fish and shellfish

Simple Pan-Roasted Mussels

October 1, 2009

First, it is important that the mussels you buy are alive when you open the bag. Return them if they are not. Second, do not overcook mussels, so be mindful of timing. Serve these mussels with plenty of bread to soak up all the juices they release. If you’re serving this as a main dish, double it.

2 lbs. mussels
2 Tbls. good olive oil
1 – 2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 Tbls. coarsely chopped flat-leaf parsley, additional as needed
1/4 c. dry white wine
Generous pinch each of cracked black pepper and cayenne

Debeard mussels by pulling off the threads protruding from them. Rinse well. The mussels that gape should close up as you tap them lightly. Leave them on the counter for 5 minutes and discard the ones with broken shells, and those that do not close up after tapping and rinsing.
Heat oil on high in a large (14-in.) wok or large Dutch oven or saute pan. Add garlic and parsley. Add mussels and stir to coat with herbs. Pour in wine and add pepper and cayenne. Stir until the liquid comes to a boil, about 1 minute. Cover and allow to “roast” for 5-8 minutes. Uncover and stir again to make sure the juices penetrate each mussel. Turn off heat, taste sauce and adjust seasoning. Sprinkle with chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

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Mussels: the Ocean’s Black Gold

September 30, 2009

Mussels are plentiful and best in season now. Three good reasons to buy them:

1) They are good for the marine environment. Mussels act as a natural aquatic purification system, filtering water for their food. Like an automobile’s catalytic converter, one mussel may filter several gallons of water a day.

2) They are easy on the budget. Mussels are inexpensive; a pound of mussels (25-30 mussels) should not cost more than $2.99.

3) Cooking mussels couldn’t be easier. Simply rinse them, pull off their “beards”, throw out any mussels that are broken or gaping, and pan roast them.

Recipe: Simple Pan Roasted Mussels

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Crazy Water: A One-Pot Fish Dish

August 6, 2009

We love this recipe from Diana Henry; the vegetables are half-cooked before the fish is added. It is simple, light and fresh for summer eating. Cooked in a garlicky wine tomato broth it is a dish to savor and share. Serve with crusty baguette.

Serves 6

2 1/2 to 3 lb fillet of atlantic sea bass such as rockfish
1 medium bunch flat-leaf parsley
10 large plum tomatoes, deseeded and chopped
2 small red chilies
3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 c. good white wine
1 1/2 c. water
4 sprigs fresh oregano
1/2 c. good olive oil and more for serving
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

To make the broth, cut off the stems of parsley and tie together with kitchen string. Save leaves in a bowl. In a large stock pot, add chopped tomatoes, stems from parsley, chilies, garlic, wine, water, oregano and 1/2 c. olive oil, a generous pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper. Bring to a boil then turn down to simmer for 15 minutes. Taste. Add more salt and pepper if needed.

Place fish in broth, cover and simmer for about 20-30 minutes, depending on how thick the piece or pieces of fish. Check from time to time to see how it is doing. It is finished when the fish appears white not translucent. Remove fish from the broth, place on a platter and cover with foil while you finish the broth.

Remove parsley stalks, bring the broth to a boil and let it reduce by a quarter. Roughly chop the parsley leaves. Keep a handful for garnish and add the rest to the pot. Let simmer for another 5 minutes.

Cut fish up into individual serving pieces and place in broad soup bowls. Cover with broth drizzle each bowl with a little more olive oil and top with a sprinkle of parsley. Serve with a slice of lemon and crusty bread.

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Rhode Island Calamari – Spicy, Crisp and Greasy

July 30, 2009

(adapted from one of our favorite summer cookbooks titled The Summer Shack Cookbook by Jasper White)

1 lb. med. fresh squid (sliced or not), cleaned
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
3/4 c. pure natural cornstarch
1/2 c. yellow natural corn meal
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
About 6 c. vegetable oil for frying
2 c. buttermilk
4 Tbls. butter
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 c. hot cherry peppers in vinegar, drained and sliced
2 Tbls. chopped fresh parsley

Cut squid in 1/2 inch rings or have your fishmonger do this for you. Slice cherry peppers and chop parsley. Set aside. Make fry mix by combining flour, cornstarch, cornmeal, salt, black pepper and cayenne in a large bowl. Mix. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Heat about 3 inches of oil in a large Dutch oven. While oil is heating, pour buttermilk into a large bowl and add half the squid. Mix. Using a spoon with holes, lift the squid and place in the dry mix. Toss. The lift the squid out, gently shaking off the excess and transfer to a plate. Do the same for the rest of the squid. When the oil is hot, drop about half of the squid into the oil. Turn to cook evenly. They will only take about 2 minutes to turn crisp and golden. Transfer squid from hot oil to lined baking sheet to drain. Fry and drain the rest of the remaining squid.

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat, add butter and garlic. Saute until just melted and garlic is slightly cooked, but not brown. Add the drained cherry peppers and toss to combine. Add all of the fried squid to the pan with the garlic and cherry pepper slices. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and pour onto a platter to serve.

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Grilled Shrimp Skewers

July 8, 2009

Adapted from Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan, a cookbook that should be on every home cook’s shelf.

Serves 6

2 lbs. med. shrimp – wild if available
3 1/2 Tbls. olive oil
3 1/2 Tbls. vegetable oil
2/3 c. bread crumbs (try homemade or panko)
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 Tbls. parsley, finely chopped
Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Remove shell and devein shrimp. Rinse in cold water and pat dry with paper towel. Put shrimp in a large mixing bowl and add olive oil, vegetable oil, breadcrumbs, garlic, parsley, generous pinch of salt and couple of grinds of pepper. Using your hands, toss to coat the shrimp. Allow them to steep for about 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Heat the grill about 15 minutes before cooking, ensuring that it’s nice and hot.

To skewer: If you have them, flat skewers work better than rounded when grilling shrimp. The shrimp will not turn on the skewer when shifting them on the grill. If you do not have flat skewers, tightly curling one end of the shrimp inward so that the skewer goes through at three points, will also prevent the shrimp from slipping as you turn them on the grill. Over medium-high heat, cook for about 2 minutes on each side until they form a thin golden crust. Serve hot.

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Tasty Clams

June 19, 2009

For dinner with friends or when you just want to spoil yourself a bit, clams make the perfect appetizer or supper dish. At the market you will find different sizes from small littlenecks, medium topnecks and cherrystones, to large quahogs (a.k.a. chowder clams). The size you choose to serve is your choice; however, smaller clams typically cost a little more because they are considered fancier than the larger quahogs. Clams have a briny and assertive flavor. Spicy ingredients such as chiles, hot sauce, cilantro, horseradish or ginger can be used to make a tasty broth or sauce. Here is a favorite recipe for you to try.

Recipe: Clams with Spicy Fennel Broth

Tip: As clams age out of the water, their shells change from gray to chalky white. Clams that are pure white are not as fresh. Store tightly wrapped in a mesh bag in the coldest part of your refrigerator.

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Fish Baked in Foil with Tomatoes and Black Olives

March 2, 2009

This is a very easy dish to prepare. Use the freshest fish and good black olives.

Serves 6

2 1/2 lbs. wild salmon fillet
about 1/4 c. olive oil
about 1/2 c. dry white wine
large handful of pitted, black olives
2 cloves garlic
red pepper flakes
1 handful of fresh herbs such as basil or marjoram
1 pint greenhouse cherry tomatoes
1 lemon
salt and freshly ground pepper
aluminum foil

Put olives in a bowl with crushed garlic, a pinch of red pepper flakes (optional), herbs, and 4 Tbls. good olive oil. Cut cherry tomatoes in half and add to bowl. Let sit on counter for about 20 minutes, then add juice from lemon and salt and pepper.

Preheat oven to 475.

Cut a large, long piece of aluminum foil and place it on the counter, shiny side out. Add a quarter of the tomatoes with marinade to the center of the foil. Season fish with salt and pepper. Lay fish on top of marinade and start to pull up sides of foil. Drizzle with about one more tablespoon olive oil, add a generous splash of wine and tightly seal up the sides by folding the top and then sides tightly so no liquid can escape.

Bake for about 25-30 minutes, depending on how large the fillet. Remove from the oven and let stand for about 5 minutes in the bag before opening. Serve with polenta.

NOTE: You may need to prepare two foil packs if you are using a large piece of fish. Cut the fillet into two pieces. Or, you can use two pieces of foil to create a larger pack.

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Eula Mae Gumbo

February 24, 2009

T he New York Times Magazine wrote about Eula Mae Dore, a Cajun cook who never trained professionally, never used a recipe, nor did she ever use measuring cups or spoons. It was reported, “she had a maraschino cherry jar, and she made everything with it”. We clipped this quick Shrimp and Sausage Gumbo from the article and saved it for today. Here’s the recipe, Eula Mae-style.

In addition to a few basic pantry items you will need about one pound of andouille or chorizo sausage, a pound of shrimp (peeled and deveined), a green pepper, chicken stock and a bag of frozen okra. Serves 6.

Heat 2 Tbls. vegetable oil in a large saucepan and cook sausage, until brown. Remove to a bowl. In same pan, heat 1 Tbls. oil over medium heat and stir in about 2 Tbls. flour. Cook until roux is lightly brown. Add 1/2 c. chopped onion, 1/2 c. chopped green pepper, and a clove of garlic minced. Scrap brown bits from bottom of pan and cook until soft (about 5 minutes). Stir in 2 c. chicken broth and bring to boil. Cut sausage into 1/4-inch slices. Add sausage, 2 c. sliced okra, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. Tabasco, 2 bay leaves, and 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper, or more to taste. Cover, reduce heat to low and cook for 20 minutes. Stir in shrimp and remaining green pepper, cut into thin slices. Simmer until shrimp turn pink, about 5 minutes. Remove bay leaves and add more salt and cayenne, if needed. Serve in soup bowls, over hot rice.

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Lobster Stew

December 23, 2008

Adapted from Julia and Jacques Cooking at Home by Julia Child and Jacques Pepin. Not quite a bisque because it’s made with a lot less cream.

Serves 8

3 c. lobster meat, removed and cut into bite-size bits (keep lobster shells for stock)
6 Tbls. good olive oil
6 Tbls. unsalted butter, at room temperature
8 c. lobster stock (or part lobster and some fish or chicken stock)*
2 med. shallots, finely chopped
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 lg. sprigs fresh tarragon or 3/4 tsp. fragrant dried tarragon
1 Tbls. tomato paste
4 Tbls. cornstarch blended with 1/2 c. cognac or dry white vermouth
1 c. heavy cream (optional)
1 c. sour cream (optional)
Sprigs of fresh parsley (to garnish)

Heat 4 Tbls. olive oil in a large pot over medium heat, then add 3 Tbls. butter. Add lobster meat (save a few pieces to garnish at the end) along with minced shallot. Season with a little salt and pepper plus the tarragon. Fold in tomato paste. Let bubble slowly for about 5-7 minutes, letting the lobster pick up a rosy hue.

Blend 1 c. of lobster stock into cognac or vermouth-cornstarch mixture, and pour into the lobster meat along with 6 more cups of lobster stock. If you wish, add heavy cream. Simmer another 5-7 minutes.

Serve in soup cups or bowls, topping each with a dollop of sour cream, if desired, a small piece of lobster meat on top of that, along with a tarragon leaf or a small sprig of parsley.

*Making Lobster Stock:
Roughly chop up the lobster tail shells and boil them slowly in a big pot of water barely to cover. Strain. Voila!

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Dinner For Two: Seafood with Smoky Paprika

December 10, 2008

On cold winter evenings when all you want to do is sit cuddled up with a rich, easy-to-fix meal, this is one to choose. Chock-full of fresh seafood, its heady broth is energized by smoky paprika that begs for a spoon or a chunk of bread to get every last drop. Golden cloves of mellow, roasted garlic stud the dish and add a creamy richness. There is no need for butter or cream to sabotage this recipe’s healthful appeal.

Pan-Roasted Seafood with Smoky Paprika and Roasted Garlic

Serves 2

3 lg. heads roasted garlic
2 Tbls. extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
12 to 14 fingerling potatoes (1/2 lb total), parboiled for 5 minutes and cut into 1/2-inch slices
4 lg. fresh sea scallops
Coarse salt, preferably kosher, and freshly ground pepper
1/4 sm. fennel bulb, cored and sliced
Pinch of dried pepper flakes
6 fresh mussels, scrubbed, with beards removed
4 jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
6 fresh clams, scrubbed
1/4 tsp. plus a pinch of smoked paprika
1/4 c. white wine
1 Tbls. chopped Italian parsley
Grilled crusty rustic bread

When the roasted garlic is cool enough to handle, squeeze the soft cloves out of their skins and set aside. Preheat the oven to 425�F.

In a large, ovenproof skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Season potatoes and scallops with salt and pepper and distribute in the pan in a single layer. Add fennel, red pepper flakes, and roasted garlic cloves and saut� until the scallops brown slightly on one side, about 2 minutes.

Add mussels, shrimp, and clams. Season with paprika. Bake in lower third of oven until the mussels and clams open, 15 to 20 minutes. Check after 10 minutes and continue to roast until they are done. If any of the shellfish remain closed, discard them. Return skillet to stovetop, stir in white wine and parsley, and simmer for 1 minute. Ladle into warm, shallow bowls. Drizzle with olive oil, and serve with grilled, crusty bread.