When I started writing the introduction to this seafood chapter, I drew a stick figure of myself in fishing gear off to catch the evening meal. I quickly came to my senses; I’m in the restaurant business and the fish is delivered daily—no need for me to go and catch my own! Fishing is such a time-honored tradition in the South; everywhere you go on the coast the catch of the day is fresh, and you often see the fishermen out crabbing or trawling for shrimp. Whether it’s a fresh catch of blue crabs in Maryland, shellfish in the Low Country, alligator in New Orleans, or mahi mahi in Florida, the South is bountiful when it comes to seafood. However, the frozen but tasty cornmeal-crusted whiting my mom prepared when I was growing up in landlocked western Pennsylvania could stand up to any I have had while traveling. If I’m cooking at home these days, I enjoy shopping at my favorite specialty fish markets in New York City and in the Hamptons on Long Island. It’s fun just seeing what’s available and being creative with the catch of the day!
Our seasonal restaurant in Sag Harbor is in a marina and specializes in seafood. We look forward to summertime and all the lobster and other seafood we can eat. It’s a great thing, since nutritionists recommend eating three or more servings of fish per week. Dan and I like to get to the restaurant as much as possible to enjoy the gorgeous weather and the fresh seafood. Even with the restaurants, I still enjoy cooking and entertaining at home as well. I love getting outside and grilling, and in Sag Harbor, with the fresh catch and the vegetables from my garden, it’s hard to find better ingredients to work with!
As well as inspiration from the restaurants, and some of my old favorites, the seafood recipes in this book are influenced by our travels and taste, and range from quick and easy to elaborate. My chefs like to prepare deep-fried or pan-fried soft-shell crab, but I think you’ll like my recipe for quick and easy Butter-Spiced Grilled Soft-Shell Crab. I don’t quite remember in which of the Brennan’s restaurants we first tasted New Orleans Barbecued Shrimp, but I do remember deciding then and there that at some point I would create my own version at home. And of course taking a cue from Chef Paul Prudhomme, there is a recipe for Blackened Tilapia. And I had to include a recipe for frog legs, marinated in herbs and grilled and served with Spicy Herb-Caper Butter Sauce; these are a favorite in New Orleans and will become one of your favorites, too.
The Oyster Pie is a hit at our dinner parties, with its creamy texture, flavored with seafood sausage topped with puffed pastry. I’ve also included two recipes that are extremely popular seafood entrées at our restaurant, Southern Spiced Catfish Roulade with Black-Eyed Pea Gravy and the ultra-popular Swamp Thang—shrimp, scallops, and crawfish in a Dijon mustard sauce served over a bed of collard greens and garnished with Deep-Fried Julienne Vegetables, a dish that really has it all!
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Herb-Marinated Grilled Frog Legs with Spicy Herb-Caper Butter Sauce |
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YIELDS 4 SERVINGS
Fresh soft-shell crabs are truly a delicacy, and one of my all-time favorite treats. My chefs at the restaurants usually serve them deep-fried or pan-fried, but I love them simply grilled. Grilling seems to bring out their delicate flavor. Crabs should be alive when you buy them; cook them right away or refrigerate.
8 large soft-shell crabs
¼ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, melted
Lemon wedges, for garnish
1. To prepare the soft-shell crabs for cooking, cut off the eyes, lift the apron, and remove the gills. Rinse well and blot dry with paper towels.
2. Preheat an outdoor charcoal or gas grill to high, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. In a small bowl, mix together the salt, pepper, garlic powder, Old Bay Seasoning, and melted butter. Brush the crabs with the butter mixture.
3. Grill the crabs over high heat, turning occasionally, for about 4 to 5 minutes, until bright red and crisp. Remove the crabs from the grill and serve immediately with lemon wedges.
YIELDS 4 SERVINGS
Grouper is firm-textured warm-water fish. The sweet chilled Persimmon Salsa complements the taste of the warm, cooked firm-textured grouper. If you can’t find grouper, a good substitute with the right amount of flavor and texture is red snapper. For this quick and easy recipe, you can either pan sauté the fillets or cook them in a grill pan, though when the weather permits, try grilling the fish on an outdoor grill.
Four 6- to 8-ounce grouper fillets
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons butter or vegetable oil Persimmon Salsa (recipe follows), for serving
1. Rinse the grouper fillets and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, cover, and set aside.
2. In a large skillet or grill pan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Sauté the fillets for about 3 minutes on each side, or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Using a slotted spatula, transfer the fillets to a serving platter. Serve immediately with Persimmon Salsa.
YIELDS ABOUT 1¾ CUPS
For this recipe I’ve used Fuyu persimmons, which are smaller and sweeter than the Hachiya variety of persimmons (which is tart until very soft and ripe) and are edible while still firm. If not available, substitute fresh papaya or mango.
1 cup fresh cubed Fuyu persimmon (peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes)
½ cup diced fresh pineapple
¼ cup finely diced red bell pepper
1 scallion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
In a small bowl, combine all the ingredients. Cover the bowl and refrigerate before serving with the cooked grouper.
YIELDS 4 SERVINGS
It seems like most restaurants in New Orleans serve their own version of barbecued shrimp, and what surprised me was that none of these dishes are actually grilled with a barbecue sauce. Some are oven-baked, and others—my version included—are prepared in a skillet. For my recipe, I’ve given the shrimp lots of flavor with herbs, spices, and beer—serve them with crusty French bread to soak up every last drop of sauce!
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
6 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon smoked paprika
½ cup beer
1 pound medium to large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails left on
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
4 lemon wedges, for garnish
1. In a large skillet, melt the butter over low heat. Add the garlic and cook very gently over low heat, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce, Creole seasoning, thyme, oregano, and paprika. Increase heat to medium and cook for 2 minutes, allowing the butter to bubble, the garlic to cook further, and the spices to blend together.
2. Pour the beer into the garlic mixture and stir well to combine. Add the shrimp and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes, just until they turn pink and start to curl slightly. Using a slotted spoon, remove the shrimp to a warm platter.
3. Turn the heat up to medium-high and cook the sauce for about 5 minutes, until thickened. Pour the sauce over the shrimp and garnish with the chopped parsley. Serve with the lemon wedges.
YIELDS 4 SERVINGS
When I first cooked blackened tilapia in my apartment, the kitchen filled with smoke and of course the smoke alarm went crazy, even though I had the vent on. Fast forward to today and I’m still using my cast-iron skillet, but I open up the kitchen window very wide, close both doors, and cook the fish as quickly as possible!
Four 6- to 8-ounce tilapia fillets, or other firm-fleshed fish of choice
½ cup Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Blackened Seasoning (recipe follows)
Vegetable oil, for frying
1. Preheat oven to 200°F. Rinse the tilapia fillets and pat dry with paper towels. In a shallow baking dish, place the fillets and pour the Worcestershire sauce over them. Refrigerate for 30 minutes, turning a couple of times. Remove the fish from the refrigerator and bring to room temperature. Sprinkle both sides with the Blackened Seasoning.
2. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat until it is very hot. Coat the surface of the skillet with vegetable oil. Place two fillets in the skillet and cook for about 2 minutes on each side, or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Place the fillets in the oven to keep warm.
3. Carefully wipe the skillet clean, add more oil, and reheat until very hot. Cook the remaining fillets for 2 minutes on each side, or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve the fish immediately.
YIELDS 1/3 CUP
Noted New Orleans chef Paul Prudhomme makes a wonderful blackened seasoning widely available in grocery stores, but I prefer to make my own because I have all of the ingredients on hand, plus I can tweak the recipe to add more or less heat. And yes, when I’m in Sag Harbor, I prepare this blackened fish in my iron skillet placed on the burner of our outdoor gas grill.
2 teaspoons hot paprika
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2½ teaspoons garlic powder
2½ teaspoons onion powder
1½ teaspoons cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons dried thyme
2 teaspoons dried oregano
In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients together well. Store in an airtight container at room temperature until ready to use.
YIELDS 4 SERVINGS
Mahi mahi is also known as common dolphin, which is caught offshore in the Atlantic from New Jersey to the Florida Keys. For this recipe, broil or use a grill pan or an outdoor grill to cook the fish. The sauce can be made in advance and reheated before serving.
Four 6- to 8-ounce mahi mahi fillets
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Coconut Curry Sauce (recipe follows), for serving
1. Rinse the mahi mahi fillets and dry with paper towels. Brush each fillet with olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.
2. Preheat a broiler, grill pan, or outdoor gas or charcoal grill according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
3. Grill the fillets over medium heat, turning once until the fish flakes, about 6 to 8 minutes. Serve immediately with Coconut Curry Sauce.
YIELDS 1 CUP
The Southern cook enjoys many cultural influences. Coconut and curry are a classic Caribbean combination, and they come together here in a knockout blend that transforms grilled mahi mahi or tuna.
One 13.5-ounce can lite coconut milk
½ cup fish stock or clam juice
1 clove garlic, minced
1½ teaspoons chopped fresh ginger
½ cup minced scallions
1 teaspoon curry powder, or to taste
¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 teaspoons soy sauce
Brown sugar to taste
1. In a medium saucepan, combine the coconut milk, fish stock, ginger, scallion, curry powder, and red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove the pan from the heat and strain the sauce through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing as much of the sauce through as possible. Discard the solids; return the sauce to a clean saucepan. Add the soy sauce and brown sugar. Keep warm over low heat until serving. The Coconut Curry Sauce can be prepared ahead and refrigerated in a tightly sealed container for up to 3 days before serving.
YIELDS 6 SERVINGS
The legs of large frogs taste like chicken wings or lobster. In this recipe I use a white wine garlic marinade with herbs, then grill them.
2/3 cup white wine
¼ cup olive oil
1 small onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary, or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
24 pairs frog legs
Vegetable oil or nonstick cooking spray
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Spicy Herb-Caper Butter Sauce (recipe follows), for serving
1. To make the marinade, in a medium bowl, combine the white wine, olive oil, onion, garlic, lemon juice, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper.
2. Wash the frog legs under cold water and pat dry with a paper towel. Place them in a shallow dish or a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag. Add the marinade, tossing gently to coat the frog legs fully. Cover the dish or close the resealable plastic bag and refrigerate overnight, turning occasionally.
3. Heat a grill pan over medium-high heat, or prepare a charcoal or gas grill according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Lightly brush the cooking grate with vegetable oil, or very liberally coat the frog legs with oil or spray with nonstick cooking spray on both sides.
4. Salt and pepper the frog legs on both sides. Grill them for 2 to 2½ minutes per side, turning clockwise ¼ turn on each side. Serve immediately with Spicy Herb-Caper Butter Sauce.
YIELDS 1¼ TO 1½ CUPS
In this sauce, vermouth adds that slight bit of sweetness for balance, though you can substitute white wine.
1 cup vermouth or white wine
2 cups chicken stock
4 tablespoons softened butter, divided
1½ tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh lemon thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
½ teaspoon hot sauce, optional
2 to 3 tablespoons capers
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Juice from ½ lemon, freshly squeezed
1. In a medium saucepan, pour the vermouth and stock and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
2. In a small bowl, blend 1½ tablespoons of the butter with the flour until smooth. Whisk the butter mixture into the hot broth, lower the heat, and simmer until the mixture is reduced by half, or until it thickens to desired consistency.
3. Add the garlic, herbs, hot sauce if desired, capers, salt, pepper, and lemon juice to the pan and simmer for an additional minute or two. Whisk in the remaining 2½ tablespoons butter. Serve immediately over Herb-Marinated Grilled Frog Legs.
YIELDS 8 SERVINGS
At our seasonal marina restaurant in Sag Harbor, which is open from May through mid-October, oysters are very popular. Whether they are served raw on the half shell or fried, they remain a crowd pleaser. At home, I think of oysters as more of a special-occasion food, especially during the holidays. This oyster pie is one of my favorite recipes. I love the creamy texture and the flavor the seafood sausage adds to the pie; the puff pastry gives it a touch of elegance.
3 dozen freshly shucked oysters with liquid
3 tablespoons butter
6 ounces seafood sausage
¼ cup finely chopped onions
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1½ cups heavy cream
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/3 cup thinly sliced scallions
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
1 sheet (half of a 17-ounce package) frozen prepared puff pastry, thawed according to package directions
1. Preheat oven to 375°F. Drain the oysters, reserving ½ cup of their liquid (also known as liquor); dry the oysters on paper towels.
2. In a large skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the seafood sausage and cook, turning often, for 4 to 5 minutes, until lightly browned on all sides. Remove the sausage from the pan and set aside. When cool enough to handle, cut the sausage into ½-inch pieces.
3. Add the chopped onions to the skillet and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until soft and translucent but not browned. Add the flour to the skillet; cook, stirring frequently, for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat and stir in the heavy cream and reserved oyster liquor; cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 to 4 minutes, until thickened.
4. Add the salt, Old Bay Seasoning, and cayenne to the pan. Remove from heat and add the oysters, seafood sausage, scallions, and parsley. Pour the mixture into a 9-inch pie dish.
5. Cut a 9-inch circle from the puff pastry and place it on top of the oyster mixture in the pie dish; cut a small hole in the middle of the pastry to allow steam to escape. Discard pastry scraps.
6. Place the pie dish on a baking sheet to catch any drips and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the pastry is golden brown and the filling is bubbling. Serve immediately.
YIELDS 2 SERVINGS
I created this recipe to serve two, though the recipe can easily be doubled and the first batch kept warm in a 200°F oven while the second batch cooks. If desired, the dish can be made with trout fillets instead of the whole boneless variety; just reduce the cooking time until the fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. If cooking the trout butterflied, each fish may need to be cooked separately depending on the size of the skillet.
2 whole 10-ounce trout, boned and butterflied
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
¾ cup cornmeal
2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
4 bacon slices
2 tablespoons butter
¼ cup finely chopped fresh parsley, for garnish
Lemon wedges, for garnish
1. Rinse the trout and pat dry with paper towels. Season inside and out with salt and pepper.
2. On a large plate, combine the cornmeal and Old Bay Seasoning. Set aside.
3. In a large cast-iron or other heavy skillet, cook the bacon slices over medium heat for about 5 minutes, until crisp. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel–lined plate and cover loosely with foil.
4. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat from the skillet. Add the butter to the skillet and melt over medium-high heat. Dredge the seasoned trout in the cornmeal to coat completely, then place in the skillet. Cook for about 3 minutes, until well browned.
5. Carefully turn the trout and continue cooking until well browned and cooked through, about 3 to 5 minutes depending on the thickness of the fish. Transfer the fish to serving plates.
6. Crumble the bacon and sprinkle it over the trout along with the chopped parsley. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
YIELDS 4 SERVINGS
There are two kinds of scallops: large sea scallops and tiny bay or Cape Cod scallops; this recipe calls for the large ones. Fresh scallops are preferable to frozen. If using frozen scallops, cook them while they are still partially frozen so they do not overcook. Scallops cook fast, so be careful not to overcook.
16 large sea scallops
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
¼ teaspoon white pepper
8 slices bacon (½ slice bacon per scallop)
Chive Oil (recipe follows), for serving
Lemon wedges, for garnish
1. In a medium bowl, combine the scallops with the olive oil, lemon juice, and white pepper. Mix well, cover, and allow to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, turning once or twice during marinating.
2. Cut each bacon slice crosswise in half, making 2 pieces from each slice of bacon. Remove the scallops from the marinade and wrap each in a piece of bacon. Secure each bacon-wrapped scallop with a toothpick, or skewer them on metal skewers or presoaked bamboo skewers. (If using large skewers and placing more than 1 scallop per skewer, allow space between scallops to cook on all sides.)
3. Preheat oven to broil. Arrange the scallops on a baking sheet and broil, watching closely, for 6 minutes, then turn and continue to broil until the scallops are opaque and the bacon cooks evenly. To serve, drizzle Bacon-Wrapped Scallops with Chive Oil and garnish with lemon wedges.
YIELDS ABOUT ½ CUP
¼ cup sliced fresh chives
½ cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Salt-free Cajun seasoning, optional
1. In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, place the chives. Turn the processor on, and slowly add the olive oil through the feed tube in a thin stream. Season with salt and pepper and salt-free Cajun seasoning, if desired.
2. Strain the Chive Oil through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, and then transfer to a tightly lidded glass jar or decorative bottle. Chive Oil will keep in the pantry up to 2 weeks.
YIELDS 4 SERVINGS
For this dish, the catfish is cut lengthwise and carefully rolled into a spiral, then dipped into milk and dredged in a seasoned cornmeal mixture. The presentation of this roulade is perfect for elegant dinner parties, and it can be served with or without Black-Eyed Pea Gravy.
Four 8-ounce catfish fillets
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
1 teaspoon Hungarian hot paprika
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
½ cup yellow cornmeal
½ cup all-purpose flour
¾ cup whole milk
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
Lemon wedges, for garnish
Black-Eyed Pea Gravy (see recipe on page 229), for serving
1. Rinse the catfish fillets and pat dry with paper towels. Cut each fillet lengthwise, keeping the halves attached at the tail end. Arrange each fillet into one long strip with the flat surface facing down.
2. In a small bowl, combine 1 teaspoon of the salt, 1 teaspoon of the Creole seasoning, ½ teaspoon of the paprika, and ¼ teaspoon of the black pepper. Sprinkle the fillets with the seasoning mix.
3. Carefully roll each fillet up into a tight spiral and secure with a presoaked 6-inch bamboo skewer.
4. In a shallow dish, combine the cornmeal, flour, remaining salt, Creole seasoning, paprika, and pepper.
5. In another shallow dish, pour the milk. Dip each fillet into the milk and then in the cornmeal mixture, coating well and shaking off any excess. Arrange the coated fillets in a single layer on a baking sheet, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 4 hours.
6. Preheat oven to 200°F. In a medium skillet, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat. Place 2 fillets in the pan, then cook for 6 to 7 minutes on each side, until the coating is golden brown and the fish is cooked through. Drain the fish on paper towels, then carefully remove the wooden skewers and place the fish in the oven to keep warm.
7. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter to the pan and cook the remaining fillets. Transfer the fillets to a warm serving platter, garnish with lemon wedges, and serve immediately with Black-Eyed Pea Gravy.
YIELDS 6 TO 8 SERVINGS
Swamp Thang was created at our Union Station restaurant in Washington, D.C. Shrimp, scallops, and crawfish are combined in a creamy, light Dijon mustard sauce and served over a bed of Southern-style collard greens. The dish is topped with Deep-Fried Julienne Vegetables. Of course it was put on the New York City restaurant menu by popular demand!
3 tablespoons butter
1 cup finely diced onion
2/3 cup finely diced green bell pepper
2/3 cup finely diced celery
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup white wine
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
2 cups shrimp or fish stock or broth
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup heavy cream
2 tablespoons grainy Dijon mustard
½ teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 pound medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 pound medium scallops
1 pound peeled crawfish tails, defrosted frozen if fresh is not available
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Southern-Style Collard Greens (see recipe on page 217)
Deep-Fried Julienne Vegetables (recipe follows)
1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the onion, bell pepper, celery, and garlic; sauté for about 5 minutes, until soft but not browned. Stir in the wine, thyme, and bay leaf; simmer for 2 minutes. Add the shrimp stock, lemon juice, and Worcestershire sauce to the pan and bring to a boil.
2. Stir in the heavy cream, mustard, and Old Bay Seasoning. Reduce heat to medium-low; add the shrimp, scallops, and crawfish. Cook the shrimp for about 3 to 5 minutes, until pink. Season with salt and pepper. Discard the bay leaf.
3. Serve the seafood mixture immediately over a bed of Southern-Style Collard Greens, and garnish with Deep-Fried Julienne Vegetables.
YIELDS ABOUT 4 CUPS
1 cup ¼-inch-julienne zucchini
1 cup ¼-inch-julienne yellow squash
1 cup ¼-inch julienne carrot
1½ cups whole milk
Vegetable oil for deep frying
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. In a 1-gallon resealable plastic bag, combine the zucchini, yellow squash, carrot, and milk; seal the bag and refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 200°F. In a deep skillet, pour enough oil to reach a depth of 1 inch; heat over medium-high heat to 350°F.
3. Meanwhile, in a shallow dish, combine the flour, salt, and pepper. Drain the vegetables and toss in the seasoned flour. Transfer the vegetables to a large sieve and shake off excess flour. Working in batches, deep-fry large handfuls of vegetables in hot oil for 2 to 3 minutes, or until golden brown. Using a wire skimmer or slotted spoon, remove the vegetables from the oil and drain on paper towels; keep warm in the oven until serving.