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Monday December 21st, 2009

Although I love all the holiday food that includes baked turkeys, roasted wild ducks and geese, turduckens and all the popular sides like rice dressing, sweet potatoes, macaroni and cheese, green bean casserole and a whole lot more, I often host an all-seafood holiday meal. You might want to entertain the idea of doing this for your family and friends.

If you can, get a sack of oysters to shuck for oysters on the half-shell – some to serve with cocktail sauce (a combination of ketchup, horseradish, hot sauce and fresh lemon juice) and others to prepare for oysters Bienville. Then again, you can fry some up to make oyster po-boys (don’t forget the French bread) and dress the sandwiches with tartar or remoulade sauce. If oysters aren’t an option, by all means, begin the meal with crawfish or shrimp boudin (yes, we have both on our website). Offer remoulade sauce in which to dip the boudin! Wonderful.

Move on to lobster tails (we have that too), which can be slow-poached in butter to prevent the tail meat from becoming dry and tough. I pinched the recipe for this from Thomas Keller at the French Laundry, and I think you’ll love this technique.

Maybe shrimp is more to your liking? Shrimp is so versatile – they can be boiled and served with cocktail and/or remoulade sauce. Try them tossed with salad greens and dressed with vinaigrette dressing for a light supper. Hey, get some eggplant and make eggplant Bechamel.

You can also opt to try our yellow fin tuna (sashimi grade). I’ll tell you how to prepare it for an appetizer or main course.

Monday November 23rd, 2009

Seafood Gumbo

If you’re into making your very own seafood gumbo from scratch, here is a recipe you should try. You can order your shrimp from us!

SEAFOOD GUMBO

Serves 6

3/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups chopped onions
1 cup chopped bell peppers
1 cup chopped celery
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne
5 bay leaves
8 cups water or shrimp stock
6 gumbo crabs, broken in half
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
2 dozen oysters, shucked with their liquor
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1/4 cup chopped parsley

Combine the oil and flour in a large cast-iron pot over medium heat. Stirring slowly and constantly for 20 to 25 minutes, make a dark brown roux, the color of chocolate.

Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, salt, cayenne and bay leaves. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, or until very soft. Add the water or shrimp stock and stir to blend. Add the crabs and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, for 1 1/2 hours. Add the shrimp and crabmeat and cook for 10 minutes. DON’T STIR LEST YOU BREAK UP THE CRABMEAT!

Add the oysters, green onions and parsley and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the edges of the oysters curl. Remove from the heat. Remove the bay leaves. Serve with file powder passed at the table.

Tuesday August 18th, 2009

SUMMER SEAFOOD SALAD

Make a pitcher of lemonade with REAL lemons or maybe ice tea tweaked with fresh mint leaves, and keep your cooking to a minimum. Here’s a menu that is fairly simple to put together. The seafood salad can be made with crabmeat alone, but you can also add shrimp and chunks of lobster meat. The tomatoes stuffed with zucchini can be made ahead of time as can the angel food cake. Then sit back and enjoy those crazy-hazy days of summer. SUMMER SEAFOOD SALAD Makes about 8 servings

3 pounds medium-size shrimp, boiled and peeled
1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
1/2 pound coarsely chopped cooked lobster tail meat (optional)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
3/4 (more or less to taste) mayonnaise
3 tablespoons Creole or Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons capers, drained
2 tablespoons chopped green olives
Salt, freshly ground black pepper and cayenne to taste
Tabasco to taste
4 cups assorted salad greens, washed, patted dry, and torn into bite-size pieces
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Combine the seafood, parsley, celery, lemon juice, mayonnaise, mustard, capers, and olives in a large salad bowl. Season with salt, black pepper, cayenne, and Tabasco, then toss gently to mix. Chill for at least one hour. In another mixing bowl, toss the salad greens with the olive oil and season lightly with salt and black pepper. To serve, line a large serving bowl (or for individual service line individual salad plates) with the salad greens. Arrange the seafood salad on top of the greens. Serve immediately.

Tuesday August 4th, 2009

STUFFED SOFT SHELL CRABS

Makes 6 servings.

6 jumbo soft-shell crabs
1 cup chopped green onions
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
1 pound small shrimp, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 teaspoons salt
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
3 cups stale bread crumbs
1/2 pound mushrooms, finely chopped
3 egg yolks
1 (3-ounce) jar diced pimientos
Flour for dredging
2 cups buttermilk
4 eggs, beaten
3 cups cracker meal
Peanut oil for deep frying

Clean the soft-shell crabs by cutting across the face with a pair of kitchen shears. Remove the eye sockets and the lower mouth. Carefully lift up the apron and remove the gills. Gently rinse with cool water and pat dry. Sauté the green onions, garlic, crabmeat, and shrimp in the wine for several minutes over medium heat. Add 1 teaspoon of the salt, 1/2 teaspoon of the cayenne, 1/4 teaspoon white pepper and bread crumbs. Stir to mix. Add the mushrooms, egg yolks and pimiento. Mix gently. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature. Chill the stuffing for at least one hour or until firm. Carefully lift the shoulders on each crab and gently press about one tablespoon of the stuffing into this area. Press the shoulders down to hold the stuffing. Be careful not to break off any of the legs of the crabs. Lay the crabs on a baking sheet and sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon cayenne. Combine the flour with the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne and 1/4 teaspoon white pepper in a shallow bowl. In a mixing bowl combine the buttermilk and the eggs. Whisk to blend. Put the crackermeal in another shallow bowl. Heat the oil to 360 degrees in a deep pot. Dredge the crabs in the seasoned flower, then dip them in the buttermilk mixture. Then dredge them in the cracker meal, making sure that the legs are well breaded. Hold each crab by the body, allowing the legs to dip into the hot oil for a few seconds before dropping the whole crab into the hot oil. Fry the crabs until they float to the surface of the oil and are golden brown. Drain on paper towels. If you want to really show off these crabs, serve them on a mound of seafood jambalaya and top with Creollaise sauce which is made by combining two cups of béarnaise sauce with 2 tablespoons of Creole mustard.

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