Category: Seafood

Firecracker Ovenbaked Salmon(Sockeye)

Alaskan Sockeye or red salmon in an Asian marinade that greets the tastebuds with spice and heat.

Ingredients

Salmon filet 12 ounces

Serves 4

4 T soy sauce

3 T crusher red pepper flakes¹

1 t ground ginger

3 garlic cloves minced

3 green onions chopped

1 T brown sugar

1 t hot sauce²

2 T balsamic vinegar

3 T sesame oil

1/3 C peaniut oil

Directions

Heat oven to 410° F  Cover medium size baking pan in aluminum foil.

Placed salmon in gallon Ziploc™ bag.

Mix all ingredients together in small bowl.

Pour over the fish and marinate 4 hours skin side up in refrigerator.

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Remove salmon from bag and place in prepared foil covered pan including the marinade.³

Bake 12-15 minutes or until fish flakes with a fork.

Serve with rice and a green salad.

Foot notes:

1. Reduce pepper flakes to 2T if less heat is desired

2. Delete hot sauce if less heat is desired.

3. Maybe baked without the marinade.

Mussels in Thai Style Broth

Mussels in a delicious Thai style broth bursting with flavor served over a rice corn combination.

Ingredients

Rice

2 C jasmine rice

4 C water

1 t salt

Corn

2 ears of fresh corn on cob

1/3 C water

Pinch of salt

1 t butter

Mussels

2 ½ pounds mussels

3 C chicken broth or fish stock

5-6 dried hot chilies

3 inch lemon grass quartered

2 inches fresh ginger peeled and sliced

5 garlic cloves smashed

1 serano chili quartered optional¹

To Create Final Dish

1 Roma tomato deseeded and  chopped

1 lemon juiced

1/3 C cilantro chopped

1 T fish sauce

Directions

Rice

  • In medium pan, add rice and water and bring to boil.
  • Cover and simmer until rice is cooked until tender.

Corn

  • Wash corn and remove silk.
  • Remove corn kernels from cob and add to small saucepan with water and butter.
  • Cook until el dente then season. Remove from heat and set aside.

Mussels

  • Scrub mussels and remove beards.²
  • In large sauce pan, bring broth, chilies, lemon grass, ginger, and garlic cloves to a boil.
  • Add mussels, cover and cook until mussels open or about 5-7 minutes.
  • Discard mussels that do not open.

Assemble Final Dish

  • Stir hot rice and corn together and divide into four large soup/pasta bowls.
  • Remove mussels from broth and place on rice corn mixture.
  • Strain broth and then add tomato, lemon. cilantro, and fish sauce mixture and stir.
  • Ladle this this broth equally into the four bowls and serve.

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Notes:

¹We like spicy food so we added the extra chili to the broth.

²Our farm raised mussels usually are pretty clean and have few beards.

 

Favorite Bagel with Sockeye Salmon Lox

Ingredients

2 Boiled bagels or 4 slices hearty whole grain seeded bread

6-8 slices Sockeye salmon lox

3/4 C cream cheese

1/3 C capers

2 T red onion thin sliced

Tomato slices(optional)*

Directions

Yields 4 bagels

Cut bagel in half and toast bagel or bread. Generously apply cream cheese to each half. Add onions, lox, capers. Tomato slices if desired.

Notes:

*I usually only use heirloom or fresh from the garden tomato slices when available.

Most bagels are simply bread dough in the shape of a bagel and baked. A true bagel is boiled than baked. If I cannot get a boiled type bagel, I will use a whole grain or artisan bread.

Sockeye salmon or red salmon is an Alaskan salmon. It is salt brined and can be smoked ususally with alder wood. It is a wild caught salmon and not farm raised. Costco is carrying lox. It is either Sockeye(red) or Coho(silver) or Pacific salmon. If I don’t make my own lox; I buy lox from Alaska Sausage and Seafood Company, Anchorage, Alaska.

Cream cheese favorite is Gina Maries. It is cultured milk, cream, and salt, nothing else. Costco sells Sierra Nevada organic cream cheese in a double roll package that is also milk, cream, and sea salt. They are more crumbly than other cream cheeses. They are drier and a little more acidic in taste.

I will add my bagel recipe this week. It is a potato bagel recipe. They are not always pretty but taste great with good mouth texture.

Blackened Cod Tacos

Blackened cod taco with red cabbage slaw
Blackened Wild Cod Tacos
Blackened cod taco with red cabbage slaw

Fish tacos are a family favorite. We like blackend instead of batter fried fish. We traditionally grill our fish. The slaw is crisp and seasoned to compliment the fish. Crema adds acidity and creaminess. Blackened fish with crunchy slaw nestled in a soft corn taco shell is irresistible.

Ingredients

1 1/2 poundcod filets sliced into 1 inch pieces

2 T canola oil

Blacken Seasoning

1 T smoked paprika

1 t cumin

1 T garlic powder

1 T onion powder

2 t thyme

1 t cayenne pepper

1 t salt

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Slaw*

1/2 head of red cabbage shredded

1/4 head green cabbage shredded

6 T cilantro chopped

1/3 C chopped onion

1/2 Serrano chili diced

Dressing

1/2 C mayonnaise

2 t cumin

3 T cilantro chopped

1 T shallot diced

1/2 lime juiced

Salt and pepper to taste

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Crema

1/2.C crema / sour cream*

2 T lime juice

1 t chopped shallot

1/2 Serrano diced/optional

2 T  cilantro chopped

3 T mayonnaise

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Directions

Heat grill to 375-400º F   8-10 tacos

In small bowl combine blackened seasoning ingredients.* Lightly oil grill pan. Using pastry brush lightly oil one side of fish and sprinkle on blackened seasoning. Turn over and oil  season other side. Place on grill and cook about 2-3 minutes per side. Remove.

Slaw

Mix slaw dressing Ingredients in small bowl.

In medium bowl add shredded cabbage , cilantro, onion, and chili. Toss and add dressing and mix. Let marinate 30-45 minutes

Crema

Mix ingredients together in small bowl and marinates for 30 minutes. Place in serving dish.

Wrap 8-10 taco shells  in foil and place on top shelf of grill to heat.

Assemble

Place taco on serving dish and add slaw and fish and top with slaw. Drizzle taco with crema. Serve with rice and Mexican black beads. Redand/or green salsas and hot sauce on the side,

Notes

*Crema is sold in loca Mexican groceries and in Safeway/Carrs stores.

*Chopped radish can also be added.

* If you want to use premixed seasoning ;Paul Prodhomme has a blackened seasoning for fish.

We are more heavy handed with chilis.

We have access to fresh fish regularly. We use this recipe for salmon, halibut, cod, and rock fish.

 

 

 

 

 

Alaska Cod Burger with Spicy Slaw

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A spicy cumin-infused cole slaw served with Alaska beer-battered cod filets on a pretzel bun. The dressing add southwestern flair to a classic buttermilk dressing. 

Ingredients

5 C  red cabbage

3/4 t sea salt

1/2 C carrot ribbons

1/2 large shallot diced

1/3 C cultured buttermilk (2% milk fat)

1 1/2 T mayonnaise

1 1/2 T sour cream

1/2 t Dijon mustard

1 1/2 t ground cumin

1 t Sriricha (or other hot pepper sauce, preferably one with garlic)

1/4 t cayennne

1 T sugar

2 T lemon champagne vinegar

Salt and pepper

4 cod filets

4 pretzel buns

1/2 C rough chopped dry roasted peanuts (optional)

Directions

Serves 4- 6

Using mandolin with thin slicer blade, slice cabbage. Hand slice remaining cabbage. (Careful not to cut your hands.)

Place sliced cabbage in colander and toss with sea salt. Place colander on top of bowl to catch extracted water. Let cabbage sit for 1 to 4 hours. Discard excess water in bowl.  Cabbage will have softened and crunchy texture.

Rinse the slaw in cold water and drain Pat dry on layer of paper towels or clean cloth.

Add shallots and carrot grated ribs to cabbage. Add dressing with chopped peanuts and gently toss.

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Serve.

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Notes 

Red cabbage is a sweeter variety for cole slaw.

Purging the excess water from the cabbage is an extra step, but you get a slaw that is not swimming in dressing or watery. The other option is slice the cabbage dress and eat immediately, but the cabbage does not absorb as much flavor.

Southwestern dressings are good with tacos, grilled chicken, and fish or chicken filets.

Use remaining dressing and slaw to dress  filets and buns for big flavor boost. Or as a side dip.

 

 

 

 

 

Crab Cakes

Ingredients

1 T jalapeño pepper diced

1 T  green onion thinly sliced

2 T mayonnaise

1 egg

1  t Old Bay Seasoning

1 1/2 t Dijon

1 t Worcestershire sauce

1/4 t hot sauce

1 1/2 t lemon juice*

1 pound Phillips™crab meat

1/2 C Panko Italian style bread crumbs.

Directions

Foil cover a baking sheet   Serves 3

In medium mixing bowl add  mayonnaise,egg, Dijon, Old Bay, Worcestershire, hot sauce, lemon juice, jalapeño, and shallot. Mix until combined

Drain crab and pick through for shell fragments without breaking up the crab. Add to it the bowl and gently mix. Add Panko and gently combine. Form into 6 crab cakes* and place on bake sheet. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours.

Remove crab cakes from refrigerator. Add canola oil to non stick fry pan on high heat. Place crab cakes in pan and cook 4-5 minutes per side. I cover pan with a grease shield as sometimes hot oil is splattered. Gently flip them over.

Remove and serve with Tartar sauce or a cilantro lime mayonnaise. Cole slaw and potato salad with crab cakes are a great warm weather meal.

Notes:

*Lime juice can be used in place of lemon juice

*Don’t form them into tightly packed cakes

Can also be made into appetizer sizes. Use an ice scoop and make 10-12 appetizers.

My Bouillabaisse

Ingredients

3 T olive oil

1 onion diced

2 celery ribs diced

1 carrot diced

1 large fennel bulb fronds removed and thin sliced

1 leek white part diced

4 garlic cloves minced

3/4 t red pepper flakes

1 t marjoram chopped

1 t thyme chopped

2 T tomato paste

14.5 ounce can plum tomatoes

1 C dry white wine

1 pound Yukon Gold potatoes cubed

6 C fish stock

2 bay leaves

Pinch of saffron

1 1/2 pound halibut cubed

1/2 pound  shrimp

1 pound clams

1 pound mussels washed and de bearded 

1/2 pound scallops

1 3/4 pound Alaska king crab* cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces*

Directions

Serves 8-10

Heat olive oil in large pot. add onions, carrot, celery, leek, and fennel. Cook about 7-10 minutes then add in garlic,tomato paste, wine,and plum tomatoes and cook for 5-10 minutes.Add chopped herbs, saffron, and bay leaves and bring to boil. . Add fish stock and simmer 20 minutes.  Add red pepper flakes and potatoes. Cook  until potatoes are  tender about 10 minutes.

Add clams and cook until they pop open about 3 minutes. Add halibut, scallops, and mussels, and cook about 5 minutes. Then add crab and shrimp and cook for two minutes.

Season with salt and pepper. Plate and serve with garlic crostini and a pinch of chopped fennel frond.

Serve  in large bowls.*

Notes:

*I like the red king more than the golden crab

*I substitute more white fish also in place of the crab.

* I don’t make Rouille

 To make it more affordable I look for fresh white fish and shrimp on sale and clams and mussels from Costco.

 

 

 

 

Mussels in Clam and White Wine Broth

Ingredients

3-4 pounds of mussels

4 T butter

1 large shallot minced

6 garlic cloves minced

1  Bay leaf

1 T thyme leaves

2 C dry white wine

1 bottle clam broth

Pinch of white pepper*

Crusty dipping bread

Directions

Serves 4 or as an appetizer for 6-8 people

I buy cultivated mussels from PEI (Prince Edward Island found in many markets)or Costco. Costco sells around a 5 pound bag. PEI’s vary.Rinse and gently clean mussels under cold running water. Tap opened mussels if they do not close discard. Remove any beards if observed. If fresh harvested see directions for removing sand and debearding go to http://www.edenproject.com

Melt butter in large kettle add garlic and shallots. Cook for 1-2 minutes and add Bay leaf, thyme, white pepper, clam broth and wine and bring to boil. Add in mussels and toss with large spoon. Cover the pot and cook  for 5-6 minutes. Remove lid. If shells are open they are ready to serve.

Pour mussels and broth mixture into large serving bowl. Serve with a crusty bread for dipping into the delicious broth and a large green salad. Also discard bowls for the shells.

*Black pepper can be substituted 

Shrimp Tacos with Spicy Slaw

Ingredients

Shrimp*

1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined

1 stick butter

1/4 c Mexican seasoning Morton and Bassett®

Brine

1 quart water

1/4 cup salt

2 T brown sugar

2 t soy sauce

Slaw

2 cups purple cabbage shredded

1/2 cup carrots shredded

1/2 cup cilantro

2 T Serrano pepper minced

Salt and pepper

Dressing

1/3 cup olive oil or grape seed oil

3 T lime juice

1 garlic clove minced

2 T shallot minced

1/2 t cumin

1/8 t cayenne pepper

1/2  salt

1  t sugar

2 T mayonnaise

Crema

Mexican crema Walmart supplies it or 1/4 cup sour cream and 1/4 cup heavy cream combined.

Tortillas

8 corn or flour tortillas  warmed in tortilla warmer or wrapped in foil

2 limes quartered in small serving dish.

1/2 cup crumbled queso fresco

Avocado sliced or chopped optional

Directions

Oven 170º

Combine the dressing ingredients in a salad dressing shaker. Taste and adjust seasoning. Let it rest while preparing the shrimp.Brine the shrimp for 20-40 minutes. In a small bowl add the sour cream and heavy cream, mix and set aside. Add the slaw ingredients together in medium bowl add salad dressing and toss. Adjust seasoning. Place tortilla warmer with tortillas in oven.

Remove shrimp from brine and dry. Place Mexican seasoning in plastic bag. Add shrimp and toss to coat.Place large skillet on medium high heat with 4 T of butter and heat until frothy.   Add half the shrimp cook about 2-3 minute turn and cook about 2 minutes until done. Remove to serving dish. Repeat step with remaining shrimp.

Tacos are ready to be assembled with taco layered with slaw, shrimp, and dressed with crema. Serve with lime, avocado,  and queso fresco crumbles on the side. The side  served was Mexican black beans. Delicious  Serves 4

Alternatively you can setup a taco bar  with tacos, slaw, shrimp, crema, limes, queso fresco,Mexican rice, black beans, salsa, guacamole, chips, and

*Use jumbo(21-25) or large shrimp(26-35)

Note: I need to start taking pictures this always looks tasty.

 

Shrimp Coconut Curry

Ingredients

Brine Solution

1/4 cup kosher salt

2 T brown sugar

1 T soy sauce

4 cups water

1 cup ice cubes

Curry

1 1/2 pound large shrimp shells removed, deveined, brined, and dried.

1 T  butter

2 T olive oil

2 gloves garlic minced

1 container Maya Kaimal Coconut Curry Simmer Sauce*

1 red pepper chopped

1 serrano chili seeded and diced

2 T olive oil

1 15 ounce can small baby corn cut into 1 inch pieces

1/2 cup of water

3 T cilantro chopped

Lime wedges

Optional

Naan bread

Directions

Brining Step

Add salt,sugar, and soy sauce to water and mix until salt and sugar dissolved.  Add shrimp and ice cubes to brine. Brine 15-20 minutes. Remove shrimp, shell, devein, and dry.

Curry

Add butter and olive oil to large skillet over medium high heat and add garlic. Cook a couple of minutes until fragrant then add shrimp. Cook a few minutes and turn over and finish cooking on other side until light pink and opaque. Remove to plate and set aside. Add olive oil to small Dutch oven or large skillet. Add Serrano chili and red pepper. Cook 4-6 minutes over medium heat. Lower heat and add curry sauce,shrimp with juices and baby corn,simmer a few minutes until shrimp is heated. If sauce becomes to thick add water and mix.  Serve over Jasmine rice or quinoa with cilantro and lime wedges.

*Maya Kaimal has refrigerated and shelf stable sauces. I use the refrigerated sauces. Our Costco carries a double package of their Vindaloo Indian Simmer Sauce and Coconut Curry Simmer Sauce in the refrigerated section.