Baked Stuffed Fish

The best way to a fisherman’s heart is through his fly.  ~Author Unknown

There’s nothing I love more than stuffed ‘anything’.  A tasty something, inside a vessel of another tasty something is really kinda cool.

I remember the 1st time I saw this dish, or a variation of it.  It was decades ago and I went on lunch break with a co-worker.  She was lucky enough to have her girlfriend bring her a homemade dish that consisted of baked stuffed fish.  When she unwrapped the  fish, the steam came billowing out…and the smell!

Oh-em-f’ing-gee!

Then she lifted that first bite with her fork…really, if food porn daily included video…this would be the most viewed, I’m sure. Yes.  I think I totally forgot about my lunch, altogether.  As we all sat and chatted with each other, the conversation was on a variety of subjects.  Gossip, laughing…etc.  But I don’t think I contributed much, being hypnotized and all.  I kept trying to tell her, through mental telepathy, to give me her fish.  All of it.  But I wasn’t even offered a bite.  Sad.

As we were heading back to the office, I was rehearsing the recipe in my head.  I went to the store after work, and made this version when I got home.  Yay me!

Ingredients

1/4 cup chopped celery

1/4 cup chopped green onion

1/4 cup green bell pepper

1 clove garlic, minced

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 lb shrimp, coarsely chopped

3/4 cup-1 cup breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons real lemon juice

1/2 lb lump crab meat, picked through for cartilage

2 tbsp chopped parsley

1 egg, beaten

2 tbsp mayonnaise

1/2 tsp mustard

salt & pepper

1 lg whitefish (3-5 lbs), scaled and cleaned (keep the head on)

3 tbsp melted butter

1 lemon cut into wedges

Directions

Saute the celery, onion, and bell pepper in the butter over medium heat until soft, about 2-3 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and garlic; cook for 1 minute stirring constantly.  Remove from the heat and let cool.

Butter a shallow baking dish and pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees f.  Pat the fish dry, liberally salt the inside and place the fish in the baking dish.

After the vegetables have cooled, add the breadcrumbs, crab, parsley,egg, mayo, mustard and lemon juice.  Mix well, but try not to break up the crab too much.  Loosely stuff the fish, and brush the top with melted butter.

Bake for 45-55 minutes.  When the fish is done, divide it into portions and serve with lemon wedges.

 

Fried Oysters

“I prefer my oysters fried; That way I know my oysters died.”
Roy Blount, Jr.

 

 

The first time I had Fried Oysters was about 13 years ago when I was visiting my Mom and Dad in S.E. Texas.  We went to one of those small town shack like eateries that consisted of walking up to the counter, placing your order, and sitting at one of the few rickety old tables with overused plastic tablecloths.

The extensive menu was hanging on the wall behind our cashier.  It was one of those big black felt menu boards with the white letters that you push in, I’m sure there’s a technical name for them.  Some of the letters were missing, so with some of the items you had to kind of figure out what it said.

Example: Fr ed Catfi h=Fried Catfish.  You get the idea.

Anyway, not being from the south, though raised on alot of southern dishes, I saw F ied Oy ters on the menu, and was immediately kinda turned off by the whole idea.  Why the heck would anyone want their oysters fried?

I ordered one of the many Seafood Platters, I think it was fried shrimp, fried catfish and hushpuppies…or something like that.  My Mom ordered the Fried Oysters.  Bottom line, I tried one and ended up trading my catfish for her oysters.

They were that good.  How have I not known about these before?  Dammit.

If I’m really into what I’m eating, I’m not only eating it, I’m figuring out how to recreate it.  It really wasn’t that hard figuring out how to make these.  It’s not like trying to figure out a cake recipe or something.

If you like fried southern food, then you’ve probably had these.  If you haven’t had them before; give them a try.  I’m sure you’ll love them!

Ingredients

16 oz shucked oysters, drained well

enough buttermilk to cover the oysters

Tabasco Hot Sauce, to taste

3/4 cup Wondra flour

3/4 cup cornmeal

1/2 tbsp cayenne pepper (or to taste)

salt

pepper

Canola Oil, for frying

Directions

Soak oysters in a bowl with buttermilk and hot sauce.  Combine the cornmeal and flour, then season with the cayenne, salt and pepper.

Heat 2-inches of oil in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge the oysters in the cornmeal/flour mixture, coating evenly.  Once dredged, allow oysters to sit for about 10 minutes. When the oil is up to temperature, lay the oysters, a few at a time, in the skillet without crowding them. Cook until golden on both sides, about 2 minutes per side. Remove and let drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining oysters.

Serve hot with tartar or cocktail sauce.

 

White Lasagna/Seafood Lasagna

“We signal the captain, taking time out against the wall.  He frowns. He groans. His feet hurt. His ulcer rages. He hates his wife. The risotto will take 25 minutes. Lasagna will take even longer.”~Gael Greene

 

 

Have you ever had white lasagna?  Seafood Lasagna?  I know, it’s not like I’m asking about something as exotic as Chitlins but I was recently talking to a friend of mine, and she’d never heard of ‘white lasagna’, ‘seafood lasagna’ or any other type of lasagna that doesn’t include ground meat, italian sausage and red sauce.  Jeez…she’s 40 years old!!  What the hell??  I wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her ‘How is this possible!!  How have you not heard of White Lasagna befooooore!!!’  Then I wanted to slap the shi….  Just joking.

The first time I ate a form of ‘white lasagna’ was over 20 years ago when I bought a Stouffers Vegetable Lasagna, and I loved it!!  That’s right!! Don’t hate….  I was young, broke and hungry.  Anyway, over the years I’ve tried different white lasagna recipes, and settled on this one.

It’s super good, and not as heavy as the traditional lasagna.   Enjoy with a nice glass of white wine and side salad.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1 lb medium shrimp, chopped (not minced)

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 cups ricotta cheese

1 egg

1 3/4 cups grated mozzarella cheese

3 1/2 cups homemade Spinach Parmesan sauce (recipe below)

9 cooked lasagna noodles, follow pkg directions; or 9 fresh lasagna noodles

1 cup (2 ounces) grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Heat the oven to 375°F. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until soft and translucent. Stir in the garlic, salt, and pepper and cook until the garlic is fragrant. Add the shrimp, and cook until just pink. Pour off any oil, and to stop the shrimp from cooking, place the mixture into a bowl or onto a plate. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, egg, and mozzarella cheese. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Set aside.

To assemble, spread 1/4 of of the parmesan/spinach sauce over the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch pan. Sprinkle 1/4 of the shrimp mixture over the sauce.  Add 1/4 of the parmesan cheese over the shrimp. Cover the cheese with 3 sheets of pasta, lengthwise.  Cover the pasta with 1/4 of the ricotta mixture. Repeat the layering until all the ingredients are used, finishing with the sauce. Place in the oven and bake until bubbly and golden, about 35-45 minutes.

Spinach Parmesan Sauce

Ingredients

5 tbsp butter

4 cups half & half, divided

2 tbsp corn starch

2 cups parmesan cheese

1/2 lb fresh spinach, cleaned, stemmed, and cut into thin strips

Directions

In a medium sized bowl, add the cornstarch to 2 cups of half & half  and whisk well, and set aside.  In a large saute pan melt the butter.  Add the 2 cups of cream w/o the cornstarch.  Whisk together and warm through, but do not let boil.  Add the cheese and whisk till smooth and melted.  Keep whisking.  Add the other cup of half and half (with the cornstarch).  Stir until thickened and smooth.  Add the spinach mix well.

 

Seafood Fra Diavolo w/ Lemon Parmesan Pasta

 This is a light, refreshing pasta dish that’s sure to please anyone that likes spicy, seafood, and pasta.  You can adjust the amount of red pepper flakes to your liking.  I personally add a bit more than the recipe states but when I enjoyed this with my son when he was quite a bit younger, I’d ease up a bit.  I found that this amount was perfect for the whole family.  

Also, don’t hesitate to experiment with other seafood!  Mussels, white fish, calamari all go fantastically in this dish!!

Have an Italian loaf ready for some serious dipping!!

Ingredients

1/2 pound large shrimp, peeled, deveined

1/2 pound little neck clams

Salt

1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper flakes

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 large shallot, sliced

3 cloves garlic, sliced

1 (14 1/2-ounce) can diced Italian tomatoes

1 cup dry white wine

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

3 tablespoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

2 tablespoon chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

 Heat the olive oil in a heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and season with salt and the red pepper flakes.  Saute for about 1 to 2 minutes, constantly moving the shrimp around the skillet. Transfer the shrimp to a large plate; set aside. In the same pan, reduce the heat to medium and add the shallot and garlic; add additional olive oil if needed, and saute until the shallot is translucent (don’t let the garlic burn please). Add the can of tomatoes with the juice, wine, and oregano. Simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 10 minutes. Add the clams to the sauce, cover the pot and cook an additional 7 minutes until the shells open.  Uncover and discard any clams that failed to open.  Add the shrimp back to the pan and gently stir to incorporate.  Top with the parsley and basil. Re-season if necessary.  Serve over the Lemon and Parmesan Pasta, if desired. (recipe below)

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For this dish, I’ve adjust it just a bit from the original recipe to go along better with the Seafood Fra Diavolo. 

If you’re enjoying this pasta alone, or with another dish, instead of the white pepper, use red pepper flakes.  Also, when draining the pasta, reserve about a half cup of the pasta water and when you’re mixing all the ingredients together add a bit of the water to add a bit of moisture to the dish.  Enjoy!! 

Lemon and Parmesan Pasta

 

Ingredients 

  

1 pound fettucine (or your favorite pasta)

1/2 cup clarified butter

1/2 cup chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

1 lemon, juiced

2 tablespoons lemon zest

Kosher Salt

White Pepper

2/3 cup freshly grated Parmesan

  

Directions

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the fettucine and cook until tender but still firm to the bite. Drain.

Stir the butter, parsley, lemon juice and lemon peel in a large serving bowl. Add the cooked pasta and toss. Season the pasta with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the Parmesan and serve.

 

Thai Coconut Soup

This is restaurant quality soup people!!  The base of this recipe is something I found on the internetz a few years ago and have tweeked it and added to it to make it my own.  If you’ve ever ordered this at a Thai restaurant, then you know this soup is sweet with curry, and spicy.  Adjust the seasoning to suit your taste.  More curry, more spicy!!  Serve over Jasmine Rice.

If you have problems finding lemon grass, it’s easier to find lemon grass paste/gel.  Also, if the texture of the lemon grass disagrees with you, feel free to remove it before serving…but I like the cruch it adds!

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 onion, quartered

2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger

1 stalk lemon grass (white part only, whack it with the side of a butchers knife to release the flavor)  or if you can’t find lemon grass, use 2 tsp lemon grass paste

3 tsp red curry paste

4 cups chicken broth

3 tablespoons fish sauce

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

3(13.5 ounce) cans coconut milk 

1/2 pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and sliced

3 green onions (scallions), green part, cut into 2 inch pieces

1 pound medium shrimp – peeled and deveined

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

chopped fresh cilantro

1 lime, cut into wedges

Directions

Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for about 2 minutes (you don’t want the onion to get too soft).  Add the ginger, lemongrass, and curry paste and cook for about 1 minute. Add the fish sauce and brown sugar and stir.  Add the chicken broth to the mixture; stir to incorporate.  Let simmer for about 20 minutes. Stir in the coconut milk , mushrooms and green onion; stir until the mushrooms are soft, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp; cook until they turn pink. Stir in the lime juice and serve.  To serve, garnish each bowl with cilantro and a wedge of lime on the side.

print this recipe here

 

Fish Tacos, Fish Taco Sauce and Pico de Gallo

This is a loose variation of a recipe I found on the web a few years ago.  It’s a great summer go to recipe.  It takes a little work, but the rewards are well worth it.  If you so desire, you can bypass the fish part of this recipe, and just buy good quality frozen fish filets.  But what’s the fun in that??!!  Anyway.  The sauce really makes this dish!!Ingredients

 

Batter

1 cup all-purpose flour, divided

1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 tsp white pepper

1 egg

1 cup beer

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Fish Taco Sauce

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 lime, juiced

1 tbsp jalapeno pepper, in the jar, minced

1 teaspoon minced capers

1/2 teaspoon fresh minced cilantro

1/2 teaspoon minced dill 

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes (optional)

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Pico de Gallo

6 roma tomatoes, diced

1 med. onion diced
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

3 Fresh serrano peppers, seeded and minced
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            pinch of garlic powder

Salt to taste

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1 quart vegetable oil, for frying

1 pound white fish fillets (cod, talapia…)

1 (12 ounce) package corn tortillas

1 pkg slaw mix (in the produce section, bagged)

1 lime, sliced in wedges

 

Directions

Fish Taco Sauce:  Note…this should be made at least 3 hours ahead of time so the flavors have a chance to marry.

To make the Fish Taco Sauce: In a medium bowl, mix together the sour cream and mayonnaise. Stir in the lime juice until soupy. Season with jalapeno, capers, cilantro, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and dill.

For the beer batter, in a large bowl combine flour, panko, cornstarch, baking powder, salt and pepper. Beat the egg and add the beer.  Mix the egg and beer just until they’re incorporated (try not to get rid of too much of the carbonation in the beer).  Add the beer mixture to the flour mixture and combine. It will be a bit lumpy.

For the Pico…Combine all the ingredients in a medium sized bowl with a 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cold water. Let set for about an hour. 

Heat oil in deep-fryer to 375 degrees F.

Dredge the fish in the other 1/2 cup of flour, then dip into beer batter, and fry until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and place in a warm oven to keep warm.

In a warm skillet, lightly heat the tortillas on both sides, but don’t let them get hard.

To serve, place fried fish in a tortilla, and top with the slaw mix, fish taco sauce and the pico.  Top off your Fish Taco with a squeeze of lime (not optional).

print this recipe here

 

Bang Bang Shrimp

Bonefish Grill is one of my favorite restaurants, and I’ve been a fan of the ol’ Bang Bang for quite a while.  And after trying different versions of recipes for these tasty little pieces of heaven, I’ve decided that this is the best one. 

Serves 4

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1/4 cup Thai Sweet Chili Sauce (or more…you decide)

5-10 drops Sriracha Hot Chili Sauce (or more…)

1 pound shelled and deveined small shrimp

Cornstarch

Oil for frying

Shredded Cabbage

Chopped Scallions (optional)

Directions

 

Mix mayonnaise with Thai Sweet Chili Sauce. Add Sriracha sauce to taste.

Dredge the shrimp in cornstarch and shake off excess.

Fry the shrimp until lighty brown. Drain on paper towel. 

In a large bowl combine fried shrimp with prepared sauce until evenly coated.  

Plate a serving of shredded cabbage, then place a nice sized serving of the shrimp on top.  Garnish with scallions.

print this recipe here

 

Gumbo

There’s one thing about Gumbo that you should know.  There are so many versions, it’s utterly ridiculous. 

 

You can leave in or delete many of the ingredients below.  The roux (the shortening/flour mixture), is pretty much a staple in gumbo, but some people leave that out and use a tomato base.  I personally have never had a Gumbo with tomatoes, and I probably never will.  I know I said you can change things up, but I could never imagine making a gumbo with tomatoes.  My great grandmother, cajun as you can get, told me that a good gumbo should look like dirty mop water.  No, it doesn’t sound appetizing, but that’s pretty much the way it looks.  Now, back to the different ways to make gumbo.  The recipe below calls for a shortening/flour mix for the roux.  But many people use vegetable oil. Also, if you don’t want to use water, you can use shrimp stock, chicken stock, vegetable stock…  You can leave the chicken out, and substitute it for duck, rabbit, squirrel,  nutria, raccoons and opossums.  You can substitute the Blue Crab for Dungeness Crab (though don’t let my mom know you did that, cuz that’s not new orleans), you can use a different type of sausage (a more cajun one, or andouille).  Leave the oysters out if you want!   

The bottom line?  No two families make gumbo the same.   

But this is THE way my mom always makes her gumbo.

Serves 12-14

1 cup shortening
1 cup flour  (the flour and shortening combo make the roux.  add more roux to make your gumbo thicker, and less for a thinner gumbo)
1 large onion, chopped 
3 ribs celery, chopped 
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 1/2 gallons water or chicken stock 
1 chicken, cut up 
1 lb smoked sausage, cut in 1/4 inch slices 
Salt, freshly ground black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste
2 bay leaves  
2 (8 oz) can oysters, with the water (boiled, not smoked)
3 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined 
3 pounds blue crab, cracked down the middle 

Heat the shortening on medium high in a large cast iron skillet. Once melted add the flour and combine. Cook the roux, stirring constantly, to a dark peanut butter color. This takes quite a while, just go with it.
***disclaimer: roux needs to be stirred constantly, if you walk away for even a minute, it will burn. If this happens, throw it away and WASH YOUR SKILLET. Wiping it won’t do because the taste and smell will still be there***
When the roux reaches a color just a bit darker than peanut butter, add the vegetables, combine and continue cooking and stirring. (be careful not to spatter yourself when you add the veggies). When the vegetables are tender and the roux reaches the chocolate color, carefully transfer it to a heavy bottomed large pot. Add the water (or stock) and stir until the roux incorporates with the water. Add the chicken, seasonings and bay leaves. Simmer for about a 1/2 hour, then add the sausage.  Continue cooking for an additional 1/2 hour. BTW…it should have a stew like consistency.

Add the oysters, shrimp and crab about 10 minutes before serving.  Re-season with salt, pepper if needed
Serve in large soup or gumbo bowls over about 1/2 cup of cooked rice per serving.  Sprinkle a little gumbo file (fee-lay) on top before serving, if you so desire
Oh!! Don’t eat the bay leaves!!!

Hot n Bubbly Crab Dip

I loooove Crab!!  Ohhh…and I looove Cheese!!!  So whats better than a ooey, gooey, cheesy, crabby dip with some nice crusty bread. 

This is great for a get together, or just for a family snack on the weekend. 

Think movie night, crab dip, and some nice pita chips.  Or toasted french bread.  

Serves 4

Ingredients

 

1 tbsp butter

4 tsp onions, minced

4 tsp green pepper, minced

2 ounces cream cheese

1 tbsp mayonaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1tbsp butter, softened

1/4 tsp salt

1/8 tsp white pepper

1/8 tsp paprika

1/4 cup mozzarella, shredded

6 oz good quality canned crab meat (I know that sounds like an oxymoron, but there really is good canned crab meat)

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees f. 

In a medium saute pan, heat butter until melted and bubbly.  Add the onion and green pepper and cook until softened. 

In a medium bowl, mix cream cheese, mayo, sour cream and butter until smooth.  Blend in salt, pepper and paprika.  Stir in the onion, green pepper, cheese and crab meat. 

Put in a oven proof dish and cook in pre-heated oven for 10-15 minutes, or until bubbly.

print this recipe here

 

Caldeirada De Peixe

 

Caldeirada De Peixe is a Portuguese Fishermans Stew.  This recipe calls for specific types of fish, but truthfully, this recipe is largely made up of whatever the fishermen were lucky enough to catch that day.  Feel free to change it up and use any fish that suites your fancy, except of course, I wouldn’t use a fish that has too strong of a flavor.  Nice and mild…

Also, traditionally the recipe calls for Cilantro instead of Parsley.  I try to keep it real when I can.  And if I can’t, I’ll let you know, as in this instance.  If you like Cilantro, use it.  It lends to the true taste of this stew.  Enjoy!!

 

Ingredients

 

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 onions, halved and sliced thin

2 red peppers, halved and sliced thin

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 potatoes, peeled and sliced 

4 tomatoes, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups white wine (not cooking wine please) 

2 cups chicken broth

2 bay leaves

salt & pepper

pinch of saffron

1 lb mackerel, 1 1/2 inch dice 

1 lb monkfish, 1 1/2 inch dice 

1 lb large shrimp, cleaned but with tails 

20 mussels

20  clams

fresh parsley

Directions

In a large saucepan, heat oil over medium heat, add onion, peppers, garlic and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring often.. Add potato, tomato, wine, broth, bay leaves, and saffron, then  bring to a simmer, cover, and cook until potato is just tender, about 20 minutes.  Season to taste with salt & pepper.

In layers, add the fish on top of the mixture, then the shrimp, mussels and clams.  Cover, cook until shells open, about 8-10 minutes.  

Discard any shellfish that did not open.

Once the stew is in bowls, garnish with the fresh parsley.

print this recipe here