Article by Christine Budd
Maryland Crab Cakes with Quick Tartar Sauce
Ingredients:
For the crab cakes:
2 large eggs
2-1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1-1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup finely diced celery, from one stalk
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
1 pound lump crab meat (see note below)
1/2 cup panko
Canola oil, for cooking
For the quick Tartar Sauce:
1 cup mayonnaise, best quality such as Hellmann’s or Duke’s
1-1/2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon minced red onion
1-2 tablespoons lemon juice, to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
For the crab cakes:
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil for easy clean-up.
Combine the eggs, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, Old Bay, salt, celery, and parsley in a large bowl and mix well. Add the crab meat (be sure to check the meat for any hard and sharp cartilage) and panko; using a rubber spatula, gently fold the mixture together until just combined, being careful not to shred the crab meat. Shape into 6 cakes (each about ½ cup) and place on the prepared baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. This helps them set.
Preheat a large nonstick pan to medium heat and coat with canola oil. When the oil is hot, place the crab cakes in the pan and cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Be careful as oil may splatter. Serve immediately with tartar sauce or a squeeze of lemon.
For the quick Tartar Sauce:
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Cover and chill until ready to serve.
Note: If you can only find jumbo lump crab meat, you may need to break the pieces up a bit. If the clumps are too large, the crab cakes won’t hold together well.
Grilled Yellowfin Tuna with Marinade
Ingredients:
4 (6 oz.) yellowfin tuna steaks
½ cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
1 clove garlic, crushed
4 wedges lemon, for garnish
Directions:
Prick tuna steaks all over with a fork and place in shallow glass dish.
Whisk oil, soy sauce, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, lemon peel, and garlic together in a bowl; pour over the tuna steaks. Cover dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate 1 to 3 hours.
Preheat grill for medium heat and lightly oil the grate.
Remove tuna from the marinade. Shake excess moisture from the steaks.
Pour the marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook marinade at a simmer for 10 minutes.
Cook tuna on preheated grill, basting with boiled marinade, until cooked through, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Serve with lemon wedges.
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 tablespoons 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 you need to.
Remove from skillet, 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.
Parchment Baked Weakfish
Ingredients:
12-ounce weakfish fillet
1/2 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons julienned fresh ginger
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 400°F.Put a fillet in the center of a parchment piece and set it aside.
In a small bowl, whisk ½ teaspoon of sugar and 3 spoons of soy sauce together, and sprinkle the mix over the fish, then do the same with 3 tablespoons of julienned fresh ginger.
Fold the edges to seal, place it on a baking sheet and bake for about 12 minutes.
Steamed Clams in Garlic Butter
Ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
1 tablespoon garlic minced
1/4 teaspoon red chili flakes
1 cup white wine
4 pounds fresh clams cleaned
salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup chopped herbs such as parsley, chives or basil
herb sprigs and lemon wedges for garnish optional
Directions:
Heat a large pot over medium heat. Add the butter and melt it.
Add the garlic and chili flakes and cook for 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
Add the white wine and bring to a simmer; do not boil.
Place the clams in the pot, then season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover the pot, then simmer for 7-9 minutes or until clams have opened. Discard any clams that are still shut.
Stir in the lemon juice and herbs. Serve immediately, garnished with herb sprigs and lemon wedges if desired.
Pan Roasted Swordfish
Ingredients:
¼ cup Italian dressing
Juice from 1 medium sized lemon
2 swordfish steaks about 1 ½ pounds cut 1 inch thick
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups cherry or grape tomatoes half cut in half
¼ cup capers
2 cloves chopped garlic
2 tablespoons fresh chopped parsley plus extra for garnish
1 cup chicken broth (vegetable broth can be substituted)
Directions:
Mix together the dressing and lemon juice. Season the swordfish on both sides with salt, pepper and Italian seasoning. Pour over the dressing and allow to marinate in the refrigerator for 1 to 6 hours.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Heat oil in a heavy duty oven- proof skillet on medium high heat. Sear fish for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until there are nice grill marks on fish. Remove fish from pan.
Add cherry tomatoes, capers, garlic, parsley, and broth. Cook for a few minutes or until tomatoes are wilted.
Add swordfish to pan and top with some of the tomatoes and sauce. Place in oven and cook for about 7 minutes or until fish is cooked through.
Remove from heat and serve fish with sauce spooned over it. Garnish with extra parsley.
Spicy Baked Sea Trout with Lemon Sauce
Ingredients:
2 pounds of sea trout fillets or other firm fleshed fish
2 Tablespoons minced onion
1/4 cup stick unsalted butter melted
2 Tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
2 tsp red pepper flakes
dash black pepper
1 Tablespoon capers rinsed (optional)
Directions:
Heat oven to 350 F. Butter a glass casserole -large enough so that the fillets aren’t crowded.
Lay the fillets in a single layer in the glass casserole.
Whisk the melted butter, lemon juice, minced onion, salt, paprika, red pepper flakes, black pepper until well blended. (Also add the capers if you wish.) Pour the sauce evenly over the fillets.
Bake in the heated oven for 20 to 25 minutes. The fillets will be firm but still moist.
Serve immediately and spoon some additional sauce over the fillets.
Classic Mojito Cocktail
Imagine serving crab cakes with a cocktail that makes the flavors come to life. Try this classic recipe to intensify a crab dish with hints of lime, mint and subtly sweet rum:
Ingredients:
2 ounces of quality light rum
2 teaspoons of sugar
6 to 8 mint leaves
Splash of club soda
1 lime, cut in half
Mint sprig
Directions:
To make a mojito, place the sugar, mint leaves and club soda in a highball glass. Stir well until the sugar dissolves. Squeeze the lime juice from both halves and drop one half of the lime into the glass. Add the rum and stir. Fill the glass with ice cubes and club soda, and garnish with the mint spring. Enjoy this cooling cocktail with crab and imagine relaxing on the beach.
