Scroll down for the following recipes:

BAKED COD WITH JULIENNED VEGETABLES

BAKED STUFFED CLAMS

BARBECUED SHRIMP

CLAMS IN PANCETTA BROTH
CLAMS IN VEGETABLE BROTH

CRABMEAT SALAD

CRABCAKES

DEVILS ON HORSEBACK

PAN-FRIED OYSTERS

PECAN CRUSTED SALMON

POACHED COD & POTATOES IN TOMATO BROTH

RED SNAPPER EN PAPILLOTE
RED SNAPPER WITH STEWED VEGETABLES
SALMON IN MUSTARD CREAM SAUCE
SAUTEED SHRIMP & ARUGULA WITH AVOCADO VINAIGRETTE
SHALLOW-POACHED SEA BASS

SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH GREMOLATA

SPICY TUNA STEAK

STEAMED MUSSELS

STEAMED TILAPIA FILLETS

TROUT WITH HORSERADISH SAUCE

BAKED COD WITH JULIENNED VEGETABLES

2 carrots, julienned

2 leeks, white parts only, julienned

1 large potato, julienned

1 small zucchini, julienned

Half teaspoon mustard seeds

Half teaspoon fennel seeds

Half teaspoon coriander seeds

Half teaspoon OldBay seasoning

Half teaspoon McCormick lemon-pepper seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste

1 lb cod, at least an inch thick

4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil plus extra as needed

Juice from half a lemon plus extra as needed

            Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Julienning the vegetables not only makes for an attractive presentation; their size allows them to be finished cooking simultaneously with the fish.  Granted, julienning veggies is a painstaking task.  If you prefer, simply cut the vegetables into thin slices.   Combine all the vegetables in a bowl.  Grind the mustard, fennel and coriander in a spice grinder and then mix with the OldBay, lemon-pepper seasoning, salt and pepper.  Place the fish in an oven proof baking dish with a lid.  Drizzle half of the oil and lemon juice over the fish and half over the vegetables.  Likewise, sprinkle half the spice mixture over the fish and half over the vegetables.  Toss the vegetables to blend the seasoning and place them on top of the fish.  Drizzle a little extra oil and lemon juice over everything if need be.  Bake, covered, until the fish reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees.  Cooking time can vary based on your exact oven temperature, the size of the fish, the vessel it’s being cooked in, etc.  Use a thermometer to avoid the guesswork and prevent overcooking the fish. 

BAKED STUFFED CLAMS

12 cherrystone clams

½ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons onion, minced

2 tablespoons red pepper, minced

2 garlic cloves, minced

½ cup breadcrumbs

2 tablespoons parsley, chopped

1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

             Cook the clams in a covered skillet over medium heat until they open.  Remove them from the shells and then strain and reserve the juice.  Discard half the shells.  Chop the clams by hand or better yet, in a food processor.  Sauté the onion and pepper in the olive oil until soft.  Add garlic and sauté one minute more.  Combine the onions, peppers, and garlic with the bread crumbs, cheese, parsley, chopped clams and reserved clam juice.  Fill the shells and bake at 375 until just browned. 

BARBECUED SHRIMP

This recipe comes from Chef James Ehler.  Check out his website at foodreference.com.

Herbed seasoning mix as needed, (see recipe below)

1 dozen large shrimp (21-25 per lb.), peeled and deveined

Olive oil as needed

4 teaspoons minced garlic

2 tablespoon chopped shallots

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons lime juice

3 tablespoons butter

Herb Seasoning Mix

2/3 cup thyme, chopped

1 1/3 cups basil, chopped

6 2/3 tablespoons black pepper

1 2/3 tablespoons cayenne pepper

1 cup paprika

             Make the herb seasoning mix and then dust the shrimp in it.  Adjust the amount of seasoning mix to your desired degree of spiciness.  Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan until very hot and add the shrimp.  Add the garlic and shallots and toss.  Add Worcestershire and lime juice and toss.  The shrimp should be done within two to three minutes.  Turn off the heat and add the butter.  Toss the ingredients until the butter melts in.  Place the shrimp on a platter, drizzle with the sauce, and insert a toothpick into each one. 

CLAMS IN PANCETTA BROTH

6 oz pancetta, cut into a small dice

2 tablespoons olive oil

One batch of scallions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, chopped

24 littleneck clams

One cup white wine

One cup vegetable broth

Fresh parsley, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

             Sauté the pancetta and scallions in a large pot in the olive oil until the pancetta is browned and the scallions are soft.  Add the garlic and sauté one minute more.  Add the wine and bring to a boil as you scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pot.  Reduce the wine by about half.  Add the vegetable broth, bring to a boil and then turn down the heat to a simmer.  Reduce the broth by about a third.  Taste and season with salt and pepper.  Add the clams.  Cover and cook on medium heat until the clams open.  Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve. 

CLAMS IN VEGETABLE BROTH

24 littleneck clams

One pint vegetable stock

One batch of scallions, chopped

Chopped parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

             Place the clams, stock, scallions, salt and pepper in a stockpot.  Cover and cook on medium heat until the clams open.  Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve.  A variation of this recipe is sautéing the scallions with some garlic in olive oil first, and then adding the stock and clams.  You can also add hot pepper if you like.  You will be left with an ample amount of juice so make sure you have some bread for dipping.

 CRABMEAT SALAD

1 lb fresh lump crabmeat

1 small red onion, chopped

Half a red bell pepper, chopped

4 tablespoons chopped parsley or cilantro

Half cup (4 oz.) softened cream cheese

4 tablespoons mayonnaise

3 tablespoons lemon juice

Salt & pepper to taste

             Simply mix all the ingredients and then decide on how you wish to serve it.  Spread it on cut up pieces of celery as an hors d’oeuvre, use it as a dip, or put it on bread or a pita for sandwiches.

 CRABCAKES

Half of a small red onion, chopped,
Half of a red bell pepper, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped, (optional)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 egg, beaten
4 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning mix
1 lb fresh lump crabmeat
4 tablespoons chopped parsley or cilantro
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
4 tablespoons breadcrumbs for filling, plus extra as needed for the crust
Salt and pepper to taste

Sauté the onion and peppers in one tablespoon of oil and one tablespoon of the butter.  Add garlic and sauté one minute more.  Remove the mixture from the pan and set aside.  Beat the egg with the OldBay.  Combine with the crabmeat, herbs, mayonnaise, 4 tablespoons of the breadcrumbs, and the sautéed onions, peppers and garlic.  Mix well.  Taste and add salt and pepper if necessary.  Form the mixture into eight patties.  Add a light coating of the breadcrumbs to the outside of the cakes as well.  Add the remaining olive oil and butter to a 14-inch ovenproof skillet.  Sauté the crab cakes until light golden brown on each side, about two minutes.  Place the skillet in a preheated 350 degree oven for seven minutes.  Serve with tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, or a flavored mayonnaise.

 DEVILS ON HORSEBACK

            Devils on horseback is a spicy version of angels on horseback, which are oysters wrapped in bacon and broiled.  When oysters cook their edges curl, supposedly resembling angels’ wings, hence the name. 

12 oysters

2 oz. dry white wine

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

Tabasco sauce to taste

Salt and pepper to taste

6 slices of bacon

12 buttered toast points (optional)

             Preheat the broiler.  Shuck the oysters and reserve the juice and half the shells.  Mix the juice with the wine, garlic, Tabasco, salt and pepper and then marinate the oysters in this for ten minutes.  Cut the bacon strips in half and wrap each oyster with half a bacon slice and secure with a toothpick.  Broil on a baking sheet or in their shells, turning once, until the bacon is crisp and the edges of the oysters have curled.  They can be served on buttered toast points, (triangle shaped pieces of toast), or in their shells.

PAN-FRIED OYSTERS

2 tablespoons mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

¼ teaspoon onion powder

½ teaspoon OldBay seasoning

Salt and pepper to taste

Juice from about 4 oysters

1 dozen oysters

Seasoned bread crumbs, as needed

Olive oil as needed

 First make the sauce by combining the mayonnaise, mustard, onion powder, OldBay, salt and pepper.  Then begin opening the oysters, adding the juice from about four of them into the sauce.  The goal is to incorporate as much juice as possible without producing a watery sauce.  Once all of the oysters are open, remove them from their shells and coat with bread crumbs that you’ve seasoned with salt and pepper.    Pour enough olive oil into a skillet to come halfway up the sides of the oysters.  Heat the olive oil until it just starts to smoke and fry the oysters for about a minute on each side.  Drain and serve.  If you like you could also deep fry them by dropping them into a pot of hot oil. 

PECAN CRUSTED SALMON

1 cup chopped pecans

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon paprika

Salt and pepper to taste

Two 8-oz. salmon fillets

Salted butter as needed

             Mix the chopped pecans with the garlic, paprika, salt and pepper.  Melt some of the butter and brush the salmon fillets with it on each side.  Coat both sides of the salmon fillets with the pecan mixture.  Heat the remaining butter in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the salmon on each side until golden brown.  For thicker fillets you may need to finish them in the oven.  Thus you will need to employ an oven-proof skillet.   After sautéing each side place the skillet into a preheated 400 degree oven until the fish reaches an internal temperature of 135-140 degrees. 

POACHED COD & POTATOES IN TOMATO BROTH

2 (14.5 oz) cans of chicken broth

2 (8 oz.) cans Hunts tomato sauce

1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste

5 cloves garlic, chopped

2 bay leaves

Half teaspoon died thyme

Half teaspoon dried oregano

Salt and pepper to taste

1 ½ lbs potatoes, cut into chunks

1 ½ lbs cod, at least an inch thick, cut into 3-4 inch pieces

Fresh basil, chopped, to taste

Fresh parsley, chopped, to taste

             Combine the broth, tomato sauce, tomato paste, garlic, bay leaves, thyme, oregano, salt and pepper in a large 12-14 inch pot or skillet with a lid.  Bring to a boil and whisk to blend the ingredients.  Add the potatoes, cover, return to a boil and then reduce to a simmer until the potatoes are almost done.  Uncover during part of the cooking to reduce and intensify the liquid.  Add the fish, cover, and adjust the heat to a very gentle simmer.  The poaching liquid should be between 160-185 degrees.  Cook until the fish reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees.  Add the fresh basil and parsley when finished and serve. 

 2 (8-oz), red snapper fillets
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil, as needed
1 small onion, thinly sliced
1 small carrot, finely julienned
1 celery stick, finely julienned
Butter, cubed, to taste
Chopped parsley, as needed
Lemon juice, to taste
4 oz. chicken or fish broth*
1 oz. dry white wine

            Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.  Season the fillets with salt and pepper.  Cut the parchment paper into a heart shape large enough to hold the fish and vegetables.  Lightly brush the inside of the paper with oil.  Place the fish on one side of the paper.  Place the vegetables on top of the fish.  Dab with little cubes of butter, sprinkle with parsley and a few squirts of lemon and season with a little extra salt and pepper.   Begin folding and crimping the paper to make a nicely sealed edge.  Just before making the final seal, leave enough room to pour the broth and wine into the packet.  Finish the seal and place on an oiled baking sheet.  Place baking sheet in the oven for 10-12 minutes depending on the thickness of the fillets.

* The traditional fluid for fish en papillote is veloute, a white chicken or fish stock thickened with roux, (a cooked mixture of butter and flour).

RED SNAPPER WITH STEWED VEGETABLES

8 new potatoes quartered, skin on
1 yellow squash, cut into half inch slices
1 zucchini, cut into half inch slices
Olive oil as needed
1 clove garlic, minced
Half cup dry white wine
Juice of 2 lemons
1 and a half cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bell pepper (any color), roasted, peeled, seeded, and cut into ¼ inch strips
1 bunch of chives, chopped
1 bunch of tarragon, chopped 4  Red snapper fillets, skin on,  5 oz each

 Sauté the potatoes, squash, and zucchini, in olive oil for 4 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté one more minute.  Add the wine, lemon juice, stock, salt and pepper.  Bring to a boil and then simmer for 30 minutes or until the vegetables are soft.  Add the bell pepper about five minutes before the vegetables are done and the chives and tarragon one minute before.

            Season both sides of the snapper fillets with salt and pepper.  Heat another skillet with olive oil and sear the snapper, skin side down, for three minutes or until crisp.  Flip it and sauté for another five minutes or until the fish reaches an internal temperature of 140 degrees.  Place the stewed vegetables in a bowl with the fish fillets on top. 

2 shallots, minced

2 tablespoons lemon juice

6 tablespoons avocado oil plus extra for cooking

Salt and pepper to taste

8 15/lb shrimp

Paprika, as needed

3 oz baby arugula

             Mince the shallots and mix with the lemon juice in a stainless steel bowl.  Slowly drizzle in the avocado oil while constantly whisking.  Add salt and pepper.  Set the dressing aside.  Peel, clean, and rinse the shrimp and then pat them dry.  Start heating up a skillet.  Toss the shrimp in a bowl with one tablespoon of the vinaigrette, salt, pepper and paprika.  Sauté the shrimp in some avocado oil until just browned on each side.  Set aside two spoonfuls of the vinaigrette and then mix the larger amount with the arugula.  Place half of the arugula in the center of two plates, forming a round mound.  Place four shrimp around each mound.  Drizzle the reserved vinaigrette over each shrimp. 

SHALLOW-POACHED SEA BASS

6 oz. chicken stock

1 bay leaf

1 teaspoon OldBay seasoning

½ teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

½ teaspoon McCormick lemon-pepper seasoning

1 teaspoon paprika

Juice and zest from half a lemon

Salt, black pepper and cayenne pepper to taste

1 lb sea bass

             Combine all the ingredients for the poaching liquid in a straight sided skillet, (known as a sautoir), with a lid.  Bring the liquid to about 175-180 degrees.  Add the fish and leave the lid slightly askew for some evaporation.  Cook the fish until an instant read thermometer registers 140 degrees, turning it once halfway through the cooking.  I like to also spoon some of the liquid over the top of it as it cooks.  Depending on the thickness of the fish this may take as much as ten minutes.  You probably won’t need to reduce the liquid.  Strain the liquid and pour it over the fish before service. 

            I strongly recommend you use a rather thick piece of fish.  Standard fish fillets are too thin to use a thermometer and can be easily overcooked if you lack experience judging their doneness from appearance alone.  With a good sized fillet and a thermometer the guesswork is eliminated and the fish can be cooked precisely.  Overcooking will cause it to dry out and crumble. 

SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH GREMOLATA

6 soft-shell crabs
Flour as needed
Olive oil as needed
Salt and pepper to taste
Quarter cup of chopped parsley
2-3 garlic cloves, finely minced
Zest from 2 lemons.

            This recipe is delicious but might be too barbaric for some.  The crabs should be alive and must be cleaned first.  That means taking kitchen shears and cutting away the eyes and mouth.  Then you must pull back and remove the top shell to expose the gills so they can be removed.  Finally, you must pull away and remove the bottom tail flap, known as the apron.  These steps are done to remove the parts that are inedible or are bitter and will impart unwanted flavors. 

            Make the gremolata by combining the parsley, garlic and lemon zest.  Dredge the crabs in flour and sauté in olive oil over medium heat for three minutes on each side.  Remove and drain on paper towels, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and top with the gremolata to serve.

SPICY TUNA STEAK

1 teaspoon coriander seeds

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning

Half teaspoon wasabi powder

Salt and pepper to taste

2 8-oz. tuna steaks

Sesame oil as needed

             Grind the coriander and mustard seeds in a spice grinder and then combine with the lemon-pepper seasoning and wasabi powder.  Brush the tuna steaks with sesame oil and then sprinkle with the seasoning mix and salt and pepper.  Heat a non-stick skillet and then add some sesame oil.  Make sure the skillet and oil are very hot.  Add the tuna steaks and sear each side until desired doneness.  This will vary with the thickness of the steak and how red you like it in the center.  If the steak is thicker than a half-inch and you like it rare, you won’t need more than two minutes a side. 

STEAMED MUSSELS

2 lbs. mussels

1 small to medium carrot, cut into small dice

1 stalk celery, cut into small dice

1 small onion, cut into small dice

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil, as needed

2 garlic cloves, finely chopped

1 cup chicken stock

4 oz. dry white wine

Chopped parsley to taste

             Rinse, scrub, and de-beard the mussels, discarding any that are cracked or open and will not close.  Sauté the carrot, celery, and onion, with salt and pepper in the olive oil until softened but not brown.  Add the garlic and sauté one more minute.  Deglaze the pan with the stock and wine and bring to a boil.  Add the mussels, cover, and cook until the mussels open.  Finish with a generous sprinkling of parsley and serve with bread for dipping in the juice. 

STEAMED TILAPIA FILLETS

Court-bouillon from above recipe

1 lb. tilapia fillets

Lemon juice as needed

Salt and pepper to taste

Paprika to taste

Couple sprigs of thyme and/or parsley

             Bring the court-bouillon to a boil.  While it’s heating sprinkle the fish with some lemon juice and then salt, pepper and paprika.  Place the fish in the steamer, add the herbs on top, cover, and steam three to five minutes or until done.  Spoon some of the remaining court-bouillon over the fish as a sauce.  If you have room in the same pan, are using stackable steamers, or in another steamer, place some broccoli sprinkled with lemon, lemon-pepper seasoning, and salt for a tasty no-fat side dish. 

TROUT WITH HORSERADISH SAUCE

            This recipe comes from James Ehler, a chef from Key WestFlorida.  Visit his website at foodreference.com.

One cup dry vermouth or white wine
Two 4-6 oz. trout fillets
Salt and pepper to taste

Half cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. white horseradish, drained

1 tablespoon fresh dill, minced
2 small cucumbers, sliced
 

            Bring the vermouth or wine to a rolling boil in a pan designed to hold a steamer insert.  Season the trout with salt and pepper.  Add the trout to the steamer, cover, and steam for 9 to 10 minutes.   Remove the trout and allow to cool.  Combine the sour cream, horseradish and dill.  Serve the trout cool or fully chilled with the dressing.  Garnish with cucumber slices.