Seafood Chowder

Since I had the fish stock on hand, it seemed like the next logical step was to make a Seafood Chowder.  The nice thing about a fish stock base is that it imparts a lot of flavor.  However, you still need some kind of yummy seafood bits to chew on.  The catch is, I am on a pretty tight budget and buying seafood is not really in that budget.  So, a while ago I started stockpiling frozen seafood as it came on sale.  I picked up a large bag of baby scallops for $2.49, used a half of a ring of frozen shrimp, and a bag of seafood mix (octopus, shrimp, and fish) for $2.99.  Since all of it was frozen, after thawing it I soaked everything in milk to get out the fishiness--milk is the best insurance policy for seafood.

Since this was my first time making it, there was more improving, seasoning, and correcting than measuring of ingredients.  I'm going to give you an approximation of what I did--so consider this more of a journey than a recipe.

Ingredients:
3 slices of bacon
1/2 red onion, cut into thin slivers
1 cup mirepoix of carrots, celery, and onions
1 orange (or red or green) pepper, diced
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp ground pepper
1-2 tsp. cayenne seasoning
2 tbls. sherry
1 cup white wine
2 large potatoes, cubed and with skin left on
4-5 cups fish stock
3 cups of baby scallops, frozen seafood medley, and shrimp
3 tbls. butter
3 tbls. flour
2 cups milk
additional 1/2 tsp of ground pepper and 1 tsp. red pepper flakes

Directions

• In a large stock pot, crisp the bacon.  When it is done, remove and drain on a paper towel.  
• In the bacon grease, add the red onions and mirepoix and cook for 2-3 minutes.  Add the orange pepper and cook for another couple of minutes.  When the vegetables are soft, add salt, pepper, and cayenne seasoning. 
• With the sherry and white wine, deglaze the pot.  After cooking off a little of the liquid, add the potatoes and toss in mixture.  Ladle in fish stock so that the potatoes are covered with liquid.  Bring to a boil and cook potatoes until fork tender.  At this point, add the seafood and bring back to a boil.  Then reduce the temperature to a simmer. 
• In another pot, over medium heat melt butter and whisk in flour to make a roux.  Add the milk, pepper, and red pepper flakes, and another little dash of sherry.  Keep stirring until mixture thickens.  
• Once the milk is so thick it coats the back of a spoon, pour into the seafood soup.  Simmer together for about 30 minutes to incorporate all the flavors.  
• Served topped with the crispy bacon, thinly sliced asparagus, and some drops of sriracha.  

Fish Stock

In watching old Julia Child shows, I was inspired by her episode on bouillabaisse. I've never bought or tried straight fish stock, but she made it look so fun.  So, I started hoarding shrimp tails and fish parts in the freezer.  As you can see, I picked up a salmon head from the grocery store: the fish department was about to butcher it and I talked the manager into letting me have the head (at a discount, but not really enough of a discount).   I also picked up a whole tilapia at a different grocery store.  This week, after doing my best to stockpile, I discovered an Asian market in town that sells just fish heads; I'll know for next time.  

At the Asian market, I also picked up lemon grass stalks and some dried, salted fish that have the words "stock fish" on the package.  They are fishy, salty, and a little sour, so they give a little extra flavor.  

Add in carrots, parsley stems, celery, onions, and bay leaves, and what you end up with is something really intriguing.  In chopping up the fish heads and then in the initial 15 minutes of cooking, all you smell is overwhelming fish tang.  It seems unimaginable that something tasty could could come out.  Somehow, after stewing away, you end up with a stock that is fish flavored, but not fishy.  

Ingredients
2 lbs fish parts (heads, skeletons, bones, etc), cut into large pieces
1/2 cup dried fish
1/2 cup shrimp tails (more if you have them)
handful of parsley stems
1 stalk lemon grass, cut into 2 inch pieces
2 stalks of celery, cut into 2 inch pieces
3 carrots, cut into 2 inch pieces
1 garlic clove
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon peppercorns
1-2 tsp. cajun seasoning
2 tsp. salt 
Water to cover (10-12 cups)

Directions

• Place all ingredients in a large stockpot.  Add water until everything is covered.  
• Over medium-high heat, bring water to a boil.
• Once boiling, reduce to a simmer and simmer for 30 minutes.  From what I read, if you cook to long, you end up with bitter stock.
• Remove from heat and let set for 15 minutes or so.  Strain through a fine mesh strainer or a cheese cloth.  If time permits, let cool for an hour or so to get the impurities to the top, then skim that off.  
• This made about two batches, so I used one and froze the other.  

   

Dried Cranberry and Walnut Encrusted Fish

 Be My Valentine Challenge

on Very Good Recipes

This month, I am participating as one of 10 judge (see below for a list) for Very Good Recipe's "Be My Recipe Challenge." For the month of February, you can submit any recipe that fits a "Be My Valentine" theme and features the color red.  The challenge is open to everyone, so check out the ways to participate.  Maybe your recipe will be the winner of the prize of a custom made illustration inspired by your recipe.

As a judge, I also had to create my own "Be My Valentine" recipe.  So, I went with a dish that I made for my mother's birthday.  I tweaked it a little to make a sexy dish that is also easy to make (so you can spend more time with your Valentine than in the kitchen)  

Dried Cranberry and Walnut Encrusted Fish

I originally made this with tilapia, but the recipe also works with cod and salmon.  For the pictures, I used Swai, which is like a cross between Orange Rufi and Catfish. When I originally made this for my mom's birthday, I served it with a side of orange risotto (risotto with carrots, orange peppers, and orange juice).  That gives a really bright complimentary side.  

Ingredients

1 cup buttermilk

2 tbls. ranch dressing

1/2 tsp. dill

pinch of salt and pepper

2 fillets Swai

1/3 cup dried cranberries

1/3 cup walnuts

2/3 cup bread crumbs (about 1 slice of bread)

1 tsp. orange zest 

Directions

1. Mix together buttermilk, ranch, dill, salt, and pepper in a large bowl.  Add the fish.  Marinade for 45 minutes in the refrigerator and for 15 minutes on the counter. 
2. In a food processor, puree walnuts, dried cranberries, and orange zest.  Remove the blade and mix in the bread crumbs. 
3. Preheat oven to 400ºF. Remove the fish from the marinade and shake off some of the marinade.  Lay it on a pan covered with aluminum foil and cover fish with the crust--the buttermilk will help the crust stick to the fish.  Sprinkle the top with a little extra salt.  Place in the oven and bake for 15 minutes, or until the fish is flaky.  Remove and let rest. 
4. Enjoy!

* * * * * * * * *

Check out the Recipe Challenge as well as the other Judges

Han Ker from Hankerie

Irini from Irini Savva

Kristen from Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker

Leslie from Culinary Chronicles

Michelle from The Adirondack Chick

Minna from Naked Plate

Simcha from Turkish Cooking Everyday

Teri from The Freshman Cook

Blue: Sushi Sake Grill

Dennis had an audition in Omaha on Sunday, so I went with him to enjoy an afternoon out.  To find a place to eat, I went onto Urbanspoon, Restaurant.com, and a couple “10 Best” lists.  What I ended up picking was a sushi place, Blue, which several people had mentioned as the best place to get sushi.  That recommendation, plus all day food and drink Happy Hour specials was all I needed to know.

To start, Dennis and I both had Sapporo Sake Bombs.   I’ve had Sapporo and I’ve had sake but never at the same time.  I know you are supposed to chug them, but that always seems like a waste.  When you sip them, then they end up with a rather tasty combination of beer with a little bit of a rice-like finish.  For the second drink, I had their cold sake, which, to my surprise, was unfiltered  (my favorite).  

For Nigiri, we ordered the Hawaiian Roll (tempura fried, salmon, crab, mango, and mirin mango puree), the Snow White (crispy seabass, avocado, burdock root, bibb lettuce, soy paper, and spicy cream sauce), and the South Pacific (eel tempura, cream cheese, pineapple, scallion, and eel sauce).  My favorite was the South Pacific because the way it was constructed was cream cheese and pineapple in the center, and then the eel in a separate roll above.  It was crunchy, creamy, and sweet, making for a complete bite. 

 Just to top things off, we also split an order of Crispy Crawfish with tempura pickle and miso mustard sauce.  This was Dennis’s favorite.  The crawfish was crunchy and spicy, the pickle was tangy and crunchy, and the sauce was the icing on the cake that brought it all together.

 

In making future plans to see a show in Omaha in a couple of weeks, I was excited to see that this same Happy Hour special is available late, starting at 10:30 on Fridays and Saturdays—a perfect post show treat.  

Seafood Salad

I came up with this recipe because mini shrimp was on sale for $2.49.  For that price, I knew I wanted to buy them and then figure out what to do with them later.  Dennis discovered them in the freezer and asked, "are you going to shrimp salad?"  So, that's what I did.

I've never made Shrimp Salad.  So, I thought about the things I like to do with shrimp and then figured out a dressing to bring it all together.  Since I like my seafood spicy, mine has a lot of kick; you may decide to omit or substitute. 

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Greek yogurt

1/4 cup Ranch dressing

1/2 tsp chili oil (can use olive oil instead)

1/2 tsp dried dill 

splash of lime juice

pinch salt and pepper and cayenne pepper flakes

1/4 cup celery, diced

1/2 cup cucumbers, diced

1 tablespoon capers

8 oz. mini shrimp (thawed)

4 oz. imitation crab, cut into small pieces
5 sesame seaweed snacks, crumbled up

Directions:

1. Whisk together dressing ingredients: Greek yogurt, Ranch, chili oil, dill, lime juice, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper together in a medium size bowl.   
2. Add celery, cucumber, capers, mini shrimp, and imitation crab.  Stir together to combine.  
3. When you serve, top with crumbled up seaweed snacks for a little extra sesame and salt. 

On the Road . . . Korea: Seafood by the Sea

My going away meal in Gangneung was quite an event. Along the beaches, there are tons of little restaurants with large fish tanks outside. At each of these places, you can go in and request what is the equivalent of a chef’s choice tasting. What that means is that they will pull up a smattering and mixed-bag of what they have in their tanks and prepare it. Because it is going almost straight from tank to plate, it is some of the freshest seafood you are going to eat.  

Although I have tried my best to provide you with the Korean names and thorough information about the food that I ate, this is one meal that you are just going to have to settle for enjoying a picture montage.  Several of the fishes were either fishes I couldn’t identify or seafood flavors completely new to me.  So, enjoy the pictures and I’ll fill in when I can  . . 


First Round

Although I never quite figured out what the top dish was (but it was good and that worked for me), the second was a jellyfish that was tangy, sour, and slippery—I loved it.  It was especially good eaten in the sesame leaves that came as a side.  The third plate is a very gummy tteok and filled with red bean paste: a nice offset to the tangy jellyfish.

The other set of dishes featured sashimi, a very spicy gochujang fish concoction that was hot and tangy, and a salad.    The gochujang was my second favorite next to the jellyfish.


Second Round
Second round saw in increase in plate size, amount and food, and was more of a cooked fish round.


This dish was a play-on fish and chips and had a great light fish with a great crunch. 

There was also little sardines that you can eat bones, heads, and all.  I gave that my best shot, but had a mind over matter issues with chewing the bones.  I’ve been so trained to be leery of bones that I couldn’t tell my caution side to calm down. 

This was awesome and just consisted of a bake of mainly corn and imitation crab.  I would love to try duplicating this in my own kitchen because it is a great side and a sassy way to tart up imitation crab.

This was the other whole fish dish that I had before when we went out for sannakji.  For this, you end up cutting it in half and then pulling out the spine as best you can, but you will have bones to wrestle with that are not as edible.

Then, there a great side that I had several other times in Korea and just consists of oil, creamy, crunchy, potato cake—latkes with flair. 

Third Round:

This was the main event and is rather awesome.  This is just a plate of very fresh sashimi from several different kinds of fish.  You aren’t supposed to eat the cellophane noodles and, in fact, they are often reused.  The textures all varied a little with some being a little chewier, some being creamier, and some having a denser texture.  It was fun to eat them with a little gochujang and sesame or lettuce leaves.

The sashimi also came with a side of fried shrimp, hot peppers, and potatoes as well as barbequed fish balls.  Truth be told, the fish balls were probably my top favorite thing that we had.  They had a texture a lot like meatballs but were made feisty with the spicy barbeque sauce.  This is another I’d like to figure out how to do at home. 


. . . Although not my favorite meal, this one was really the most awe inspiring.  I’ve been to steak places in America that let you pick out your cut of meat or seafood places that let you choose your lobster.  Both have a great appeal of ownership and quality.    But it was such a different and incredible thing to walk by so many tanks of fish and know that they were going to be displayed and prepared in a great show of quality, freshness, and restaurant identity.  In telling friends in America about my food adventures, this is the one they are most intrigued by and rightfully so.  It was a great combination of pride in product and pleasure in presentation. 

Coconut Milk and Citrus Tilapia with Fennel Tea Black Rice

Winner of FoodFrenzy's "Recipe Challenge" for April 2011

This recipe combines marinating the fish in coconut milk and citrus juice with baking in a panko and zest crust to give the fish a bright and fresh taste.  Marinade in the coconut milk is going to help get rid of any fishiness in the tilapia and will also give a little sweetness and fat.  Although I used tilapia in this recipe, it also works will salmon and catfish. 

Ingredients

Marinade:

3 fillets of tilapia, sliced into two pieces

One 13.5 ounce can of light coconut milk

Juice of half an orange

Juice of half a lemon

Juice of half a lime

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper flakes

1 tsp ginger oil (or 1 inch of ginger, grated or just cut in slices if you can’t get ginger oil)

2-3 tablespoons of cilantro, roughly cut

Pinch of salt and pepper

*For a little spice, add sriracha or cayenne pepper 

Panko Crust:

1 1/2 cups of panko crumbs 1 cup unsweetened coconut flakes

2-3 tbls cilantro, finely chopped

1 tbls. grated ginger

Zest of one orange & one lime

Salt and pepper to taste

*add more cayenne flakes or chile powder for a spicier crust

Directions:

1. Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a shallow dish or bowl.  Make sure it is big enough to contain all the marinade and the submerged fish. 
2. Submerge the fish, making sure everything if covered.  If the marinade does not completely cover the fish, feel free to add a little water.  
3. Let marinade in the refrigerator for about 1 hour.  Since the marinade has a good amount of citrus juice, leaving the fish to long make breakdown the meat or slightly cook the fish.  So, be careful not to forget about it. 
4. Preheat the oven to 400°F 
5. In a small bowl, mix the panko, cilantro, ginger, and zest.   I prefer to bread my fish by spreading the mixture on a plate, but this could also be done in a bag 
6. Cover both sides of the tilapia with the panko mixture and then place on a metal cooking pan that is covered with aluminum foil (for easier clean-up).  Repeat for all the pieces of fish. 
7. Cook the fish for about 10-15 minutes (depending on the thickness of the fish) or until flaky.  
8. When finished cooking, let rest for 5 minutes.  Then, serve with arugula salad and fennel tea black rice. 

Fennel Tea Black Rice

I experimented one day with making rice using tea and I’ve had some really good luck.  This one is one of my favorites because it just gives a little bit of flavor to the rice while also making it taste delicate and fresh. You can also cook this rice more traditionally on the stovetop.  If you go that route, make sure to make the fennel tea about an hour in advance so it can have time to cool. 

Ingredients:

2 cups water

2 fennel tea bags

1 cup black rice (or, substitute with white or basmati for a more delicate grain)

½ tsp salt

¼ tsp fennel seeds

1 tablespoon olive oil 

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F
2.  Boil two cups of water and let the tea bags seep for about 5 minutes. 
3. Put the black rice, salt, and fennel seeds into a oven-proof baking dish that has lid.
4. Pour in the fennel tea and olive oil.  *If the fennel tea has gotten too cool, zap it in the microwave for a minute because it needs to be pretty hot when it goes in the oven to create enough steam. 
5. Put the lid on the race and then bake in the oven for 1 hour and 10 minutes. 

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On the Road . . . Sarasota (Pt. 3): More Seafood

Daiquiri Deck: Seafood, Part II

One of the evenings in Sarasota was set aside for enjoying both Siesta Key’s sandy beach and its post-swimming recreations.  There a several places of interest, but the place we went with was Daquiri Deck, which was chosen solely one thing—Daiquiri’s. 

The friends I went with are visitors to Louisiana many times over and are used to the commonness of the Daiquiri Drive-Thru.  I, on the other hand, had eyes as big as Daiquiri machines and was hypnotized by swirling greens, blues, reds, and yellows.  Couple great food with a two-for-one happy special on frozen, churning, fruity grain alcohol, and you have the adult equivalent of a kid in a candy store. 

For an appetizer, I split Florida Gatorbites.  As you can see from the picture, they were so good that I forgot to take a picture until it was almost too late.  Gator is an interesting meat.  I first had it a Gatorland in Orlando, Florida.  Like Daiquiri Deck’s Gatorbites, they were fried and tasted like a gamier version of dark chicken meat.  At the time I thought they were good, but in comparison to the ones at Daquiri Deck, I’ve sense wondered if the nuggets at Gatorland were gators that had gotten too old to perform in the jump-a-roo exhibition.  The Gator Bites at Daiquiri Deck were a little chewy, as gator meat is want to be, but were still tender, well-seasoned, and lacked gaminess. 

For the main, I had a Soft Shell Crab sandwich that was everything you want from what looks like a fried spider on a bun.  It had a similar breading to the Gator Bites and was crunchy and with crab that was supple and rich.  Put a little of the “Daquiri Deck Fruit Fusion Hot Sauce,” and you have a good eats that is citrusy with a hint of heat. 

The only miss for me was the Oyster Shooter.  I’m a fan of Bizarre Foods and No Reservations.  Inspired by their risks with fermented shark, whisky infused with rattlesnake, live squid tentacles, and chicken feet,  I took my shot glass of oyster, sunk in red murky tequila water, and threw caution to the wind.

One wish is that I had tried something a little safer like the “the Original” (vodka, bloody mary mix, and pepper).

A second wish is that I had not gotten the smell in my nose first. 

A third wish is that my boyfriend had gotten the picture of me before the tasting, a look of daring anticipation on my face, instead of post-intake with a face that is clearly trying not to throw-up. 

Summary—daiquiris good and two-for-one better, Gator Bites a must have, Soft Crab a bullseye, and the oyster shots, a foolhardy adventure. 

On the Road . . . Sarasota (Pt. 1)

As promised, this next series of blogs are reserved for the highlights, and some lowlights, of my foodie adventure in Sarasota. 

Overall, I’d say Sarasota is a great town for foodies.  There is an amazing downtown that features a wide variety of the fried, filleted, and fricasseed with a variety of choices between Spanish, Mediterranean, upscale American, and casual cafes.  Then, in the Siesta Key area, there are some fantastic bars and restaurants for people who are bikinied and as fresh out of the sea as the fish on the plate.   I feel like I did a lot of eating in one week and I barely scratched the surface of culinary options.     

Starting with Sunday evening and running through Saturday morning, I visited Rico’s Pizzeria,Captain Curt’s Crab and Oyster Bar, Barnacle Bill’s Seafood, Ceviche Tapas, Café Amalfi, Daiquiri Deck, Gold Dynasty, McKechnie Field Ball Park, Sarasota Kennel Club, and Alpine Steakhouse.   I’m going to space out my posts on my food adventures of the week   as I get caught up on putting notes to paper.   

First up--Seafood. 

Barnacle Bill’s Seafood & Captain Curt’s Crab and Oyster Bar

After visiting Sarasota’s Safari Jungle Park (a place where the Flamingo’s eat out your hand), my friends and I were looking for a place nearby to stop.  We stopped at Barnacle Bill’s Seafood on Tamiami Trail on the recommendation of two friends who had already eaten there.  The menu has any possible seafood concoction under the sun and includes a page of several fishes that are fixed to your choice of cooking preparation (i.e. grilled, fried, etc) and with a range of flavor profile add-ons (i.e. Cedar Plank, Havana, Picatta, etc).  I ordered a Seafood Crepe and my boyfriend ordered the Conch chowder and the Seafood Strudel.    The Conch chowder had a very dense flavor profile that had notes that were fish¸ tomatoes, cajun spices, and a taste I couldn’t quite place but reminded me of anise or fennel.  Between the Crepe and the Pastry, the better choice was the pastry that was flaky, creamy, and really allowed the seafood to shine through.  The Crepe had potential and should have had more focus on the seafood, given the lighter crepe, but seemed to fall a little flatter.  Filled with good size shrimp, crab, lobster, and scallops, and covered in a lobster sauce, the rich seafood flavor got lost along the way.   Overall, the meal was interesting and tasty, but lacked the stomach satisfaction that you would want from crepe, cream, and seafood.

 A much better seafood and cream choice is the award-winning Clam Chowder I got at Tiki Bar at Captain Curt’s Crab and Oyster Bar.  This is a series of buildings that have a café and a late night bar, called the Tiki Bar.  The chowder was thick and I worried that it would be too heavy and gummy with thickened cream, but the chowder instead was full and comforting.  Although some chowders skimp on meat, Captain Curt packs there’s with big pieces of meat so that you get clam in every bite.  

A lesser success at Captain Curt’s Tiki Bar was the Tiki Shrimp Rangoon, which is butterfly cut shrimp that is fried in a light batter and served with cream cheese on top.  I ordered this because I had never had shrimp with cream cheese and I wanted to see what it was like.  I think the idea has potential, but Captain Curt’s execution mixed the mark.  It was a very dense, rich cream cheese that was literally dolloped on top.   As served, the cream cheese and shrimp never really unified, and the very sweet, somewhat citrusy dunking sauce didn’t help bridge the gap.  This is something I’d like to experiment with at home by using a whipped cream cheese that is flavored with old bay or lime zest.  If you try it before I do, let me know how it goes.