hot or sweet Hungarian paprika
Cooked rice, for serving
Heat 4 shallow ramekins in cold oven.
Heat to 400 degrees and heat the ramekins for at least 20 minutes.
In a large nonreactive fry pan, combine the olive oil, garlic and chiles.
Cook over medium heat until the garlic begins to turn golden, about 2 minutes.
Add the shrimp; sauté until evenly pink on both sides.
Immediately remove from heat and add the lemon juice.
Sprinkle with salt and the paprika to taste.
Toss quickly and immediately divide the shrimp and the flavored oil among the heated ramekins.
Serve immediately with cooked rice.
Serves 4.
Crispy Sea Bass with Garlic-Ginger Sauce
3/4 cup vegetable oil, more or less
2 sea bas, gutted, scaled with heads on
2 TBSP. peanut oil
1 TBSP. minced garlic
1 tsp. peeled and minced fresh ginger
1 TBSP. soy sauce
1 tsp. sesame oil
Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat for 5 minutes.
Add the vegetable oil to a depth of an inch.
When the oil simmers, place the fish in.
Cook, undisturbed for 8 minutes.
Turn carefully.
As the fish is cooking, in another pan heat the peanut oil over medium heat.
Add the garlic and ginger; cook, stirring until the garlic begins to color.
Add the soy sauce and sesame oil and keep warm.
Cook the fish 8 to 10 minutes on the second side.
Remove to the plates and drizzle with the sauce.
Serve immediately.
Soft Shell
Crab Sandwiches with Spicy Sauce
Sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt and pepper to taste
1 egg yolk
1/3 cup canola oil
2 TBSP. extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 to 1/2 tsp. Tabasco sauce
1 TBSP. water
1/2 TBSP. fresh lemon juice
Crabs
4 soft-shell crabs
1 cup flour
1 egg beaten with 2 TBSP. water
1 cup cornmeal
Salt
Paprika
Olive oil
Bread of your choice
To make the sauce, grind together the garlic and a pinch of salt together.
Add egg yolk and whisk until thick, 15 seconds.
Gradually whisk in the canola oil, a drop at a time, until sauce thickens.
Whisk in remaining canola oil in a fine stream, then whisk in the olive oil.
Whisk in the Tabasco, hot water and lemon juice.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Rinse crabs under cold water and dry with paper towels.
Place the flour and egg mixture in separate shallow bowls.
Place cornmeal in a third shallow bowl.
Season with salt and paprika.
In a large heavy sauté pan, heat 1/2-inch of olive oil until oil shimmers.
Dredge the crabs first in the flour, then in the egg and then in the cornmeal.
Fry the crabs, two at a time, avoid overcrowding.
Fry 3 to 4 minutes or until browned all over and crisp on the edges.
Spread the sauce on toasted bread and layer with the crab and lettuce of choice.
Serves 4.
Baked Flounder in
Vegetable Casserole
3 TBSP. butter, softened
1 TSP. minced garlic
1/2 lb. carrots, cut into rounds
1/2 lb. celery, cut into 1-inch dice
1/2 lb. potatoes, peeled, cut into 1/2-inch dice
1 large onion, sliced into rings
1 1/2 lbs. flounder fillets, cut in medium size pieces
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 cups chicken or fish stock or mixture of wine and water
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Spread some of the butter on the bottom of a baking dish or casserole.
Sprinkle the minced garlic on bottom of baking dish and top with about half each of the carrots, celery, potatoes, onion and fish.
Season with salt and pepper.
Spread with more butter and make another layer of vegetables and fish.
Sprinkle with a little more salt and pepper.
Pour stock over all and dot with remaining butter.
Bake until the potatoes are cooked through, approximately 45 minutes.
Serves 4 to 6.
Clams with Roasted Garlic
1 whole head of garlic, separated but not peeled
2 TBSP. olive oil
1 large onion, minced
4 cups fish or chicken stock
24 clams, well scrubbed
Zest of 1 orange
Juice of 2 limes
Salt and pepper to taste
1 lime, cut into wedges
1 small jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced, (optional)
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
Place the garlic cloves in a small ovenproof bowl with 1 TBSP. of olive oil.
Cover with aluminum foil and roast, covered for about 1 hour. Cool.
Squeeze the garlic from its husk and reserve.
In a large saucepan, heat the remaining oil over medium-high heat, add the onion and cook until soft.
Add the stock; bring to a simmer.
Add the clams, cover, and cook until they open, 5 to 10 minutes.
Add the garlic, orange zest, lime juice, salt and pepper.
Stir and taste for seasoning.
Serve immediately with the lime wedges and jalapeno, if using.
Serves 4.
Do you have a favorite seafood recipe or cocktail that you would like to share with Coastal Fisherman readers. You can do so by emailing the recipe to [email protected] or mailing it to Coastal Fisherman Galley, 12748 Sunset Avenue, Ocean City, MD 21842.
