Article by Christine Budd
Spanish Garlic Shrimp
Ingredients:
1 lb. large shrimp peeled and deveined
Kosher salt
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
10 garlic cloves, chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes (start with less if you don’t want it too spicy)
1 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons dry sherry or dry white wine
Juice of ½ lemon
½ cup chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
Pat the shrimp dry and season with kosher salt. Set aside for now.
Heat the extra virgin olive oil over medium heat until shimmering but not smoking. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes. Cook over medium heat up to 60 seconds or until the garlic gains some color (be careful not to burn it).
Add the shrimp and paprika. Cook briefly, tossing regularly, and watching that the flesh turns opaque with a pearly pink color (about 3 minutes or so. It will depend on the size of the shrimp). Remove the pan from the heat.
Stir in sherry, lemon juice and parsley.
Transfer the shrimp and sauce to a serving bowl. Serve with your favorite crusty bread.
Notes:
This recipe will serve 4 to 6 people as a tapas or appetizer with a side of crusty bread to dip in the sauce.
Cook’s tip for the sauce. Use quality extra virgin olive oil as the flavor is important to the sauce. Do not cook the oil too much and be careful not to burn the garlic or it will make the sauce bitter.
Cook’s tip for the shrimp. Even the largest of shrimp will cook fast, so watch the shrimp carefully. The flesh should turn opaque and pearly pink in color. And remember, even when you take the pan off the heat, the warm sauce will continue to cook the shrimp.
Baked Fish Tacos with Peach & Jalapeño Salsa
Ingredients:
For the fish:
1.5 tablespoons butter, melted
Juice of 1 lime
2 garlic cloves, finely grated
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 (5-6 ounces each) mahi fillets or other white fish, thawed
For the peach and jalapeno salsa:
1 ear of corn, husked
2 medium peaches, peeled, pitted, and diced small
1 small jalapeño, minced
1/4 cup minced red onion
Juice of one large lime
1/8 teaspoon kosher salt
To serve:
4 corn or flour tortillas
Simple Mexican crema*
Lime wedges
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400°F
Marinate the fish:
In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, lime juice, garlic, paprika, salt and cayenne pepper. Pat the mahi fillets dry and place the fish in a small rectangular baking dish. Pour the marinade over the fish. Place an air-tight lid or aluminum foil on the baking dish and let the fish marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.
Char the corn:
Meanwhile, preheat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. While the skillet is preheating, hold the corn by the stem and place it upright on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife, starting from the top, and getting as close to the cob as possible, cut the kernels off of the cob. Rotate the cob clockwise on the cutting board as you cut strips of corn off of the cob from a top to bottom motion. Add the corn to the preheated skillet and saute, stirring occasionally, until the kernels are lightly charred, about 5 minutes. Once the corn is charred, remove the skillet from the heat and place the corn in a medium bowl to cool. Wipe the skillet out to warm tortillas in Step 6.
Peach & Jalapeno Salsa:
Add the peaches, jalapeños, red onion, lime juice and kosher salt to the bowl containing the corn. Toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Bake the fish:
Uncover the baking dish and place it in the oven. Bake the fish until it is firm to the touch and flakes easily, about 15 minutes. Once the fish is cooked, flake the fish with a fork in the baking dish.
Assemble the tacos:
Warm tortillas in the skillet used for the corn over medium-high heat. Top each tortilla with fish, salsa and a simple mexican crema, if desired. Serve with extra lime wedges if you like.
Notes:
For simple Mexican crema:
Combine 2 Tbs. mayonnaise, 2 Tbs. sour cream or yogurt, zest of 1 lime, and 1 finely grated garlic clove in a small dish. Dollop on top of fish tacos.
Black Sea Bass Piccata over Lemon Rice
Ingredients:
Lemon Rice:
4 tablespoons butter
1 onion, chopped
½ lemon
1 ½ cups uncooked white rice
1 ½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup water
1/3 cup fresh Italian parsley, chopped
Fish:
4 tablespoons butter
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 eggs
3/4 cup panko breadcrumbs
3/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs
2 lbs. black sea bass fillets, skinned
Piccata Sauce:
1 cup chicken stock
1/3 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/3 cup dry white wine
3 teaspoons corn starch
1/3 cup water
1/4 cup capers
4 tablespoons cold butter, cut into pats
Directions:
To make the rice, melt the butter in a large non-stick sauce pan. Add the onion and the lemon, squeezing all of the juice out and leaving the rind (seeds removed) in the pot during cooking. Cook for 5 minutes until the onion begins to brown and add the rice and cook 2 minutes more stirring frequently. Add the salt, pepper, stock, and water to the pan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover and let simmer until all of the liquid is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Remove the lemon rind from the rice. Stir parsley in just before serving.
To make the fish, melt the butter and add oil in a large frying pan. Beat the eggs in a small bowl and combine the panko and Italian breadcrumbs in another shallow dish. Dip the fillets in egg and then press into the breadcrumb mixture. Cook in the butter until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes per side until a fork slides in and out of the center of the fillets easily. Remove the fillets to a baking sheet and keep warm in a 325° oven.
In the same pan add the chicken stock, lemon juice and white wine, stirring to scrape up an brown bits. Let boil over medium high heat until reduced by half, about 5-7 minutes. Whisk the corn starch into water and add to the pan, stirring to let sauce thicken, about 1 minute. Turn off the heat, add the capers, and whisk the cold butter into the sauce until melted and the sauce is silky.
Serve the fish over the rice and top with sauce. Garnish with lemon slices and chopped parsley.
Note: This dish can also be made with chicken breast. Just pound boneless breast to 1/2” thickness and follow the instructions above.
Shrimp Stuffed Flounder
Ingredients:
Stuffing:
6 tablespoons butter, cubed
1 small onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper
1 pound uncooked shrimp, peeled, deveined & chopped
1/4 cup beef broth
1 teaspoon diced pimientos, drained
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dill weed
1/2 teaspoon minced chives
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 ½ cups soft bread crumbs
Fish:
6 flounder fillets (3 oz. each)
5 tablespoons butter, melted
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375°. In a large skillet, melt butter. Add onion, celery and green pepper; saute until tender. Add shrimp; cook and stir until shrimp turn pink. Add broth, pimientos, Worcestershire sauce, dill, chives, salt and cayenne; heat through. Remove from heat; stir in bread crumbs.
Spoon about 1/2 cup stuffing onto each fillet; roll up. Place seam side down in a greased 13×9-in. baking dish. Drizzle with butter and lemon juice. Sprinkle with seasonings. Bake uncovered, 20-25 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork.
King Mackerel Islamorada Style
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups Italian breadcrumbs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 lb. mackerel (about 3 fillets), pin bones removed
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, smashed and diced
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1/4 teaspoon dried Italian herb mix
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms
1 whole scallion, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons white wine
1 lime, halved
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon butter
2 slices provolone
Directions:
Preheat the broiler.
Place the breadcrumbs and mayonnaise in separate shallow dishes. Coat the fish fillets first in the mayonnaise and then in the breadcrumbs, shaking off any excess. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Place the fillets skin-side up in the pan and cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes per side, and then transfer to a broiler-safe plate.
Drain the oil and wipe out the skillet with a paper towel. Replace the pan and heat the remaining oil over medium-high heat until hot. Cook the garlic and shallots, stirring frequently, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in the dried herbs, mushrooms and scallions and cook 1 minute. Pour in the wine and half of the lime juice, season with salt and pepper and cook, stirring frequently, about 1 minute more. Melt in the butter until incorporated, and then remove the skillet from the heat.
Pour the mushroom mixture over the fish and top with the cheese. Place under the broiler until the cheese is melted, browned and bubbly, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a serving plate and serve immediately, squeezing the remaining lime juice over the fish, if desired. §
