Article by Christine Budd
Crab Soup
Ingredients:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 cups half & half
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning, plus more for serving
¼ teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons dry sherry
½ pound lump crabmeat, picked over to remove any shells
Finely chopped chives, for garnish
Lemon wedges, for serving (optional; see note)
Directions:
Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat. Add the flour and whisk for about 1 minute, until well blended.
Whisking constantly, gradually add the half & half. Add the mustard, Old Bay seasoning, salt, and pepper. Bring to boil, whisking frequently (be sure to scrape the edges of the pot, where the flour mixture tends to settle). As soon as the soup starts to boil, reduce the heat to a simmer and cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 30 seconds. Stir in the sherry and crabmeat. Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. If the soup is too thick, add water, little by little, to thin it out (it will thicken the longer it sits on the stove, even off of the heat). Ladle into bowls and sprinkle with chives. Serve with lemon wedges, if desired.
Note: Lemon is really only necessary if not using the sherry.
Black Sea Bass with Garlic Herb Sauce
Ingredients:
1 lb black sea bass
½ cup all purpose flour
1 Tsp salt
½ Tsp black pepper
2 Tbsp butter
1 Tbsp olive oil
For Lemon Garlic Herb Sauce:
¼ cup white wine
2 Tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves , minced
1 Tbsp oregano, rough chopped
1 Tbsp thyme, rough chopped
1 Tbsp parsley, rough chopped
½ cup vegetable broth
1 lemon completely juiced
Directions:
Pat the black sea bass fillets dry with a paper towel.
Mix together the flour, salt, and pepper in a shallow dish. Dredge the black sea bass fillets through the mixture. Be sure to shake off any excess coating.
Pre-heat a large pan on medium heat, add in olive oil and melt 2 tablespoons of butter.
Once heated, cook the fillets for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. To start, place the fillets skin side down. Minimize the amount of flipping and moving around as the fillets will become tender.
Remove fish from the pan and plate.
Lemon Garlic Herb Sauce:
Turn the heat down to medium low and add the white wine (1/4 cup) to deglaze. As the wine deglazes the pan, scrape any brown bits off the pan and let the wine come close to evaporating.
Add 1 tablespoon of butter, minced garlic cloves, and all the fresh herbs (oregano, thyme, and parsley). Saute for 30-60 seconds.
Add the vegetable broth and bring the sauce to a simmer.
Turn off the heat and stir in the remaining tablespoon of butter and lemon juice. Once the sauce is at the preferred consistency, plate on top of the black sea bass fillets and serve.
Baked Rockfish Almondine
Ingredients:
1 ½ lbs. rockfish
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup parsley chopped
3 lemons
1 lb. asparagus
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Start to steam your rice of choice.
Trim the tougher ends of the asparagus off and discard. Spread the asparagus evenly on top of the parchment paper. Slice 2 of the lemons and spread evenly on top of the asparagus. Set aside.
Rinse the rockfish and pat dry with a paper towel. Season both sides with kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper. Lay the rockfish evenly across the lemon slices.
In a small sauté pan melt the butter. Add the almonds, juice from remaining lemon and parsley. Sauté for 3-4 minutes. Carefully spoon over each rockfish fillet.
Cover with aluminum foil and bake in the oven for 10 minutes, then uncover and bake another 10 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
Serve over steamed rice along with the cooked asparagus and lemon.
Flounder Francaise
Ingredients:
2 eggs, beaten
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
4 large flounder fillets (1 1/2 to 2 lbs)
Sauce:
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon parsley
Lemon slices and parsley to garnish (optional)
Directions:
In a large skillet, heat the oil and 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat.
Place the flour and all the seasonings in a plastic bag and shake to blend.
Place the beaten eggs in a shallow dish.
When the skillet is good and hot, put the flounder fillets in the bag one at a time and then dip in the egg. Coat them completely with the egg and place in skillet. The egg should sizzle immediately. If it doesn’t, the oil isn’t hot enough.
Save 1 tablespoon of the flour mixture for the sauce.
Fry over medium heat until brown on both sides, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add extra butter if necessary.
Remove from skillet and keep warm.
Discard any oil left in skillet and add the butter and the 1 tbsp of seasoned flour reserved from the flounder. Whisk until smooth. Add the rest of the sauce ingredients, stirring constantly until well blended. Bring to boil and cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently. If the sauce thickens too much, add more water- just 1 tsp at a time until you achieve the desired consistency.
To serve, place flounder over a bed of buttered rice (or whatever you’re using) and pour a little sauce over each fillet. Garnish with lemon slices and parsley.
Classic Lobster Thermidor
Ingredients:
Two 1½ to 1¾ -pound cooked lobsters
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons minced shallots
½ teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cognac or brandy
¾ cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus 1/8 teaspoon
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 cup finely grated Parmesan, plus 2 tablespoons
1 tablespoon dry mustard powder
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves
2 teaspoons finely chopped parsley, plus additional for garnish
1/4 cup shredded gruyere cheese
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375° F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil and set aside.
Cut the lobsters in half lengthwise with a sharp knife and remove the tail meat.
Twist off the claws from the body and gently crack with the back of a heavy knife to remove the meat. Gently pull the front legs from the shell and discard.
Chop the tail meat and claw meat into bite sized pieces and set aside.
Place the halved lobster shells on the baking sheet and set aside.
Melt the butter in a deep skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and garlic, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the flour and whisk to combine.
Cook the flour mixture, stirring constantly to make a light roux, approximately 2 minutes.
Add the cognac and cook for 10 seconds, stirring constantly.
Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly to combine. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, approximately 2 to 3 minutes.
Slowly add the cream, stirring constantly, until thoroughly combined. Continue cooking while stirring over medium heat for 1 minute. The mixture will be very thick. Season with salt and pepper.
Remove from the heat and stir in the parmesan cheese, mustard, tarragon and parsley. Fold in the lobster meat.
Divide the mixture among the lobster shells and place stuffed side up on a clean baking sheet.
Sprinkle the top of each lobster with the gruyere and broil until the top is golden brown, 5 minutes.
Place 1 lobster half on each plates, garnish with additional parsley, and serve immediately.
Grilled Thresher Shark
Ingredients:
2 lbs. fresh thresher shark
2 cups milk
1 lemon, juiced
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
Directions:
In a shallow dish, soak the thresher shark in the milk for 30-60 minutes.
Remove the shark from the milk and rinse it under cold water.
In a new dish, squeeze the lemon juice over the shark steaks and pour soy sauce and vinegar over. Season with ginger, red pepper flakes and garlic powder, turning so that both sides are coated. Let marinate while the grill preheats.
Preheat an outdoor grill over high heat. Oil the grate or put out a piece of aluminum foil to cook the fish on.
Grill the fish over high heat for about 7 minutes, flip and cook the other side for an additional 5 minutes. Actual cooking time will depend on how thick the steak is.
5 minutes per inch of thickness is a good starting point. Fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork.
Cucumber Gin Cocktail
A smooth and refreshing beverage that always pairs exceptionally well with shrimp!
Directions:
1 cucumber (seedless is best)
Twist of lime
2 teaspoons of raw sugar
4 lemon wheels
4 ounces gin
1 ounce fresh lime juice
Club soda
Directions:
Shave a few ribbons from the cucumber with a peeler. Then chop up the remaining cucumber (or about a four-inch length) and mix with the lime leaves, sugar, and two slices of lemon in a shaker. Add the lime juice, gin, and ice. Shake to chill and strain into two glasses with ice. Top with club soda and garnish with the lemon wheels and cucumber ribbons you made.§
