Sea Eats
10/13/2006 4:06:08 PM by Natalia Maldonado
There’s a whole other world underwater, and a whole world of cuisine, waiting to be discovered. From Mexican-style burritos to Italian raviolis, seafood knows no boundaries. Our favorite recipes will enlighten your taste buds and leave you wanting to travel the world by sea in search of more.
Free Form Ravioli with Crabmeat and Shrimp // Small Plates by Marguerite Henderson // Reprinted with permission of Gibbs Smith, Publisher.
Ingredients
4 tablespoons butter
2 large shallots, peeled and chopped
1 medium zucchini, thinly sliced or julienned
2 carrots, peeled, thinly sliced or julienned
1 cup heavy cream
2 cups chicken broth
3 tablespoons tomato paste
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 pound crabmeat or lobster meat
1/2 pound raw shrimp, peeled and coarsely chopped
3/4 cup chopped fresh chives, divided
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
2 quarts water
12 large wonton wrappers (about 5” x 5”)
Preparation
In a medium saucepan, heat butter. Add shallots, zucchini, and carrots. Sauté for 2-3 minutes, then add cream, broth, tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Simmer for 3 minutes until thickened slightly. Add crabmeat or lobster meat and shrimp to saucepan. Cook for 2 minutes until shrimp are pink, but be careful not to boil. Add 1/4 cup chives and basil to sauce. While making the sauce, bring 2 quarts of water with salt to a boil. Add wonton wrappers, 2 at a time, and cook for 1 minute. Remove the wrappers from the water with slotted spoon and place on a platter lined with paper towels. When all are cooked, place two wrappers in each of six serving bowls and ladle in some of the crabmeat-shrimp sauce over the free-form “ravioli”. Sprinkle with remaining chives and serve at once. Makes six servings.
California Cod With Baked Potatoes and Buttered Asparagus // Apron’s Simple Meals // publix.com/aprons
California Cod:
Ingredients
Cooking spray
1 1/2 pounds cod fillets, thawed
3 tablespoons white wine
1 teaspoon seafood seasoning blend
3 plum tomatoes
2 lemons
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 teaspoon oregano
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat baking pan with cooking spray. Arrange fish in baking pan; drizzle wine over fish and sprinkle with seasoning.
2. Slice (rinsed) tomatoes and lemon very thinly; layer over top of fish, alternating and overlapping slices.
3. Sprinkle with cheeses and then oregano. Bake 11–14 minutes or until flesh is opaque and separates easily with a fork. Serve.
Baked Potatoes:
Ingredients
4 medium-size baking potatoes
1 tablespoon butter
1/8 teaspoon salt
sour cream and butter, optional
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Scrub potatoes; prick several times with fork. Microwave on HIGH 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender when pierced with fork.
2. Cut butter into four pieces; carefully rub skins with butter (potatoes will be very hot). Arrange in baking pan and sprinkle with salt. Bake 11–14 minutes.
3. Cut potatoes open; serve with sour cream and butter, if desired.
Buttered Asparagus:
Ingredients
1 pound asparagus
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
Preparation
1. Preheat large sauté pan on medium-high 2–3 minutes. Cut 1 inch from the tough root end of each (rinsed) asparagus spear and discard. To do this quickly, group half the spears together, align ends, and slice with sharp knife.
2. Place water in pan and bring to boil. Add asparagus; cover and cook, 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until desired doneness.
3. Drain asparagus and return to pan. Stir in butter and seasoned salt. Serve.
Grilled Catfish Burrito // Esalen Cookbook by Charlie Cascio // Reprinted with permission of Gibbs Smith, Publisher.
Ingredients
6 burrito-size flour tortillas
3 cups very finely shredded green cabbage
1 1/2 cups cooked red kidney beans (or substitute canned)
1 1/2 cups cooked brown rice
2 cups pound sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 1/2 pounds cooked Blackened Catfish fillets
1 tablespoon pasilla chili powder
3 tablespoons chopped cilantro
Sea salt to taste
Preparation
Place a tortilla on a flat work surface. Spread 1/2 cup of shredded cabbage over one-third of the tortilla. Spread approximately 4 tablespoons each of the cooked beans and cooked rice over the cabbage. Sprinkle the rice and beans with shredded cheese, and then 1/6 of the fish over this mixture. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon of the chili powder, 1/2 tablespoon of cilantro, and a pinch of sea salt over the burrito filling. Take the burrito into your two hands and fold in the ends of the burrito. Roll the tortilla away from you, tucking in the tortilla tightly and giving the burrito shape as you tuck. Tuck any loose ends into the burrito, and then finish the roll. Repeat for the remaining 5 burritos. A charbroiler grill is a great way to grill this burrito. Slowly roll the burrito across the hot grill until it’s crisp and toasted. If you don’t have a grill, used a heavy-bottomed skillet with a small amount of vegetable oil over a high heat. Roll the burrito in the skillet until crisp and toasted. Serves six.
Blackened Catfish:
Ingredients
2 cups tomato juice
2 tablespoons Cajun Spice Blend (see below)
2 tablespoons Tabasco
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
Four catfish fillets (1/2 pound each)
1/2 cup vegetable oil
Preparation
Mix the juice, Cajun Spice Blend, hot sauce, and salt in a bowl big enough to hold the catfish. Prick the fish on both sides with a fork to help absorb the marinade. Place fish into marinade and let soak in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over high heat; drop the fish into the pan and fry until golden brown (about 5 minutes). Flip the fillets and brown on the other side for about the same amount of time. Drain on paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Note: If you really want a hot spicy catfish, baste the fish as it cooks with the leftover marinade. Serves 4.
Cajun Spice Blend:
Ingredients
2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon oregano
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon sea salt
Preparation
Blend all ingredients together and store in an air-tight container. This makes just over 1/4 cup of spice blend.