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seafood [2017/03/23 00:37] Leslie Cambias [Oysters Grand Isle] |
seafood [2017/06/03 21:13] (current) Leslie Cambias [Fish Aspic] |
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| - | Any crayfish dish should contain some of the flavorful oil from the creature’s shell. This is extracted by simmering the cleaned and smashed shells in oil or clarified butter, then straining out the shell, using a hair sieve or cheesecloth. This step may be skipped if you are using frozen crayfish meat. | + | Any crayfish dish should contain some of the flavorful oil from the creature’s shell. This is extracted by simmering the cleaned and smashed shells in oil or clarified butter, then straining out the shell, using a hair sieve or cheesecloth. |
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| Use the flavored butter to cook a mirepoix of carrot, onion and celery. Tie together a bay leaf, a sprig of thyme and some parsley sprigs and add to the mix. Flame with brandy when soft, add a little white wine, taste and season with salt and white pepper, cook on a low fire for 10 minutes to evaporate the wine. | Use the flavored butter to cook a mirepoix of carrot, onion and celery. Tie together a bay leaf, a sprig of thyme and some parsley sprigs and add to the mix. Flame with brandy when soft, add a little white wine, taste and season with salt and white pepper, cook on a low fire for 10 minutes to evaporate the wine. | ||
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| - | Chop 2 onions, 2 stalks of celery, 6 or 8 scallions, 1 bell pepper (peel it) and saute it all in ½ stick of butter until soft. In a separate pan make a tan [[Sauces#roux*]] with 1/4 cup of flour and 1/2 stick of butter and mix it into the cooked mirepoix. Add another 1/2 stick of butter and two toes of garlic, pureed; thyme, bay leaf, pinches of black and cayenne pepper (it should not be hot with pepper) and one half of an 8 oz. can of tomato sauce or a small ripe tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped. Taste for salt level. Cook on a low fire for 30 minutes or so, stirring now and then to meld the flavors. | + | Chop 2 onions, 2 stalks of celery, 6 or 8 scallions, 1 bell pepper (peel it) and saute it all in ½ stick of butter until soft. In a separate pan make a tan [[Sauces#roux*]] with 1/4 cup of flour and 1/2 stick of butter and mix it into the cooked mirepoix. Add another 1/2 stick of butter and two toes of garlic, pureed; thyme, bay leaf, pinches of black and cayenne pepper (it should not be hot with pepper) Add one half of an 8 oz. can of tomato sauce or a small ripe tomato, peeled, seeded and chopped. Taste for salt level. Cook on a low fire for 30 minutes or so, stirring now and then to meld the flavors. |
| Shell about 5 lbs. of cooked crayfish, which should result in about 1 lb. of meat; or use the one pound package of frozen meat - thawed slowly in the refrigerator. Pick out the “sand vein” along the back of the tail and discard. Save the yellow “fat” found in the heads and add it to the crayfish meat. Simmer the shells in 2 qts. of chicken stock to extract oils from the shells and to make the stock for the etouffé, this is more than needed, but it freezes well. | Shell about 5 lbs. of cooked crayfish, which should result in about 1 lb. of meat; or use the one pound package of frozen meat - thawed slowly in the refrigerator. Pick out the “sand vein” along the back of the tail and discard. Save the yellow “fat” found in the heads and add it to the crayfish meat. Simmer the shells in 2 qts. of chicken stock to extract oils from the shells and to make the stock for the etouffé, this is more than needed, but it freezes well. | ||
| - | Strain the shell stock through cheesecloth and add enough to the mirepoix and roux to make a thick liquid to your liking. Lacking shells, just use the chicken stock. Add one lemon, sliced and seeded, and a generous amount of chopped parsley and a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce. Cover and simmer slowly for 15 minutes or so to meld then add the crayfish meat and simmer 2 or 3 minutes, just to heat. Taste and adjust the salt, etc. Serve with steamed rice. It should not be thin and soupy, but more of the stew school. | + | Strain the shell stock through cheesecloth and add enough to the mirepoix and roux to make a thick liquid to your liking. Lacking shells, just use the chicken stock. Add one lemon, sliced and seeded, and a generous amount of chopped parsley and a tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce. Cover and simmer slowly for 15 minutes or so to meld then add the crayfish meat and simmer 2 or 3 minutes, just to heat. Taste and adjust the salt, etc. Serve with steamed rice. It should not be thin and soupy, but more of the stew school. It can also be thickened with breadcrumbs, which makes it a bisque. |
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| - | Off the fire, add 1 beaten egg and about 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs. Reheat for about 2 minutes and fill the shells. Cover the tops with a thin layer of breadcrumbs and dot with butter. Bake in a 375° oven for about 20 minutes, until the crumbs brown and the egg in the mix cooks. | + | Off the fire, add 1 beaten egg and about 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs to the stuffing mix and stir well. Reheat for about 2 minutes and fill the shells. Cover the tops with a thin layer of breadcrumbs and dot with butter. Bake in a 375° oven for about 20 minutes, until the crumbs brown and the egg in the mix cooks. Taste to see if the shrimp are cooked. |
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| - | s====Oysters Grand Isle==== | + | s |
| + | ====Oysters Grand Isle==== | ||
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| Mix about ½ cup of chopped tomato with tomato sauce to make a total of 1 cup. Put into the pot and add 3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, ¼ teaspoon Tabasco, salt, white pepper, a sprig of fresh or ¼ teaspoon of powdered thyme, simmer until smooth – 20 minutes. Add 8 oz. of sliced mushrooms and simmer a few minutes longer, or until the mushrooms are cooked, but still a little crisp. The sauce should be a rather thick gravy consistency. (Thin with the oyster water if needed.) Taste at this point and adjust the seasoning as needed. | Mix about ½ cup of chopped tomato with tomato sauce to make a total of 1 cup. Put into the pot and add 3 tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce, ¼ teaspoon Tabasco, salt, white pepper, a sprig of fresh or ¼ teaspoon of powdered thyme, simmer until smooth – 20 minutes. Add 8 oz. of sliced mushrooms and simmer a few minutes longer, or until the mushrooms are cooked, but still a little crisp. The sauce should be a rather thick gravy consistency. (Thin with the oyster water if needed.) Taste at this point and adjust the seasoning as needed. | ||
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| - | Thickly butter a large gratin dish and add the heated sauce, sprinkle with the minced parsley, mix the oysters in and cook them for just 3 minutes or less. Cover with cracker crumbs and dot generously with butter. Broil for a minute or two to color the top. Looks good when garnished with minced scallion greens, chopped parsley and a couple of thin lemon slices. Serve with a crusty bread and quartered lemon. This can also be prepared in individual ramekins. Feeds four to six hungry people as a main course. Do not overcook or the oysters will toughen. | + | Thickly butter a large gratin dish. Heat the sauce in the pot, sprinkle with the minced parsley, add the oysters and heat them. Put into the gratin dish and, cover with cracker crumbs and dot generously with butter. Broil for a minute or two to color the top. Looks good when garnished with minced scallion greens, chopped parsley and a couple of thin lemon slices. Serve with a crusty bread and quartered lemon. This can also be prepared in individual ramekins. Feeds four to six hungry people as a main course. Do not overcook or the oysters will toughen. |
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| - | Dry filets, lightly dredge in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter until the butter begins to color. Sauté the fish, put it on a platter and into a warming oven. Deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup of white wine, 2 tablespoons of rinsed capers and some chopped parsley. Cook a few minutes to reduce the wine. Off the fire, add 1 tablespoon of cold butter and let it melt to finish the sauce. Pour over the fish and serve with lemon. Simple, but delicious. | + | Dry filets, lightly dredge in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter until the butter begins to color. Sauté the fish in the hot oil mix, remove the fish and put it on a platter and into a warming oven. Deglaze the pan with 1/4 cup of white wine, 2 tablespoons of rinsed capers and some chopped parsley. Cook a few minutes to reduce the wine. Off the fire, add 1 tablespoon of cold butter and let it melt to finish the sauce. Pour over the fish and serve with lemon. Simple, but delicious. |
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| *breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan cheese | *breadcrumbs and grated Parmesan cheese | ||
| - | //This is a good recipe for catfish filets, or other suitable mass-produced fish. It looks so fancy that no one would suspect that it is not trout or sole. The recipe is not suitable for salmon or tuna - or other coarsely textured fish.// | + | //This is a good recipe for catfish filets, or other suitable mass-produced fish. It looks so fancy that no one would suspect that it is not trout or sole. The recipe is not for salmon or tuna - or other coarsely textured fish.// |
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| *shallots or scallions ¼ cup or so. | *shallots or scallions ¼ cup or so. | ||
| *½ stick of butter | *½ stick of butter | ||
| - | *about ¼ cup of dry white wine. | + | *about ¼ cup of dry white wine. |
| + | *1/2 cup dried mushrooms (optional) | ||
| - | Mince the vegetables very fine or buzz them in the processor. Cook everything together on a low fire until the water is evaporated, about 30± minutes. Stir often and watch carefully to avoid scorching. Taste for salt and pepper. It should be a puree with the melted butter as the only liquid. | + | Puree the mushrooms and shallots in the processor with the wine. Cook everything together on a low fire until the water is evaporated, about 30± minutes. Stir often and watch carefully to avoid scorching. Taste for salt and pepper. It should be a puree with the melted butter as the only liquid. |
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| - | //Soak a handful of dried cêpes or other tasty dried mushrooms in a little water for an hour or so. Drain by lifting out of the water (there is probably some sand in it) and rinse. Puree the dried mushrooms and cook them in a little of the strained soaking water and some butter for 20 minutes or so, or until it does not taste gritty. Add it to the duxelles at the beginning of its cooking. This will intensify the mushroom flavor.// | + | //Soak a small handful of dried cêpes or other tasty dried mushrooms in warm water to cover for an hour or so. Drain by lifting out of the water (there is probably some sand in it) and rinse. Puree the dried mushrooms and cook them in a little of the strained soaking water and some butter for 20 minutes or so, or until it does not taste gritty and most of the water has evaporated/ Add it to the duxelles at the beginning of its cooking. This will intensify the mushroom flavor.// |
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| - | Take it out, remove the lemon, and pour the heated sauce over it. Add peeled shrimp and bake for 5 minutes more, then add oysters to the sauce and bake again for 3 minutes. Check the thickest part of the fish to see if it is done, a thermometer should read 150°. Also look at the shrimp. The oysters should be no more than plumped up and their mantles curled. | + | Take it out, remove the lemon, and pour the heated sauce over it. Add peeled shrimp and bake for 5 minutes more, then add oysters to the sauce and bake again for 3 minutes. Check the thickest part of the fish to see if it is done, a thermometer should read 135°. Also look at the shrimp. The oysters should be no more than plumped up and their mantles curled. |
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| When you decide that it is done, remove the fish to a platter with 2 spatulas. Arrange the shellfish around it. Put the sauce in a serving bowl or boat. Sprinkle the fish liberally with minced parsley, and add some to the sauce. Garnish with thin lemon slices. Accompany with steamed rice and crusty bread. | When you decide that it is done, remove the fish to a platter with 2 spatulas. Arrange the shellfish around it. Put the sauce in a serving bowl or boat. Sprinkle the fish liberally with minced parsley, and add some to the sauce. Garnish with thin lemon slices. Accompany with steamed rice and crusty bread. | ||
| - | This is one of those dishes that is cooked by feel and instinct. Looking on the underside of the fish for doneness is important, and not easy to do. Try poking at it through the cavity. Do not cook it until the fish becomes shreds - that is overdone. Courtbouillon can be made with thick slices of bone-in fish. Reduce cooking times accordingly. | + | This is one of those dishes that is cooked by feel and instinct. Looking on the underside of the fish for doneness is important, and not easy to do. Try poking at it through the cavity. Do not cook it until the fish becomes shreds - or is flaky -that is overdone. Courtbouillon can be made with thick slices of bone-in fish. Reduce cooking times accordingly. |
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| - | Arrange ½ dozen large patty shells on a baking sheet and carefully fill them, using a spoon. Bake at 350° for about 10 minutes, or until very hot. | + | Arrange ½ dozen large patty shells on a baking sheet and carefully fill them, using a spoon. Bake at 350° for about 5 minutes, or until very hot. |
| - | Frozen patty shells should be cooked beforehand in a 400° oven for about 20 minutes. When they look done, cut the lid out and reserve it, remove some of the uncooked layers of pastry, pushing the remainder down to the bottom to form a cup. Return the shells to the hot, turned-off oven to dry them out and cook the insides and lids. | + | Frozen patty shells should be cooked beforehand in a 400° oven for about 20 minutes. When they look done, cut the lid out and reserve it, remove some of the uncooked layers of pastry, pushing the remainder down to the bottom to form a cup. Return the shells to the still hot, turned-off oven to dry them out and cook the insides and lids. |
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| - | Make an unsweet pie dough with egg. Use the basic recipe above for the filling, except that the oysters are chopped and the filling is thicker and has more hot pepper – a pinch of cayenne, plus a generous amount of sauteed chopped scallions, parsley and some black pepper. Chill the filling before using, so that it is thick and easy to manage. Roll out the rested pie dough rather thin and cut it into 5 inch squares, or experiment to find the size you think best. Put oyster filling on them, moisten the edges with water, and fold the dough to make a triangle that encloses the filling, pinching the edges together. Fry in lard, or brush with oil or butter and bake at 350°- turning them over after 15 minutes. | + | Make an unsweet pie dough with egg. Use the basic recipe above for the filling, except that the oysters are chopped and the filling is thicker and has more hot pepper – a pinch of cayenne, plus a generous amount of sauteed chopped scallions, parsley and some black pepper. Chill the filling before using, so that it is thick and easy to manage. Roll out the rested pie dough rather thin and cut it into 5 inch squares, or experiment to find the size you think best. Put oyster filling on them, moisten the edges with water, and fold the dough to make a triangle that encloses the filling, pinching the edges together. Fry in lard, or brush with oil or butter and bake at 350°- until they are golden. turn them over after 15 minutes or are coloring on top. |
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| ====Oyster Patties - Maw Maw's Recipe==== | ====Oyster Patties - Maw Maw's Recipe==== | ||
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| ====Seafood Cocktail Sauce==== | ====Seafood Cocktail Sauce==== | ||
| - | This one is easy: mix ketchup, prepared horseradish (not the “horseradish cream sauce”or whatever it’s called) and Louisiana hot sauce with a little lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce until it tastes right to you. Use with any shellfish. Maylie’s Restaurant served it with hot boiled beef brisket, yum. | + | This one is easy: mix 1/2 cup ketchup, 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish (not the “horseradish cream sauce”or whatever it’s called) and 1/2 teaspoon Louisiana hot sauce with a little lemon juice and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce. Adjusting until it tastes right to you. Use with any shellfish. Maylie’s Restaurant served it with hot boiled beef brisket, yum. |
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| - | Gently warm lump crabmeat in a generous amount of butter in which were cooked: a little tarragon, scallions, and white pepper. Salt to taste. | + | Gently warm lump crabmeat in a generous amount of butter - in which were cooked: a little tarragon, scallions, and white pepper. Salt to taste. |
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| - | We never deep fried anything. Do not fry with cornmeal, it is corn flour for this job. The boxed “fish fry” lists corn flour, not meal. Also deep fry at 350°. If you want to try deep frying, by all means get a proper thermometer. It can be done in a deep saucepan, a little at a time, instead of the electric deep fry gadget. | + | We never deep fried anything. Do not fry with cornmeal, it is corn flour for this job. The boxed “fish fry” lists corn flour, not meal. Also deep fry at 350°. If you want to try deep frying, by all means get a proper thermometer. The frying can be done in a deep saucepan, a little at a time, instead of the electric deep fry gadget. |
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| - | The old method for frying oysters was to dip dried-off large oysters in a mix of 1 egg : 1 cup of milk, seasoned. Then they were rolled in fine cracker crumbs and dropped into lard or Crisco to deep fry. They cooked very quickly and were a light golden color, not brown, when taken out. Perfection when put over shredded leaf lettuce in a hollowed-out cone shaped half of French bread then doused with melted butter, with cocktail sauce on the side. Salt pickle assorts well as a garnish. Makes cold beer taste very good. (French Bread was about 15” long and wide in the middle, with pointed ends. It seems to have disappeared since the Barbarian invasion of New Orleans.)// | + | The old method for frying oysters was to dip dried-off large oysters in a mix of 1 egg : 1 cup of milk, seasoned. Then they were rolled in fine cracker crumbs and dropped into lard or Crisco to deep fry. They cooked very quickly and were a light golden color, not brown, when taken out. Perfection when put over shredded leaf lettuce in a hollowed-out cone shaped half of French bread and doused with melted butter, with cocktail sauce on the side. Salt pickle assorts well as a garnish. Makes cold beer taste very good. (French Bread was about 15” long and wide in the middle, with pointed ends. It seems to have disappeared since the Barbarian invasion of New Orleans.)// |
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| ====Fish Aspic==== | ====Fish Aspic==== | ||
| + | This is made with a mild tasting fish, poached in chicken stock along with onion and a little dill and bayleaf. | ||
| - | + | See the recipe for [[Chicken#Aspic of Chicken Stock]] . Put some capers and chopped parsley in it. Serve with a green mayonnaise. | |
| - | See the recipe for [[Chicken#Aspic of Chicken Stock]] and use fish stock instead of chicken, or add some chicken stock to the fish stock. Dill makes a good addition to the fish. Put some capers in it. | + | |
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| ====Shrimp Salad==== | ====Shrimp Salad==== | ||
| - | Shrimp Salad can be made like the fish recipe above, but I prefer the simple method my mother used. She would marinate the cold boiled shrimp in a simple herbed vinaigrette and put it all on a bed of lettuce leaves and sliced tomatoes along with the dressing. This can be garnished with quartered hard – boiled eggs in mayonnaise. The shrimp were highly seasoned in boiling and needed no further additions. | + | Shrimp Salad can be made like the fish recipe above, but I prefer the simple method my mother used. She would marinate the cold boiled shrimp in a simple herbed vinaigrette and put it all on a bed of lettuce leaves and sliced tomatoes along with the dressing. This can be garnished with quartered hard – boiled eggs in mayonnaise. |
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