SUMMER SAILOR'S DELIGHT First you gotta begin with a little libation! Dan Alexander of Panama City, Florida submitted this to Southern Living Magazine last year, and of course I had to try it! You'll love it!
Serves: 2
3/4 cup dark rum
3/4 cup orange juice
2 cups ginger ale -- chilled
1 fresh lime juice -- cut in 1" wedges
In a tall pitcher, stir together the rum, orange juice and ginger ale. Pour mixture over crushed ice in tall glasses; serve garnished with lime wedges.Click Here for Printer Version
NEW ORLEANS BARBECUED SHRIMP This recipe is by my good friend "Albedo" who resided for years in New Orleans. This is his authentic version.
Serves: 4 as appetizer; 2 as main dish
Prep.Time: 30 minutes1 pound medium raw shrimp, in shells (headless)
1 ounce olive oil
4 cloves garlic -- minced
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of dried rosemary
Dash of ground black pepper
1 ounce sauterne wine
Put all ingredients except wine into a 12-inch heavy skillet; cook over high heat 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add wine; lower heat and cook about 10 minutes, or until wine evaporates. Serve shrimp in shells, with finger bowls.Click Here for Printer Version
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TRAINMAN'S FAMOUS STEAMED SHRIMP This is truly the dish my Hubby is most famous for----throughout his large family, and throughout our group of friends. A good hot 'n spicy cocktail sauce really tops the shrimp off----they just don't taste as great if the heat in the sauce is reduced! Be sure to serve with plenty of napkins, 'cause these are messy but totally wonderful!
Serves 2 very hungry shrimp-lovers or 4 normal folks
Recipe By: "Mr. Shaboom"
5 pounds large or jumbo Gulf shrimp, in the shell -- thawed if frozen
2 quarts water (approximately)
2 tablespoons kosher salt
3 bay leaves
3/4 cup Old Bay Seasoning, divided (approximately)
2 cans beer -- at room temperature
BLAST-YER-HEAD-OFF COCKTAIL SAUCE 1 bottle Heinz chili sauce (12 oz.)
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish, or more to taste
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning, or to taste
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Dash Tabasco sauce, or to tasteSAUCE: Prepare the sauce first, 2-3 hours before serving if possible. In a medium bowl, combine all sauce ingredients and mix well. Taste and adjust the horseradish, Old Bay and Tabasco if necessary. Cover and chill until ready to serve. (If one or more diners are sensitive to "heat" in foods, prepare two separate bowls of sauce lessening the amount of horseradish and Tabasco in one of the bowls.)
SHRIMP: Rinse shrimp under cold running tap water and set aside. Put water, salt bay leaves, and about 2-3 tablespoons of the Old Bay into the bottom of a large steamer pot and bring to a rolling boil. Put only enough shrimp that will fit easily into the small steamer basket (about 1-2 pounds). Place the steam basket into the kettle, sprinkle about 2 tablespoons (more or less, to taste) of Old Bay Seasoning over the shrimp, and pour some of the beer over all. Cover tightly and steam 8-10 minutes (depending on the size of the shrimp) or until shrimp have turned pink. DO NOT OVERCOOK. The shrimp should feel just barely firm to the touch.
Serve the first batch immediately, accompanied by small bowls of the sauce; repeat cooking process until all shrimp have been cooked (then the cook can sit down to eat).
LEFTOVERS: If there are leftover shrimp and sauce after dinner, sit and peel the leftover shrimp and place them into the leftover sauce. Cover and chill, so there will be shrimp cocktail the next day.
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STEAMED MUSSELS IN WHITE WINE SAUCE I first encountered these little critters in Brussels, Belgium in the '70's, and fell in love with them. In Brussels, you are provided with a big bucket to hold the empty shells. These can be served without cooking down the liquid to a sauce. Either way, use warm crusty French bread slices to mop up the sauce...yummmmmm!
Serves: 2
Prep.Time: 30 minutes2 pounds fresh mussels
1/4 cup finely chopped shallots or green onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup dry white wine
Pinch of paprikaPlace mussels in kitchen sink; cover with cold water. Inspect for open or cracked shells; discard those with cracked shells. Tap those with open shells---if they do not close tightly, discard. Scrub shells with a stiff brush; pull off the bristly "beard". Stir the water; then drain (this encourages mussels to eliminate sand they have ingested). Repeat the process until water is clear after stirring.
Meanwhile, in a large pot, cook shallots or onions and garlic in oil over medium heat, stirring frequently until tender. Stir in wine and paprika; bring to a boil. Add mussels; cover tightly and steam 3-5 minutes or until the shells have opened. Discard any mussels that have not opened.
Remove mussels to 2 serving bowls; keep warm. Cook liquid down over high heat 4-5 minutes or until slightly thickened. Pour sauce over mussels; serve immediately.Click Here for Printer Version
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CLAMS CASINO This dish was frequently served in French and Italian restaurants back in the 60's and 70's, though you rarely see it now except of course in New England. Tough finding a recipe at all, I finally found this on Epicurious, who said it was in Gourmet Magazine in 1990.
Serves:4
Prep.Time: 30 minutes4 slices lean bacon, finely chopped, cooked and drained
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese
12 medium cherrystone clams, shucked with the bottom shells reserved
Coarse salt for filling the pan & platterIn a skillet, cook onion and garlic in oil until soft; add peppers and oregano and cook until peppers are crisp-tender, stirring frequently. Transfer mixture to a small bowl and stir in bacon, vinegar, Parmesan, salt and pepper. (May be made to this point a day ahead and refrigerated covered.
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange clams in reserved shells on a jelly-roll pan filled with some of the coarse salt (to balance the shells). Divide the bell pepper mixture among them; bake 12-15 minutes, or until they are just cooked through. To serve, arrange clams on a platter filled with more of the coarse salt.Click Here for Printer Version
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NEW ENGLAND CLAM CHOWDER Using soft-shell, or "steamer", clams instead of large quahogs may be time-consuming, but the effort is worth it. The results are as good or better!
Serves: 4-6
Prep.Time: 1 hour4 dozen soft-shell clams, or "steamers", scrubbed clean
1/4 pound salt pork, finely diced
1 medium onion, chopped
1 rib celery, chopped
2 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut in 1/2" dice
1/4 teaspoon ground sage
1 bay leaf
1 whole clove
2 cups boiling water
4 cups milk
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse-ground black pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsleyIn a large soup pot or kettle, combine clams and 1 cup water; bring to a boil over high heat. Cover; reduce heat to medium and steam until clams open, about 10 minutes. Discard any clams that have not opened. When clams are cool enough to handle, working over the pot to catch all the juices, remove clams from shells and coarsely chop. Set aside. Strain cooking liquid through a fine sieve lined with a double layer of dampened cheesecloth set over a bowl. Set aside. In a large heavy kettle (or the same pot), cook salt pork over medium-high heast, stirring often, until fat is partially rendered, about 2 minutes. Add onion and celery; cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add potaotes, sage, bay leaf, clove, and boiling water; cook over medium heat until potatoes are tender, about 15 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaf and clove. Stir in reserved chopped clams, clam juice, and milk; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Transfer mixture to a tureen; float butter on top of mixture, season with salt and pepper, and garnish with parsley. Serve hot with saltines or oyster crackers.
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CRAB NORFOLK O'DONNELL'S Thanks to the Washington Post for publishing this back in the 60's! The old (and the first) O'Donnell's Restaurant in downtown Washington, D.C. always served the most luscious crab dishes, and was most famous for this one. Always buy the freshest and best-quality crabmeat possible (preferrably from Chesapeake Bay)----and always pick over it carefully to discard any bits of shell or cartilage, trying not to break up the lumps of meat. Always store fresh crabmeat in the refrigerator---and always use it within 24 hours.
Serves: 4
Prep.Time: 10 minutes (after picking)4 ounces butter (no substitute)
1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, carefully picked over
1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar (approximately)In a 10" non-stick skillet, heat butter until only slightly melted. Add the crabmeat; heat over medium-high heat until the crabmeat begins to brown, about 3-4 minutes, stirring gently making sure not to break up the lumps. Drizzle with vinegar and serve immediately in individual serving plates while stitll sizzling.
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CHESAPEAKE CRAB CAKES I've tinkered with this recipe AGAIN! (Updated as of 7/30/06). There must be hundreds, no THOUSANDS, of different recipes for crab cakes, depending on which part of the country they're from. Even around the Chesapeake Bay, it seems everyone has their own "special recipe", even Maryland Senator Barbara Mikulski! Most important: DON'T FORGET THE OLD BAY SEASONING!. Second most important---don't mess the crab cakes up with a lot of ingredients that mask the fresh taste of crab! And no, these ARE NOT made with canned crab meat---HORRORS!
Yields: 6-8 crab cakes1 large egg
2 heaping tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce, or to taste
Few drops of lemon juice (no more than about 1/4 teaspoon)
2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
Fresh ground black pepper 1 cup fresh bread crumbs, or finely crushed saltines
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 pound fresh jumbo lump or lump crabmeat -- drained of all excess liquid
3 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil for sauteeingIn a medium bowl, combine the egg, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire, Tabasco, lemon juice, Old Bay, salt and pepper. Mix so that all the ingredients are well-incorporated. Add the bread crumbs and parsley and mix well. Gently fold in crabmeat until just combined (try not to break up lumps of crabmeat).
Using wet hands, shape mixture into 6 patties---8 patties if you like them smaller (do not pack too firmly; cakes should be as loose as possible and still hold their shape). Put the crab cakes on a large platter or cookie sheet as they're shaped. Cover with foil and refrigerate at least 1 hour before cooking.
In a large cast-iron skillet, heat butter or vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Gently add crab cakes to the pan and cook 3-4 minutes. Use a spatula and your hand to gently turn the crab cakes and cook an additional 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Serve with cocktail sauce or tartar sauce.
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CRAB IMPERIAL In order to achieve the best and freshest-tasting Crab Imperial worthy of the name "Chesapeake", over the past years I had to take apart more than four recipes from many sources including sites from around the Del-Mar-Va area. I then compared everything to a recipe of the "Food Events" web site's Chesapeake Bay page. Then I put together all the ideas, keeping in mind that when it comes to blue crab meat from the Chesapeake Bay, "less is more". Over many years, I've then prepared it---baked it---tasted it---tweaked it---and THIS IS THE ONE! (Updated June, 2006 for the very best!)
Serve with baked potatoes and a green vegetable or salad
Serves: 4IMPERIAL SAUCE:
1 cup mayonnaise
1 egg
1 teaspoon prepared horseradish mustard, heaping
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning **
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
Pinch kosher salt1 pound jumbo lump blue crab meat *
1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs
3 tablespoons whole capers -- drained
Old Bay seasoning for topping* Lump" crabmeast may be used, but do not use claw meat as it's too shredded for proper consistency. Pasteurized crabmeat is fine as long as it's "lump".
** The amount of Old Bay Seasoning is a "guestimate," though crab imperial should be a bit more delicate in flavor than a crab cake. Begin with 1 teaspoon, taste after mixing and add more if desired.
IMPERIAL SAUCE: In a medium bowl, start with one cup of mayonnaise. ( Keep in mind that this imperial sauce is mixed in with the the crab meat to moisten it, then poured over it to rise and brown, so you may require more mayonnaise.) Add the egg, lemon juice, Old Bay, Worcestershire sauce, Tabaso sauce, white pepper, and salt to taste. Whisk toether until thoroughly combined. The sauce should be the consistency of heavy whipping cream, with a hint of lemon and spice. Adjust the Old Bay for your own tastes if you prefer spicy taste. If time permeits, cover tighhtly and keep chilled for 1-2 hours to allow flavors to blend.
THE CRAB: Carefully and gently pick through your crab meat and transfer to a medium bowl, trying tno to crush the lumps of crab. Set aside, cover tightly and keep chilled until ready to use.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F Lightly oil prerferred baking dishes---Crab Iimperial can be baked either in separate ramekins for an elegant look, in small serving dishes, or a casserole dish, whichever you choose.
Remove the separate bowls of sauce and crab from the refrigerator, To the crab meat, add the bread crumbs and capers. Take about 1/2-34/ cup of prepared Imperial Sauce and gently fold it into the picked lump crab meat. Mixture should be moist, but not overly wet.
Pile the moistened crab meat into ramekins or casserole, using your hands to push the mixture together into a rounded ball. Carefully spoon some of the reserved imperial sauce over each one. It isn't necessary to use all of the sauce---there should be enough to sit atop the meat, not drown it. If you need more sauce or prefer more, make a half recipe and discard what you don't need. Sprinkle the tops with a a litle more Old Bay Seasoning.
Place individual baking dishes onto a sheet pan. Bake for 28-32 minutes. When done properly, the imperial will have a golden soufle-like crust on top. Serve immediately.
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FLOUNDER STUFFED WITH CRABMEAT This is my own recipe I devised long ago to satify our craving for this particular dish. So many restaurants put so much other "stuff" in their stuffing that you can't taste the crab---well, you can here! ENJOY!
Serves: 4STUFFING:
1/3 cup finely crushed saltine crackers (about 15)
2 tablespoons minced onion
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seafood Seasoning
1 egg
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Dash Tabasco sauce
Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
6 ounces jumbo lump crabmeat (canned crabmeat is fine here)
2 tablespoons mayonnaise, heaping4 large flounder fillets
Juice of 1 large lemon
2 tablespoons butter
Additional Old Bay Seafood Seasoning
Chopped fresh parsley for garnishIn a medium bowl, combine the crushed saltines, onion, Old Bay Seasoning, egg, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, and a little salt and pepper to taste. Mix well and set aside to soften the crackers and allow the flavors to blend, about 1 hour. Add the crabmeat and mayonnaise, and mix gently to just combine the ingredients.
While the stuffing is resting, wash fillets under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Put lemon juice in a large shallow dish, add the fillets and turn to coat. Allow to sit about 10-12 minutes.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. and liberally oil a medium baking sheet.
Remove fillets from the lemon juice and pat dry with paper towels. Place one fillet on a flat surface and put 2 heaping tablespoons of stuffing toward the larger end of the fillet. Carefully roll the fillet up, place on the prepared pan and secure with a toothpick inserted vertically to keep the fillet from coming apart. Repeat with remaining fillets. Brush with the melted butter, sprinkle with additional Old Bay, and bake 15-17 minutes of until just cooked (do not overbake or the fish with be dry). Serve immediately, garnished with chopped parsley.
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CAROLINE'S REGAL ROCKFISH I devised this recipe many years ago before rockfish-fishing on the Chespeake Bay was curtailed. Now, it's possible again to purchase rockfish (striped bass), but it's still a little expensive. This dish is worth the expense!!
Serves: 4
Prep.Time: 30 minutes4 rockfish (striped bass) fillets, about 1" thick
Salt and coarse-ground Pepper to taste
3 tablespoons butter, melted
2 lemons, sliced
1 medium onion, sliced in rings
Sprinkle of Old Bay Seasoning
4 slices lean baconPreheat oven to 400 degrees; grease a 13x9x2 baking dish.
Rinse fillets and pat dry with paper towels; season on both sides with salt and pepper. Arrange fish in a single layer in the baking dish; drizzle butter evenly over all. On each fillet, place 2 lemon slices, then 3 onion rings overlapped slihgtly; top with 1 bacon slice lengthwise. Bake 15-20 minutes or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve immediately.
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CAROLINE'S SOUTHERN FRIED OCEAN PERCH Years ago when I lived in North Carolina, we used to go to the local "fish camps" where they served all the fish, fries, slaw, hushpupplies and iced tea you could hold. This is the recipe I came up with that most closely resembles that wonderful fish I ate in those old fish camps! Although the seasonings seem heavy, you never use all the flour mixture, so not to worry.
Serves: 4
Prep.Time: 30 minutes2 pounds fresh ocean perch fillets
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup yellow corn meal
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne
1 egg
2 tablespoons milk
Vegetable oil for frying
Lemon wedgesRinse fillets; pat dry thoroughly with paper towels. Place flour in a pie plate. In a second pie plate, combine cornmeal and seasonings. In a third pie plate, beat egg and milk until frothy. Heat 1/2-inch of oil in a large cast-iron skillet to 375 degrees.
Coat fillets in flour; shake off excess. Dip into egg mixture; coat with cornmeal mixture. Fry skin-side down in hot oil 2-3 minutes; turn and cook 2-3 minutes more or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels and keep warm until all fish are cooked. Serve immediately with lots of lemon wedges.Click Here for Printer Version
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GRILLED SWORDFISH PROVENÇALE This is quite a yummy summertime dish with all the flavors of the sun-kissed Provencále region of France on the Mediterranean. Serves: 4
Sauce requires 1 day advance preparation
Prep.Time: 30 minutesSAUCE:
4 plum tomatoes, seeded and finely chopped
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil, or 2 teaspoons dried basil
1 teaspoon finely chopped black olives (kalamata preferred)
1 teaspoon finely chopped red onion
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
FISH:
4 fresh swordfish steaks, about 1" thick (thawed if frozen)
Additional olive oil
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Lemon wedges
Chopped fresh parsleySAUCE: In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, lemon juice, basil, olives and onion. Season with salt and pepper to taste. In a small skillet, heat olive oil and cook garlic until soft (do not brown); pour over tomato mixture. Refrigerate 1-2 hours.
TO GRILL SWORDFISH: Prepare grill. When coals are medium-hot, brush fish on both sides with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste. Grill 10-12 minutes, turning once during cooking, or until fish flakes easily with a fork. Serve immediately with sauce drizzled over top and garnished with lemon wedges and parsley.Click Here for Printer Version
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BAJA FISH TACOS In Mexico, these are sold on the streets, cooked over a small gas burner. I found this recipe on the "Internet Epicurean" a few years ago and just love 'em!
Serves: 6
Prep.Time: 30 minutesSPICE MIX:
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or more to taste
TACOS:
1 pound boned and filleted white fish
Spice mix (recipe above)
Juice of 1/2 fresh lime
6 8-inch flour tortillas
1 medium tomato, chopped
1 cup shredded lettuce
1/2 cup chopped green onions
Chopped fresh cilantro
Picante sauceRub fish pieces with lime juice and spice mix; set aside. Heat a large skillet over medium heat until very hot but not smoking; lightly coat with olive oil. Cook fish for a couple of minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily. (This will make a lot of smoke, so be sure to have enough ventilation.) Warm tortillas in a medium oven or microwave. To serve, roll fish pieces in tortillas; garnish with lettuce, tomatoes and green onions; sprinkle with cilantro and picante sauce.
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LOBSTER SALAD I adapted this recipe from one I found in an old Modern Maturity Magazine (not that I need that). This dish is perfect for a beach party, backyard get-together...or scale it down and make a romantic dinner for two. Any way you do this, it's yummy.
Serves: 6
Prep.Time: 45 minutes6 live maine lobsters, about 1-1/4 pounds each
12 new potatoes, peeled and boiled, cut in chunks
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
2 heads bibb lettuce
1/4 cup oil and vinegar salad dressing
3 hard-boiled eggs, sliced 3 medium ripe tomatoes, quartered
Black pitted olives for garnish
Lemon slices for garnish
Fresh parsley sprigs for garnishIn a large pot, steam lobsters for 20 minutes; remove meat from the shells, keeping the shell of one lobster as intact as possible. Cut lobster meat into bite-size pieces, about 1-1/2". Carefully toss the lobster meat and potatoes with mayonnaise and lemon juice; salt and pepper to taste. Toss lettuce with salad dressing and line a large platter with leaves. Place empty lobster shell on one side of the platter; ladle the lobster mixture to the right side. Circle all with tomato quarters and sliced eggs; garnish all with olives, lemon slices and parsley sprigs.
Click Here for Printer VersionSOUTHERN HUSHPUPPIES These remind me of my days in North Carolina at the old "fish camps" where you could get all you could eat----and I certainly could put away a bunch of these delicious hushpuppies!
Serves: 4
1 cup Yellow Cornmeal
1/4 cup All-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons Baking Powder
1/2 teaspoon Salt
Pinch of Old Bay or cayenne, to taste
1 Egg -- beaten
3/4 cup Milk
1 small Onion -- finely chopped
Vegetable Oil for deep-frying
In a medium bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, baking powder and salt; mix well. Add the egg, milk and onion; stir just until mixed. In a deep-fat fryer or electric skillet, heat oil to 365 degrees. Drop batter by heaping teaspoonfuls into oil; fry 2 to 2-1/2 minutes or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels; serve warm.Click Here for Printer Version
