Article by Christine Budd
Blackened Tuna Bites with Sweet Pickle
Dipping Sauce
Ingredients:
Sweet pickle dipping sauce:
1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Tuna bites:
1 1/2 pounds fresh tuna, cut in 1 inch cubes
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons salted butter
Lemon wedges for serving
Directions:
Make the dipping sauce. In a small bowl combine the sour cream, mayonnaise, sweet pickle relish, parsley and lemon juice. Set aside.
Prepare the tuna bites. In a medium sized bowl, combine the paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, dried thyme, dried basil, dried oregano, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, and pepper. Add the tuna and toss to thoroughly coat each piece with the spice blend.
Melt the butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat. When the butter begins to foam, add the tuna in a single layer. Cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute per side. The lesser cooking time is for tuna that will be slightly rare on the inside and the longer cooking time is for more well done tuna.
Remove the tuna from the pan to a platter. Serve with the dipping sauce and lemon wedges.
The BEST Lobster Rolls
Ingredients:
1 pound frozen lobster meat , thawed, or cooked meat from two 1 ½ - 2 pound live lobsters
¼ cup minced celery
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon minced chives
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
4 split-top brioche, New England style hot dog buns with sides trimmed off
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tablespoons butter , divided
Directions:
Rinse the lobster meat and pick through for any loose shells. Drain throughly so the mayo sauce doesn’t get watery. Chop or tear into large chunks and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix the celery, mayonnaise, chives, lemon juice, lemon zest, kosher salt and ground black pepper. Taste for seasoning.
In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter and add the lobster meat. Cook, stirring for 2 minutes until warmed through and buttery all over. Use a slotted spoon to dish the lobster meat into the mayonnaise mixture and toss to coat. Discard butter and juice released from the lobster and wipe out the skillet. Melt the remaining butter in the skillet over medium heat; toast the buns on the cut sides about 2 minutes each side until golden and toasty.
Load each bun equally with lobster meat and garnish with more chives if desired. Serve with potato chips.
Sweet Teriyaki Sheepshead
Ingredients:
2 lbs. sheepshead fillets
1 lime
Black pepper
Salt
Butter
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 Tablespoons honey
1/2 cup water
3 cloves of garlic, minced
Directions:
The first preparation you will do is start making your sweet teriyaki sauce. This process will happen on your stove top. In the pot off the stove, add your water, low sodium soy sauce and sugar and mix it all together. Place the stove top burner on medium heat and place the pot with your mixed ingredients on it.
Begin stirring with the heat on and add your honey and minced garlic. Continue to stir until it reaches a boil.
Once it reaches a boil reduce the temperature on the stove to a low heat and allow for your sauce to reach a simmer. Continue to stir every now and then to ensure it does not burn.
Cook for about 10 minutes until it reduces down. It is ready for your fish.
Get a baking sheet and make an aluminum foil bowl to hold the fish. Coat the foil bowl with butter to help ensure no sticking at the end.
Place the fillets onto a baking sheet in an aluminum foil bowl. Cut your lime in half and squeeze all the juice over the fillets. Salt and pepper both sides of the fillets.
Cover the fillets with your teriyaki sauce while it is still warm. Cover the aluminum foil bowl to ensure the fillets will maintain their moisture.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place the fillets in for cooking.
Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until fish is cooked.
Remove from oven and serve.
This recipe is one the family will love. It is a good fillet to place on a bed of white rice. Drizzle warm teriyaki sauce over it to complete this dish.
Buttery Tilefish
Ingredients:
1 tilefish fillet
2 tablespoon butter
1 clove garlic
1/3 cup chopped green onions
1/2 lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
Season fish with salt and pepper. Melt butter in the pan.
Add fillet and chopped green onions to the pan and sear over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes.
Flip the fillet and add chopped garlic and lemon juice to the butter.
Scoop some butter on to the fish while cooking (tip the pan if needed).
If fillets are very thick, cover the pan with the lid for 1 minute.
Notes:
Do not add garlic early, because it will burn. Add with lemon juice after you flip the fish.
Make sure there are no bones and no scales left in the fillets.
Cook on medium heat.
Add lemon zest too if you like lemony flavor.
Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days, covered. Reheat in the microwave or in the oven.
Pasta with Mussels
Ingredients:
2 cups dry white wine
4 bay leaves
4 pounds small mussels, scrubbed and debearded
Pinch of saffron threads
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced
1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 pound artisanal Italian spaghetti or linguine
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
In a large pot, combine the wine with the bay leaves and bring to a boil. Add the mussels, cover, and cook over high heat, shaking the pan a few times, until the mussels open, about 5 minutes. Drain the mussels in a colander set over a medium bowl. Pour the mussel broth into a glass measure. Crumble the saffron into the mussel broth.
Discard any unopened mussels. Remove the mussels from their shells and place in a bowl. Pour the melted butter over the mussels and toss to coat. Cover with plastic wrap.
Heat the extra-virgin olive oil in a large, deep skillet. Add the thinly sliced garlic and cook over low heat just until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Add the crushed red pepper and cook for 1 minute longer. Slowly pour in the reserved mussel broth, stopping when you reach the grit at the bottom of the glass measure. Add the lemon juice and simmer over moderately high heat until the sauce is reduced to approximately 1 cup, about 8 minutes.
In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the spaghetti just until al dente. Drain the pasta well.
Add the buttered mussels and the hot spaghetti to the mussel sauce and toss over low heat until the pasta is uniformly coated. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to warmed shallow bowls and serve at once.
Make ahead:
The recipe can be prepared through Step 3 and refrigerated separately overnight.
Suggested pairing:
A buttery yet lighter style of Chardonnay will echo the creamy texture of the sauce and stand up to the briny mussels in this pasta.
Blackened Swordfish
Ingredients:
2 swordfish fillets, 6 ounces
1 tablespoon melted butter
½ tablespoon blackening seasoning
1 lemon
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and spray the baking dish with cooking spray.
Put the swordfish fillets in the baking dish and brush them with the melted butter.
Generously sprinkle the fish with the blackening seasoning.
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until the fish is opaque and flakes with a fork. Do not overcook it.
Squeeze with lemon and serve immediately.
Notes:
The amount of time it takes to cook the fish is dependent on how thick the fillet it. The rule is it takes about 10 minutes to cook each inch thick of fish including swordfish.
This recipe is best fresh out of the oven, but leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days. §
