Article by Christine Budd
Buttery Garlic Steamed Clams
Ingredients:
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 tablespoon fresh minced garlic
1 cup white wine
1 tablespoon lemon juice
3 dozen little neck clams, rinsed and scrubbed
1/3 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley
Wedges from 1 lemon for garnish, if desired
Directions:
In a large skillet (that has a lid), melt 2-1/2 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant (about 30 seconds).
Add wine and lemon juice. Bring to a boil.
Add clams and remaining butter. Cover and steam until clams have opened (about 7-8 minutes). Occasionally shake skillet while steaming.
Discard any clams that do not open. Sprinkle evenly with parsley and garnish with lemon wedges, if desired. Serve with a french baguette or over a bed of cooked pasta.
Easy Lobster Bisque
Ingredients:
For the bisque:
4 lobster tails
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 onion, finely chopped
2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh chopped thyme
1 teaspoon fresh chopped tarragon, plus more to serve
1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh cracked black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, (or plain flour)
1 1/4 cup dry white wine, or sherry
4 cups lobster stock (recipe as follows), OR seafood or fish stock
3/4 - 1 cup heavy cream
For the garlic butter lobster meat:
2 tablespoons butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
Salt, pepper & cayenne to taste
Directions:
Lobster Stock:
Fill a large pot with 5 cups of water. Stir in 1 teaspoon sea salt and bring to a boil.
Add the lobster tails, cover with lid and let boil for 5 minutes, or until bright red.
Remove lobster tails, reserving the liquid stock. When the lobsters have cooled slightly, remove the meat from the shells, reserving the meat and any liquid that comes out of the shells.
Return lobster shells back to the water in the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and let simmer for a further 15 minutes to draw as much flavor out of the shells as possible.
While stock is simmering, chop the meat into bite-sized pieces and refrigerate.
Bisque:
Heat butter and oil in a large, heavy-based pot over medium heat, Sweat the onions, carrots, celery and fresh herbs. Cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Season with the bouillon powder, salt and pepper/s. Stir in 4 cloves of minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Mix in tomato paste, cook for a further minute to coat vegetables. Sprinkle over flour and cook, while stirring occasionally for a further 2 minutes.
Pour in wine, simmer and let reduce to half. Stir in lobster stock, reduce heat and gently simmer while stirring occasionally, until liquid has thickened slightly and flavors have blended, about 30 minutes.
Take off the heat, transfer mixture to a blender and blend until smooth. Alternatively, purée with an immersion blender until very smooth. Return to medium-low heat and stir in heavy cream.
Garlic Butter Lobster:
Melt butter a skillet pan over medium heat. Sauté garlic for 30 seconds, until fragrant. Add in chopped lobster meat, season with salt, pepper and cayenne to taste. Lightly sauté for 1 minute while stirring occasionally, until lobster meat is just warmed through.
To Serve the Lobster Bisque:
Mix 3/4 of the lobster meat into the bisque. Pour into individual serving bowls. Top each bowl with remaining lobster meat and extra tarragon.
Nicoise Salad with Grilled Fish
Ingredients:
4–6 fish boneless, skinless fillets (4–6 ounces each, thicker cut) use a grillable fish: salmon, rockfish, mahi or tuna
Fish marinade:
1/4 cup olive oil
4 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 T whole grain mustard
1 tsp kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper
Zest of one lemon
Salad ingredients:
1 x 15 oz. can cannellini beans rinsed and drained (or 1 1/2 C cooked) or sub 3 boiled eggs, cut in half
10 baby new potatoes halved and blanched
1/2 lb. green beans trimmed and blanched
1/4 cup kalamata or niçoise olives sliced
2 Tbsp. capers, drained
1/2 C sliced roasted red bell pepper
Greens, spinach or arugula for 4-6 people, approx 1 lb.
8 oz. cherry tomatoes
Nicoise Dressing Ingredients:
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice and zest of one lemon
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 C red onion- finely diced
1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves or oregano
1/2 cup chopped italian parsley
2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper
Directions:
Mix all ingredients for the fish marinade in a medium bowl and coat fish with it, marinating for at least 1/2 hour or preferably overnight.
Blanch potatoes and green beans. Cool, set aside.
Preheat grill to medium heat.
For the Nicoise Dressing:
Mix all the ingredients together in a medium-size bowl. Add cannellini beans, roasted peppers, capers, olives to the dressing to marinate.
Grill fish over a medium-high grill, and with a metal spatula, carefully flip after 5 minutes, and if needed, lower heat or move to a cooler spot- or place on foil, or even on a bed of lemon slices, until cooked to your desired done-ness. Set aside and cover lightly with foil.
Assemble the salad:
Lay down a hearty bed of greens onto an extra-large platter. Spoon a little Nicoise dressing from the bowl to coat the greens -and 1/2 of marinated vegetables over the greens.
Arrange the potatoes and green beans and top with charred fish. Garnish with sliced cherry tomatoes and spoon remaining dressing (depending on the size you may not need all the dressing) and white beans/peppers over top.
Give fish a little squeeze of lemon and cracked pepper to taste.
Smoked Fish Dip
Ingredients:
1/4 cup softened cream cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped jalapeno pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped celery
1 tablespoon finely chopped onion
4 shakes Worcestershire sauce
3 shakes hot sauce, such as Tabasco
4 ounces smoked fish
About 3 tablespoons sour cream
Crackers or raw vegetables, for serving.
Directions:
Combine the cream cheese, jalapeno, celery, onion, Worcestershire and hot sauce in a food processor and mix until smooth. Break up the fish into the processor and process again until just mixed but not mushy. Thin the mixture with sour cream to a spreading consistency.
Chill for 1 hour before serving. Serve with crackers or fresh raw vegetables.
Easy Mediterranean Baked Cobia
Ingredients:
1 pound cobia fish fillets
14 ounces artichoke hearts, quartered drained
1 pint cherry tomatoes halved
2 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar
2 garlic cloves minced or pressed
½ teaspoon salt
¼ cup feta cheese crumbled
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 °F
Place fish fillets in a shallow baking dish.
Layer tomatoes and artichokes on and around the fish.
Whisk together the olive oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic and salt.
Drizzle vinaigrette over the top of everything.
Bake for 15-20 minutes or until the fish cooks to 145 °F and flakes with a fork.
Sprinkle with feta cheese and enjoy!
Thai Yellow Fish Curry
Ingredients:
2 tsp. peanut oil
2 red onions, cut into wedges
1/3 cup Thai yellow curry paste
10 oz. coconut cream
1 lb. white fish fillets, cut into 1.5” pieces
10 oz. snow peas, ends trimmed, halved diagonally
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 tsp. fish sauce
1/2 cup cilantro leaves
Steamed jasmine rice, to serve
Lime wedges, to serve
Directions:
Heat the oil in a wok over high heat. Add onion and stir-fry for 2 mins or until lightly browned. Add curry paste and stir-fry for 1 minute or until fragrant.
Stir in coconut cream and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to medium low. Add fish and snow peas. Cook, gently stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes or until the fish and snow peas are just cooked through. Remove from heat. Stir in lime juice, sugar and fish sauce. Season with more lime juice, sugar or fish sauce, if desired.
Divide the curry among serving bowls. Sprinkle with cilantro leaves. Serve with steamed rice and lime wedges.
Remoulade Sauce for Crab Cakes
Ingredients:
1 cup mayo
1 Tablespoon dijon mustard
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 Tablespoon chopped chives
1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1/2 tsp. smoked paprika
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
Salt & pepper to taste
Directions:
Mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and serve it as a condiment.
