Old Bay Shrimp Cakes--PRE-HOLIDAY HIATUS RECIPE

Old Bay Shrimp Cakes

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Old Bay Shrimp Cakes

Simple, simple, simple. We love Old Bay seasoning.  It adds a bit of zip as well as a orangey hue to seafood evoking memories of steamed crabs strewn over newspapers in Baltimore…founding city to the Old Bay Company in 1939 (and where my husband grew to love this amazing spice). How can you avoid a seasoning that has been around that long? Give it a taste. Lick a pinch on your hand, close your eyes and you will find yourself seaside. Add it to your next Bloody Mary, boil frankfurters in an Old Bay-infused bath, sprinkle on potato salads, and popcorn! Sprinkle it everywhere. In this recipe, I use it to form shrimp cakes.  Again – simple, simple, simple.

Heading into the holidays, I would like to wish all of you a healthy happy New Year, chock full of great food, of course!

 

Old Bay....one of the world's great spices!

Pistachio Crusted Salmon

For comments, please post below or email to cookingwithlarue@gmail.com

Pistachio Crusted Salmon

Serves: 4-6

Difficulty: Easy

Pistachio Crusted Salmon

How often can you make a gourmet meal in less than 30 minutes that is both healthy and over-the-top great tasting? Fresh buttery, rich tasting salmon is topped with mustard sauce and finished off with a crunchy topping of panko and chopped pistachios. With only a few ingredients and so easy to make, this just may become your new “go-to” favorite salmon recipe.

Mahi-Mahi with Green Gazpacho Sauce

Mahi-Mahi with Green Gazpacho Sauce

Traditional and Sous Vide Methods

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Sous Vide Temp: 125 degree F, Time: 12 minutes

Mahi-Mahi with Green Gazpacho Sauce

Mahi-Mahi, also called Dolphinfish and Dorado, is found in warm waters throughout the world. It is a lean fish with firm, flavorful flesh and often best prepared simply and served with a sauce to enhance the delicate, almost sweet, flavor. Most U.S. harvest of mahi-mahi comes from the Pacific, mainly Hawaii. If the fish market sign reads “Fresh Dolphin” do not gasp in horror. Even though the brightly colored mahi-mahi is occasionally labeled dolphin, it’s very much a fish, and is completely unrelated to dolphins and porpoises, which are not fish at all but air-breathing marine mammals.

Sous Vide Cooking: Swordfish with Olive Gremolata

The Art and Ease of Sous Vide Cooking:

Swordfish with Olive Gremolata

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Easy

Sous vide temp: 130 degree F; Time: 30 minutes

Traditional cooking method also included

Swordfish with Olive Gremolata 

Sous vide is a French phrase that is translated as “under vacuum.” However, the defining feature of the method is not packaging or vacuum sealing; it is accurate temperature control. A heating element can warm a water bath to any low to moderate temperature you set, and keep it there for hours – or even days. For more information on the how’s and whys of sous vide, please see post: All About Sous Vide at http://cookingwithlarue.blogspot.com/2015/06/all-about-sous-vide.html.

Sous vide is especially useful for cooking seafood, for which the window of proper doneness is often vanishingly small when traditional methods are used. When you fry a piece of fish, the flesh is most succulent and tender within a very narrow temperature range. Because the cooking temperature of the pan is considerably hotter than the ideal core temperature of the fish, the edges will inevitably be far more cooked than the center when pan-fried. Traditional cooking with a range, oven, or grill uses high and fluctuating temperatures, so you must time the cooking exactly; there is little margin for error. With just a moment’s inattention, conventional cooking can quickly overshoot perfection. This is particularly problematic with fish…especially lean fish, which can dry out quickly. Sous vide cooking is ideal for such fish, in this case swordfish, but also albacore.

Swordfish was taboo for a while, but now many varieties, especially domestic ones, are sustainable. In particular, the North Atlantic swordfish have really rebounded thanks to a 1999 international plan that rebuilt this stock several years ahead of schedule.

Cranberry Bean & Mussel Stew with Zucchini

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Cranberry Bean & Mussel Stew with Zucchini

Serves: 4

Difficulty: Moderate

Cranberry Bean & Mussel Stew with Zucchini

This is a hearty and warming winter stew. For such an elegant, comforting meal, this stew is incredibly simple to prepare; it takes less than 30 minutes once the beans are prepared.  Any cranberry bean will do – I chose dried beans from Rancho Gordo. These heirloom beans are a beautiful dense, velvety bean with gorgeous pot liquor.  Originally from Colombia, the beans have been bred around the world. Similar to Borlotti, cranberry beans are very thin-skinned with a velvety texture making them ideal for soups and stews. If short for time, you could substitute canned white beans that have been rinsed and drained.

Cranberry beans

Mussels are one of the most eco-friendly proteins. Most of the mussels we eat these days are cultivated on ropes suspended from floating rafts in clean waters. They plump up naturally on plankton, converting it into nutritious meaty flesh. Farmed mussels are environmentally benign, and some research suggests their cultivation my have an overall beneficial effect on the marine ecosystem.

This dish falls squarely within that category of recipes that are so simple, every ingredient really matters. The mussels, of course, need to be as fresh as can be. The cooking time is so short, you definitely want to have everything prepped and ready before you start. I let the mussels sit in a big bowl of water with a little flour while I prepared all the ingredients.

Cedar Planked Salmon with Vinaigrette

Cedar Planked Salmon with Vinaigrette 

Serves: 4-6

Difficulty: Easy

 

Cedar Planked Salmon with Vinaigrette 

How many times have you walked by those cedar planks at the grocer, but then hesitated.  Next time grab the planks and give it a go  I have posted many fish recipes, many salmon recipes and many methods: grilled, poached, baked, sautéed and smoked.  This is a classic BBQ method maximizing the smoky sweetness of the cedar into the fish.  It will become a classic in your home as well.

Brined & Smoked Salmon

Brined & Smoked Salmon

Serves: 2

Difficulty: Moderate

Plan ahead – overnight brine

Brined & Smoked Salmon

If you have never smoked fish – you are missing quite the taste treat.  Many grocers are now offering smoked fish, but it is easy and so much better if you do it yourself. There are a myriad of methods and foods to smoke– fish, meat, cheese, and vegetables – multiple opportunities to test your skills and enjoy the results. I have a stovetop smoker made by Cameron. But you can also use a BBQ, electric smokers or modify some foil pans for use on the stove or BBQ.  Give it a try – you will be happy you did! 

Stovetop smoker--don't forget to turn on the fan when you are done!

Sesame Seared Ahi with Beurre Blanc Sauce

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Sesame Seared Ahi with Beurre Blanc Sauce 

Serves: 4

Difficulty Level: Easy

 

Sesame Seared Ahi with Beurre Blanc Sauce 

There is nothing quite like fresh fish. And when it’s fresh, the simplest preparation will often suffice. Yellowfin tuna, also known as ahi, demonstrates this principle perfectly. With just the barest cooking time, the flavor of a fresh piece of ahi is heavenly. Its ubiquity and popularity in sushi restaurants is a testament to how good ahi can taste served rare. In other words, less is more. However if you are a bit squeamish about partially cooked fish, you can adjust the time in the oven accordingly – or if you want it seared only, skip the oven step altogether. One could also substitute Ahi with Mahi Mahi, Shark or center cut Halibut.

Italian Tuna Salad with Fennel

Italian Tuna Salad with Fennel

Serves: 6

Difficulty level: Easy

Italian Tuna Salad with Fennel

This colorful tuna salad makes a satisfying lunch or dinner served alongside a mound of greens. I love the contrast in textures of the fennel, celery, onion, and tuna. The salad is light because the tuna is dressed with olive oil and fresh lemon juice instead of the usual mayonnaise. The fresh herbs give it brightness, and the red bell peppers and purple olives make for a colorful and appetizing preparation. The important thing here is to use the tasty tuna packed in olive oil enjoyed throughout the Mediterranean region, rather than the drier, rather mealy white tuna packed in water. Good quality tuna packed in olive oil from Italy are much easier to find in your local grocer or online. Popular accessible brands include Ortiz or Cento.

Sole Piccata

Sole Piccata

Serves: 4

Difficulty level: Easy

 

Sole Piccata

The classic Italian piccata is made with veal. This piccata is made with fish, however, and nothing could be tastier or easier. All you need is a thin, white fillet, a hot pan, and some butter, lemon, capers, shallots and white wine. The fish cooks in minutes and sauce comes together practically on its own. Shallots and lemon caramelize in the butter, wine prevents the butter from burning, and more butter at the end with capers adds body. Light tasting fish and a tangy, creamy, well-balanced sauce: It's a no-brainer for both experienced and novice cook.

Grilled Shrimp, Watermelon, Corn & Burrata Salad

Grilled Shrimp, Watermelon, Corn & Burrata Salad

Serves: 4

Grilled Shrimp, Watermelon, Corn & Burrata Salad

This is a light entrée salad for dinner or lunch….the perfect summertime meal. It is a dish for a sunny day. The corn is sweet and tender enough to serve raw. Cubes of watermelon provide additional sweetness as well as crisp texture. Burrata cheese, oozing with cream at its center, provides a rich counterpoint for the crisp corn-and-watermelon salad with grilled shrimp. You could substitute a great cantaloupe or honeydew for the watermelon.  Feel free to improvise based on your mood and whatever is freshest and ripest at the time.

Burrata is a fresh Italian cheese, made when leftover curds of mozzarella are enveloped in piece of already stretched out mozzarella and filled with cream, then secured. It is not buffalo mozzarella, although it’s made from buffalo milk. Burrata is its own thing entirely, and you’ll know this the second you taste it. It can be found in the gourmet cheese section of many grocers.

Most shrimp is farm-raised and frozen, guaranteeing good quality and an abundant supply. It is sold by size: small, medium, large and jumbo, or by number of pieces per pound. I always buy the best quality FROZEN shrimp I can find. It is always frozen – even the “fresh” shrimp at the seafood counter of your grocer. It comes to them frozen; they thaw it, and sell it to you – perhaps hours but maybe days after thawing. I recommend buying shrimp raw and frozen. Frozen shrimp with the shell on tend to be of the best quality and flavor. Plus then you get the shells to make stock for another recipe. (Hint, freeze the shells until ready) It takes but a few minutes under running cool water in a strainer in your sink to thaw shrimp. Easy peasy.

• 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 4Tb olive oil, divided, plus extra for drizzling
• 2 tsp minced garlic
• 4Tb finely sliced fresh basil, divided
• Salt and freshly ground pepper
• Kernels from 4 ears of corn
• 2Tb white balsamic vinegar
• 3C cubed watermelon
• 1-2 balls burrata at room temperature
• Wooden sticks for grilling shrimp - optional

Make sure shrimp is thoroughly cleaned and deveined. Dry with paper towels and place in a one-gallon plastic bag.  Add 2 Tb olive oil, garlic and 1 Tb basil to bag. Gently mix within the bag so all shrimp are covered with olive oil marinade. Allow marinade for 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours in frig. Meanwhile soak wooden sticks in water for at least 30 minutes.

In a medium bowl, toss corn with white balsamic vinegar, remaining 2 Tb olive oil and 3 Tb of basil. Add watermelon and season with salt.

 

Fresh corn--does not even need to be cooked

Remove shrimp from bag.  Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. If using wooden sticks, skewer each shrimp with two sticks in parallel. This keeps the shrimp from curling and makes a prettier final presentation.  However one could easily simply grill the shrimp turning them over one by one. Grill shrimp over medium heat until pink, 1-2 minutes per side.  Do not overcook, as it will become rubbery.

Shrimp on two skewers to keep them from curling up

To serve, I like to arrange all on a platter. Place watermelon-corn salad on the platter, leaving a space in the center for the burrata. Arrange grilled shrimp on top. Drizzle some olive oil over all, especially the burrata.  Sprinkle a bit of finishing salt on the burrata and serve to accolades. Alternatively, one could halve two balls of burrata.  Divide it, shrimp and corn-watermelon salad among 4 salad plates.  Season burrata with salt, drizzle with oil and serve…again to accolades!

This is best served with a white wine of your choosing – or champagne, of course!

Buon appetito!

Larue 

Escabeche of Ahi Tuna with Papaya-Mango Relish

Escabeche of Ahi Tuna with Papaya-Mango Relish

Makes 50 appetizer-sized portions

Escabeche of Ahi Tuna with Papaya-Mango Relish 

This is one of my favorite appetizers-to-impress. Several good friends were recently kind enough to have a All Larue dinner for 14 guests – all from recipes from my blog! My responsibility was to bring an unpublished surprise appetizer. This is the recipe that kicked off a memorable evening. It was truly magical evening – the menu is posted below should you be so inclined!

It can, actually must, be done in advance and scaled up or down to feed a small dinner party or a large group gathering. It could also work as an entrée. Escabeche (es-kah-BECH-ay) is a classic Spanish preparation in which you sear meat or fish, marinate it in a vinegary sauce loaded with spices, then serve it cold or at room temperature. I have given it a bit of an Asian twist with the addition of wasabi to counter the sweet papaya-mango relish. Crunch is provided by the use of either a deep fried wonton wrapper or your favorite tortilla chip.

There is nothing quite like fresh fish. And when it’s fresh, the simplest preparation will often suffice. Yellowfin tuna, also known as ahi, demonstrates this principle perfectly. With just the barest cooking time, the flavor of a fresh piece of ahi is sublime. Its ubiquity and popularity in sushi restaurants is a testament to how good ahi can taste served rare. In other words, less is more.

 

ONLY the freshest Ahi for this recipe!

This recipe is for an escabeche of chili crusted seared ahi tuna. You must use fresh sashimi quality tuna. No exceptions. The fish is given a generous coating of spices before being cooked. And when I say cooked, I do not really mean cooked. You really just want to sear the ahi, leaving the middle quite rare. What you get is a wonderful contrast of textures, with the buttery smooth interior juxtaposed with the crusted exterior. Then it is steeped in a marinade for 24-48 hours before serving – escabeche – referring to a dish that has marinated in an acidic mixture before serving – usually a vinegar or citrus juice.

Marinade

• 2 red onions, peeled and diced
• 1 bunch cilantro
• 10 jalapenos, seeded
• ½ C ancho chili powder
• 6 Tb ground cumin
• 2 Tb minced garlic
• 6 C fish or chicken stock
• 1 C white wine vinegar
• Kosher salt & Pepper to taste

Ahi Tuna Seasoning

• 2 Tb ancho chili powder
• 6 Tb kosher salt
• 3 Tb black pepper
• ¼ C olive oil
• 2½ - 3 lbs sashimi grade ahi tuna

Papaya-Mango Relish

• 2 mangoes, peeled, pitted and cut into ¼” dice
• 2 papayas, peeled, seeds removed and cut into ¼” dice
• 4 jalapenos, roasted, peeled, seeded and cut into ¼” dice
• 2 red peppers, roasted, peeled, seeded and cut into ¼” dice
• 1 large red onion, finely chopped. If you have time, even better if sliced and grilled before chopping
• 1 large bunch of cilantro chopped
• 6 Tb lime juice
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste 

Wonton wrappers, or Corn tortilla chips

Wasabi paste for garnish

To make the marinade:

Puree the first six ingredients in a food processor: red onions, cilantro jalapenos, ancho chili powder, ground cumin and garlic with some quick pulses. You will want it finely chopped. Pour all into a saucepan, add stock and vinegar and bring to a boil. Then, simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add salt & pepper to taste. Remove from heat and cool in refrigerator.

 

Mixing the chopped ingredients for the marinade

What the marinade looks like when done

To prepare Ahi Tuna:

Cut tuna into 2-3 equal pieces. Mix ancho chili powder, salt, black pepper together. Add in olive oil and mix thoroughly. Rub all over each piece of tuna. Preheat a cast iron skillet until water splashed in pan spatters. Sear tuna on all sides over high heat about 30-45 seconds per side. Set aside and let cool.

Seasoning rubbed on the Ahi 

Once both tuna and marinade are completely cool, immerse tuna in marinade, cover and refrigerate overnight at least and up to two days.

Ahi swimming in marinade after seared - for 24-48 hours

To make Papaya-Mango Relish:

To make the relish, the first step is to roast the peppers. A previous blog post goes into detail on how to do this:
http://cookingwithlarue.blogspot.com/2013/04/roasted-red-pepper-eggplant-soup.html

Roasted peppers

Then, stir together all ingredients for the relish: mangoes, papayas, jalapenos, red peppers, red onion, cilantro, limejuice, salt and pepper. Let stand a minimum of 30 minutes before serving and up to 4 hours.

 

Mango

And the final product

To fry Wonton Wrappers:

Using a sturdy deep pan, heat canola oil to about 350 degree F (or until a drop of water sizzles vigorously). Cut wontons in half diagonally with a serrated knife. Using a toothpick, poke three - four small holes into each half.  Drop the halves, one at a time, into the hot oil – just takes seconds before it browns, turn it over and then remove to drain on paper towels. Continue in similar fashion until all selected wrappers have been fried.

 

Wonton wrappers

Wonton only need to sizzle for a short time until they are brown

To assemble:

Remove tuna from marinade, reserving the liquid. Thinly slice the ahi against the grain at about a 25-degree angle into ¼” thick pieces with a sharp slicing knife. Do not saw at the fish with the knife. Instead, put pressure on the fish and drag your knife in one long stroke. Set them aside.

I like to arrange all the component pieces onto a large serving tray. If assembled in advance, the fried wonton or tortilla chip becomes soggy. It may require that you prepare and serve your guests a few at first until they get the hang of it and can do their own.

To serve: Place a small seared piece of ahi on wonton or chip. Put a bit of the marinade on top. Next add a small bit of papaya-mango relish and dribble a bit of wasabi on top or nearby on the serving plate. 

Various stages of completion. Note how little of the Ahi is cooked....just the edges.

If by some miracle there is any left, the fish will stay in good shape for a week or more, so long as the vinegar marinade sauce covers it.

I hope you will give this a try. The first time may seem a bit daunting but it actually is quite easy and forgiving. It is key to use only the freshest of fish – remember, no exceptions.

The only wine to serve with this is Champagne!

Buen Apetito!

Larue

Menu from the First Cooking with Larue Dinner:

The Cooking with Larue dinner with the soup duo served

All recipes are on the Blog and can be found by using the Search function

Escabeche of Ahi Tuna with Papaya-Mango Relish

Parmesan Thyme Crackers

Soup Duo: Roasted Yellow Pepper Soup & Roasted Tomato Soup with Serrano Cream

Spinach, Lentil and Feta Salad with Sour Cherry Vinaigrette

Corn & Tomato Salad with Cilantro Dressing

Duck Breasts with Honey & Balsamic

Lamb Meat Loaf with Red Wine Glaze

Orzo with Grilled Zucchini & Sun-dried Tomatoes

Ottolenghi’s Flourless Chocolate Cake