Thai Fresh Crab & Corn Risotto

If you never change your mind, why have one? – Edward de Bono

As we say in Nova Scotia, "some good"!

Sometimes it’s good to surprise yourself. Especially when good means “tasty.” Restaurant tasty. That’s how I would describe this.

Not all surprises work out this well. And it was completely without any real forethought at the grocery store. The recipe came about because I changed my mind.

Crab “clusters” (legs and body) are on sale this week for 1/3 their normal price at the Superstore. Local corn is also making an appearance (3/$1). With such finds I usually am inspired to make Chinese crab and corn soup. So I bought some with that in mind.

But, as I said, by the time dinner rolled around I changed my mind. What I wanted to make had lost all its appeal for some reason. Now there’s nothing wrong with crab and corn chowder, but it’s my stomach and I (too often) listen to what it tells me.

Regardless of my stomach's inner voice, I was still stuck with 2 ingredients, crab and corn. Thank goodness for Google’s search function. A quick look gave me many hits – mostly for crab and corn soup! An alternate that stood out was for Italian corn risotto. It sounded pretty interesting. There was no reason I couldn’t add in crab. 

But Italian and crab really don’t spring to mind as a common combo. Perhaps time for an exercise in fusion cuisine?

Just add enough liquid every time so
the contents is covered slightly.

So I trekked across the Middle East, over India and into southeast Asia for my flavours: coconut, chilli and ginger. To really get coconut in this I double-dosed it. It’s in both the oil and the braising liquid for the rice. Don't be fooled – coconut oil imparts a coconut taste. Sometimes this is advantageous, sometimes not. This time it helped make everything quite nicely coco-nutty.

If you want to make something unexpected for company I say look no further. This is a drop-dead delicious meal and pretty on the plate to boot. Perhaps a little green salad on the side to round things out...

Thai Fresh Crab & Corn Risotto*

Prep: 20 min  |  Cook: 20 min  |  Serves 4

250 g fresh King crab meat, shelled

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, chopped

2 tbsp crated fresh ginger

1 hot red chilli, finely diced (or 2 tsp dried chilli flakes)

1 cup Calrose rice

1 can coconut milk, plus enough chicken stock to make 1L

2 ears corn, kernels removed

salt and pepper

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Clean the pre-cooked crab, if purchasing in clusters, and discard the shells. You should have at least 250 g meat.

Combine the coconut milk and stock in a pot and bring to a simmer. Keep warm.

Heat the coconut oil in a wide sauté pan. Add the onion, garlic, ginger and chilli. Sauté until the  onion begins to look transparent. Then add the rice and sauté for 2 minutes. Finally add the corn kernels. Reduce heat to medium high.

Begin to add the hot liquid to the rice/corn mixture, using just enough to cover. Stir while it cooks. Do NOT go answer the phone or the rice may stick and burn.

Add more milk and stock as the liquid is absorbed, stirring. Continue to cook until the rice is “al dente” (still has a slight resistance when bitten). This may take a little less than the 1L or a little more. If you need more liquid, use hot water. 

This is the amount of liquid that should be left. Some, but not much. You should
be able to drag the spatula across the bottom of the pan and it remains dry.

The risotto is dry enough when almost all the liquid is absorbed by the rice. You need to leave some “creaminess” with the rice so it isn’t completely dry.

Taste for salt and pepper and adjust. Remove the risotto from the heat and stir in the crab and cilantro. Serve immediately.

* You can use canned crab and frozen or canned for kernels, but why would you if fresh is available and affordable?

.............................................................

If you like this post, feel free to share it. All I ask for is credit and a link back to this page.

Shrimp in Vermouth Cream Sauce

A man seldom thinks with more earnestness of anything than he does of his dinner. – Samuel Johnson 

Deliciously satisfying, and ready in 20 minutes. This is always a winner.

This is a fantastic recipe, and also one that you can have on the table in less than half an hour. It's a godsend for anyone (like us lately) that are busier than a one-toothed man in a corn-on-the-cob eating contest. Although dining late is sometimes nice, having to do it every day gets to be tiresome. It also can interfere with your sleep. Not goof if your up late working and then up and at it again early the next morning.

Photo: Wiki CC

This recipe combines just-cooked shrimp with the intense flavor of tomato and vermouth. It's a wonderful combination. Vermouth is a perfect complement to seafood, if you didn't know…

Vermouth is a fortified wine that has been infused with herbs and/or roots. Wine has been infused with herbs for millennia. Although a 13th century German word, what we call vermouth today was first produced in the late 18th century in Italy and France. 

Vermouth was marketed as a medicinal drink in the 19th century. With an alcohol content hovering at 18% one can see why its consumption would make someone feel “better.” It wasn’t until later in the 1800s that it was used in classic cocktails like the martini.

Wine is used as the base for vermouth. Each manufacturer adds additional alcohol (sometimes in the form of aquavit) and their own special mixtures of herbs, roots, and barks. If you're brave, you can try to make your own, like I did. My recipe is here.

Vermouth is sold in two main types: sweet (red) and dry (white). Vermouth is an excellent substitute for white wine in cooking and is particularly good with seafood, as well as chicken and pork. When the alcohol is cooked away the flavour of the herbs remain.

Shrimp Linguine with Vermouth Cream Sauce

Let the sauce reduce before adding the shrimp.

Prep: 10 min  |  Cook: 10 min  |  Serves 4

1 lb shrimp

454 g linguine

1/4 cup butter

1 small onion, cut in half and sliced very thin

2 garlic cloves

1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomato halves

1/4 cup vermouth (white)

1/4 cup tomato purée

1-1/2 cups whipping cream (plus extra, see recipe)

The shrimp have just been added. Only let them cook until pink.

Salt and pepper to taste
grated parmesan

Bring water to a boil for the pasta. Cook according to package directions.

Heat butter in a sauté pan. Cook onion and garlic until beginning to brown. Add the vermouth, tomato purée and cream and let cook until thickened. It should be a little thicker than you think it should be. 

As the sun-dried tomatoes cook in the sauce it will take on a bright creamy orange colour.

Add the shrimp and cook until just through – no more than 5 minutes. They should just be pink. That may be even less than 5 minutes. Any more time and shrimp become tough.

Liquid will come out of the shrimp as they cook. If the sauce is still too thick you can thin it with a little more cream.

Serve the shrimp and sauce on the hot drained pasta with grated parmesan.

…………………………………..

If you like this post feel free to share it. All I ask is for a link back to my original post, and a credit that the recipe came from me.

Authentic Nova Scotia Lobster Rolls

A woman should never be seen eating or drinking, unless it be lobster salad and Champagne, the only true feminine and becoming viands. – Lord Byron 

Best eaten overlooking the ocean – but that's just my opinion.

Here’s one that I have no idea why I haven’t posted before. It’s just so Nova Scotian. Duh...

One of the things we’re most famous for in Atlantic Canada is our lobster. It’s something that most visitors just have to have when they vacation here. Being so rich and delicious, it’s a luxury.

Did you know that wasn’t always the case? 

Atlantic lobster. Photo: Wiki CC.

Lobsters used to be extremely abundant on the Atlantic coast – so much so that often they would wash ashore after storms. This was the 1600 and 1700s – when cod was also so plentiful that it was said you could walk across their backs on the ocean. A slight exaggeration, I’m sure.

Since they were so easy to harvest, many less well-off families used lobster as a free food source. Because of that connection they were seen as food only fit for “poor folks,” a bias that stuck for many years. 

It had such a mark of disdain that some servants in Atlantic Canada and New England had it written into their indenture agreements they would only eat lobster a certain number of times a week. It reflected badly on their employers if they ate it too often.

It’s amazing how something so valued now had such stigma attached to it. Lobsters were also routinely cut up and used as bait, or as fertilizer. What a waste...

During those times, it was not uncommon for lobsters to be in the 20-30 lb range. So you can see how they were an easy, and bountiful, food source. A 20 lb lobster would easily feed a family of 8 people.

It wasn’t until the mid-1800s that diners began to recognize lobster as a quality food. Commercial fishing began, taking its toll on the populations within decades. 

But how could over-fishing happen so quickly? Part of the reason is that science suggests lobsters become more fertile as they age, and as they age they grow larger. So smaller lobsters do not produce as many young as those 20 pounders. Unfortunately, it was the big ones that were harvested. 

With scarcity comes price increases. Now the cost of lobster makes them a luxury, being out of reach to many people except on special occasions. A lobster dinner at a not too fancy restaurant can easily cost you well in excess of $20.

There is much to be said about the cost paid to fishers today and the cost at the store. I will not claim to know all the ins and outs of it, so I’ll leave that for others to discuss.

Standard lobster size now is in the 1.5  to 2 lb range – a far cry from their historical size. Today the lobster industry is highly regulated.

Making a good lobster sandwich is a breeze, although there are a couple things that are necessary that may not come to mind. One is lemon juice and the other is onion. Both add “brightness” and bite to a lobster roll that just isn’t there without them.

You can make lobster rolls with tinned lobster, but it is nowhere near as good as if you use fresh. Keep that in mind.

So without further ado, here’s a standard recipe. Easy to make at home in minutes. Bring memories of the sea shore to your backyard.

As an FYI, I’m working on a “true” lobster sausage recipe. Stay tuned...

This essentially lobster salad, so if you wish it can
be served just as well on a bed of lettuce.

Nova Scotia Lobster Roll

Prep: 10 min*  |  Yield: 4-8, depending on size

3/4 lb cooked lobster meat (1 can)

1 cup shredded iceberg lettuce

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

1/4 cup celery, chopped small

2 tbsp onion, diced

juice from 1/2 lemon (about 2 tbsp)

1/4 tsp cracked black pepper

salt, optional

Rolls, hamburger buns or sandwich bread

Chop the cooked lobster meat into bite-sized pieces – not too small. Mix in the remaining ingredients together and refrigerate.

The recipe calls for 1/2 cup of mayonnaise. You can add more if you wish.

I find tinned lobster meat a bit salty, so if using it you may want to omit salt. Also, if using tinned meat press out the liquid after thawing. 

I know it seems like a waste, but if you don’t your lobster filling will be very wet.

This isn’t necessary if using fresh cooked.

* This time doesn't include cooking and cleaning live lobster. You can purchase pre-cooked to save time and anxiety.

........................................................

You know, I really like comments... I really do.

Questions? Comments? Derogatory remarks? Just ask! I’ll answer quickly and as best as I can. If you like this post feel free to share it. If you repost, please give me credit and a link back to this site.

Looking for a Hearty Soup? Golden Fish Chowder

Work is the curse of the drinking classes. – Oscar Wilde

Warm and filling – fish chowder.

It's kind of a weird this morning. Daylight Savings Time started in Canada last night so it feels a whole hour earlier than it actually is as I write today's post. But it's also warm enough (although dark) to go outside without a coat. Has spring "sprung"?

Yesterday saw a LOT of work done at the little country house. I thought our basement would be a disaster site for months. It is now about as clean as I've seen it for a very long time.

We still have piles of plastic bins, but they are now orderly. Thanks to my wonderful, hard-working spouse. He did a lot of work yesterday. And burned a lot of garbage too. Did I say he did a lot of work?

So what's more deserving after a hard day's labour than something filling? It may not seem possible, but here's a fish chowder that's "stick to you ribs." 

This chowder is actually like a thick bisque wit large chunks of delicious, just-cooked fish. I actually looked up the definitions of chowder and bisque because I wasn't sure what to call this.

Add enough water to cover the vegetables about 1/2"
over their top. This level is for the photo only.

It's kind of 50/50. It's also very thick. The thickness comes from a substantial amount of vegetables: onions, carrots and potatoes.

After cooking, they are puréed in the cooking water and then thinned to your liking with milk. Thicker yields fewer, but more substantial servings, of course. It's up to you. All in all a very hearty meal.

I used Basa fish. Basa is a species of catfish native to the Mekong Delta in Vietnam. It is white with a mild taste I would compare to sole, but it is more substantial and won't break apart as easily. It recently has made a major jump into international markets.

It was on inexpensive, so that's how it ended up in my chowder. I would still prefer nice chinks of fat haddock. But for a difference – and cost savings – it made a pretty tasty dinner. I don't think I would seek it out, though.

You'll notice the recipe calls for grape seed oil. I've been using it instead of vegetable oil because it has a relatively high smoke point (421°F/216°C) and high polyunsaturated fat content. Try it in your next salad dressing. It's not very expensive either if you buy the Atlantic Superstore/President's Choice brand.

Since I had some homemade bread lurking around I quickly made croutons in a cast iron skillet with some garlic, butter and tarragon. Tarragon always goes well with fish dishes and the croutons added some texture that complemented the creamy soup perfectly.

Soups and chowders are always a bit funny as far as salt is concerned. TYou should always under-salt as it cooks and then adjust at the end. You may be surprised how much (or little) salt you end up using. You can put salt in something, but taking it out is always a little more difficult

If you can cut bread you can make croutons.
No excuses, folks.

Golden Fish Chowder

Prep 5 min  |  Cook 25 min  |  Serves 4

500g white fish filet, chopped large (I used basa)

2 tbsp grape seed oil

2 medium carrots, finely diced

1 medium onion, diced

5 medium potatoes, chopped small

enough water to cover

2-1/2 - 3 cups whole milk

1 tsp tarragon

1/2 tsp paprika

3 tbsp butter

salt and pepper to taste

Heat the grape seed oil in a stock pot. Add the carrots and onion and sauté until they start to soften and the onions colour slightly. 

Add the potatoes, 1 tsp of salt, cover with water to slightly above their top and simmer for 15 minutes until very tender.  Add more water if necessary while they cook..

Remove the pot from the heat. Add the lower amount of milk and purée with a stick blender until smooth. Add the remaining milk, or more, if the purée is too thick. Taste for salt and adjust.

Stir in the tarragon, paprika, butter and a good amount of pepper. Add the fish and gently bring the soup back to a simmer. Stir gently so the fish doesn't break up.

Serve with croutons.

Tarragon Croutons

1 thick slice homemade bread, cubed

1 garlic clove

3 tbsp butter

1 tsp tarragon

salt

cracked black pepper

Melt the butter in a skillet. Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant. Then add the bread. Crush the tarragon with your fingers. Sprinkle the bread with the tarragon, salt and pepper.

Let the cubes cook until browned.

....................................................................................................................... 

Questions? Comments? Derogatory remarks? Just ask! I’ll answer as best I can. If you like this post feel free to share it using any of the links. If you repost, please give me credit and a link back to this site.

Something Spicy: Creole Okra and Shrimp

Never look back unless you are planning to go that way. – Henry David Thoreau 

Think gumbo, but without all the liquid.

I think I’ve started this new thing after the autumn pumpkin experiment. It’s called “planning ahead.”

For those who don’t know, after Halloween I picked up a whole pumpkin, cleaned it, cut it up and froze it. I could then leisurely use it whenever I wanted. (My yield was 6 bags of cubes from one free pumpkin…)

Okra fried in bacon fat. C'mon, what could be better?

I mention pumpkin because I hate having to buy a whole can to use only a cup. They only sell pure pumpkin in large cans in our local groceries. Great if you're making a pie. Not so great for almost everything else. You have to force yourself to use the rest or it goes to waste.

The ingredient that I’m talking about this time though is okra. Although it wasn’t on special, a few weeks ago one of the groceries had the best looking pods I had seen in quite a while.

So I purchased a rather large bag. Okra is a hit and miss vegetable at the grocery store. If you can find it fresh it may not look all that good. If it isn’t fresh you have to settle for frozen pieces. So why not freeze whole at home, when you can?

The thing I don’t like about the frozen from the store is that what we have here is pre-cut into 1/2” pieces. If you want something larger you’re out of luck.

I used 1/3 of my purchase fresh (in this recipe) and have two frozen bags waiting for Cajun-style somethings later on.

These were on sale for 99¢ too.
Kumato brown tomatoes.

This recipe is a bit different than a gumbo, which you may be familiar with. There’s no liquid, and hardly any sauce. But all the gumbo flavours are here.

A real bonus of this recipe is that it takes about the same length of time as most rices takes to cook (20 minutes).

I don’t know if I’ve ever written this out before. It’s about cooking rice. Most rice (jasmine, short grain, long grain, basmati) cooks in 2x its volume of water for 15 minutes and then sits for 5.

For example, for rice for four people, 1.5 cups of rice + 3 cups water, and some salt. It’s as simple as that.

Hope you like this recipe. I love the smokey taste of fried okra.

Creole Okra and Shrimp

Prep: 5 min  |  Cook: 15 min  |  Serves 4

1/2 lb bacon

20 okra pods, ends trimmed and halved

6 garlic cloves

1 medium onion

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

1 red pepper

5 tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup water

12 oz can corn kernels

1 lb shrimp, peeled

1 tsp salt

creole spice mix (1/2 tsp each)

paprika

oregano

basil

thyme

pepper

cayenne

garlic powder

onion powder

Cut the bacon slices into quarters. Fry the bacon in a Dutch oven or other heavy-bottomed pot with a lid until browned. Remove the bacon, leaving the rendered fat behind.

Add the okra and fry until browned. Then add the garlic, onion, jalapeno, red pepper. and salt. Cook until the vegetables have softened slightly. Mix together the spices for the creole spice mix.

Add tomatoes, water, and corn kernels. Sprinkle with the creole spice. Cook for 5 minutes more, until tomatoes begin to beak down.

Add the shrimp and let cook until just done through, about 4-5 minutes.

Serve on hot cooked white rice.

........................................

If you like this post feel free to share it using any of the links. If you repost, please give me credit and a link back to this site. Questions? Comments? Derogatory remarks? Just ask.

Recipe: Baked Lobster Penne

Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing. – Oscar Wilde, The Picture of Dorian Gray

Easy, delicious recipe. I love the crunchy bits of baked penne.

I had a birthday on Wednesday (21 again...). As I was leaving work many people asked what I was going to do for fun that evening.

Photo: patrikneckman, Flickr ccl

In truth, at my age, doing nothing with a glass of wine sounds like a good idea. So that’s what I did. Except for cooking dinner. I really find it difficult to justify going out and dropping $100 on a dinner for two in these tight financial times.

So I spent my birthday in the kitchen. I guess that was a good present for myself. The kitchen is just about my favourite place to be.

Of course I couldn’t let it pass without doing something a little special. That’s what I had in mind when I trundled off to the grocery store. I had already settled on lobster. To me “treat” and “lobster” are the same word. 

Just how my crustaceon was to land on the plate was up for conjecture.

I had come across a recipe earlier for lobster macaroni in a mozzarella cheese sauce that sounded really good, but by the time I was walking around the grocery it had morphed. It probably started with penne being on sale, and was given a coup de grâce by the cost of the required mascapone cheese. ($5 for 300 g – pricy.)

But back to the main ingredient, if I may. Try to help me understand this, please. I paid $10 for a (very slightly) over one-pound lobster, pre-cooked. There is no price difference per pound between live and cooked. The large chains will even cook yours for you if you're willing to wait.

This is lobster season in Nova Scotia. Currently the lobster fishers are being paid $3 per pound – or less. I understand there are steps involved between the ocean and the seafood counter, but it seems someone is making a bit of profit…

Last year this time they were selling at the grocery for about $6.50 if I remember correctly. And the fishers were getting the same cost as they are now at the wharf.

One of my Facebook friends at home is arranging with a fisher to bring a truckload of lobsters to the village where I grew up. Folks are placing their orders now. The seller is charging $5 per pound. He may need two trucks!

In the city, you can find lobster sellers in mall parking lots for about the same cost. Try Bayers Lake this weekend if you dare. It is getting close to Christmas. Support your local fishers if you can.

Well, I wasn’t in a mall parking lot. I was at the grocery, so I had to bite the bullet. At least it was cheaper than $18 per frozen can.

This recipe is really good, and a little unexpected with the lobster. It doesn’t have a “sauce” per se, unlike mac and cheese. It’s far drier.

The time listed does not include boiling and cleaning lobster, but I would recommend it. It’s so much better than canned, mechanically separated meat.

This would make an excellent buffet dish – just in case you’re attending one over the next week or two. It’s really just combine the sauce, then the penne and lobster and bake.

Enjoy! We did, and have some “birthday leftovers” too.

This pan is 8" x 8" x 3". If you don't have one that is
that high, use something bigger. It was full to the top.

Baked Lobster Penne

Prep: 15 min  |  Bake: 35 min  |  Serves 4

1.5 lb cooked lobster meat

350 g penne

400g ricotta

1/2 cup tomato paste

1 cup white wine

1/2 tsp chilli flakes

1 tsp garlic powder

1 cup chopped basil

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

1 bunch green onions, sliced

1 cup black olives, sliced

1 cup grated mozzarella

1 slice fresh bread

Grease an 8x8x3 baking dish with butter.

Cook the penne and drain. Preheat the oven to 400°F. 

Clean the lobster and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces. Grate the slice of bread into crumbs.

Whisk the ricotta, tomato paste and wine together in a mixing bowl. Stir in the chilli flakes, garlic powder, chopped basil, salt, pepper green onions and black olives.

Add the drained penne and half of the cheese. Mix well and then stir in the lobster.

Pour the mixture into the prepared pan. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on top and then the grated bread.

Add more pepper if desired and bake for 35 minutes, or until bubbly and golden.

........................................

If you like this post feel free to share it using any of the links. If you repost, please give me credit and a link back to this site. Questions? Comments? Derogatory remarks? Just ask!

Recipe: Scallops with Thai Mango Sauce

There are two tragedies in life. One is to lose your heart's desire. The other is to gain it. – George Bernard Shaw 

You can't tell me this doesn't look tasty.

This recipe came about because of two separate grocery store shopping trips. One made me desire something, the other was a lucky find. 

The first came about on an evening run to our local grocery. I spotted 30 oz cans of mango pulp on sale. I had never seen 30 oz cans of mango pulp before. They’re big. I wanted one, but passed it by because I couldn't think of a use for it.

The second was a happy coincidence the next day. I went to our grocery close to work and found previously frozen sea scallops on sale. They’re the big ones – at big cost.

Usually they will set you back $16/lb. This day they were the relatively inexpensive $10/lb. Still too much but it had been a long time since we bought scallops. No wonder, with the usual cost what it is.

Scallops are best simply seared with salt and pepper.
Don't crowd them in the pan. That's a common mistake.

So I decided that scallops would be it. Although that left my craving for the mango unabated.

Simple answer? Do a nice little Thai sauce with mango. But could I find that can of puréed mango at the grocery close to work? No.

That’s three times recently that particular store has failed me. No daikon, no fresh okra and now no canned mango purée. I don’t really understand the last one, because it was for sale (a large display of them) at the same store just 6 km away.

So I had to settle for a smaller can of mango slices. More expensive canned mango slices. I guess I should be thankful I found them at all.

You can use fresh mango, of course, but they’re notoriously difficult to peel and pit. I also thought that puréed would save me from having to break the mango up in the sauce. At least canned slices are already soft.

I also chose canned because I could be pretty certain the fruit was completely ripe. Under ripe mango can taste a little like pine and if you don't know mango well it's easy to pick one up that's still green.

Signature flavours of Thai cuisine

Thai food has some pretty identifiable flavours. It has four fundamentals that balance each other in most dishes: hot, sweet, salty and sour. 

Luckily these can be found in some pretty easy-to-find ingredients. Hot – chillies, sweet – sugar and/or fruit, salty – fish sauce, and sour – citrus.

There are usually a lot of ingredients in Thai dishes which can be daunting to home chefs. But it’s the harmonious mingling of all those ingredients that make Thai food so special.

Thailand certainly punches above its weight class in worldwide representation. I doubt there are many who haven’t experienced at least one Thai dish, two of the most common being Pad Thai or Tom Yum Soup.

Why not try a little Thai in your own kitchen? Although probably not completely authentic, this one's pretty easy. And it hits all the signature notes you look for in tasty Thai food.

It’s also pretty fast. The scallops are quickly seared first, and then the sauce is made in about 6-8 minutes. This one will be on my stove again, to be sure.

If you’re looking to step gently outside of the familiar give this recipe a try. It’s definitely a keeper.

Simmer the sauce ingredients until nicely thickened.

Scallops with Thai Mango Sauce

Prep: 2 min  |  Cook: 20 min  |  Serves 4

1 lb scallops

1 or 2 tbsp vegetable oil

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1” ginger, diced

2 or 3 thai red chillies

15 oz can mango slices

400 ml can coconut milk

1 tbsp fish sauce (more if desired)

2+ tbsp sugar (depending on mango)

juice of 1/2 lime

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

rice vermicelli for four

Heat the vegetable oil in a wide sauté or deep frying pan. Place the scallops in the hot oil and season with salt and pepper. 

Sear on one side until they let go of the pan and are browned. Turn and sear the other side.

Do not crowd the scallops in the pan. Cook in batches if you must. Crowding will steam the scallops and not sear them. Remove the scallops to a pan as they cook and keep warm.

Add the garlic, ginger and chillies to the pan. If necessary add the additional tablespoon of vegetable oil. Sauté for about 1 minute.

Add the drained mango slices, coconut milk, fish sauce and sugar. The amount of sugar will depend on the sweetness of the mango slices. I used 3 tablespoons of sugar.

Let the mixture cook until it is a sauce consistency. The mango will break up as it cooks, but help it along with the edge of a spatula or spoon. It’s best to have very few mango pieces in the finished sauce.

Remove the sauce from the heat. Stir in the lime juice and cilantro. Taste for sugar and fish sauce. Adjust if desired.

Serve the sauce on top of rice vermicelli, with scallops on top of the sauce.

........................................

If you like this post feel free to share it using any of the links. If you repost, please give me credit and a link back to this site. Questions? Comments? Derogatory remarks? Just ask!

Recipe: Scallops Newburg in Toast Cups

Do not overcook this dish. Most seafoods...should be simply threatened with heat and then celebrated with joy. – Jeff Smith

I love Newburg – scallops, shrimp, lobster...

Here’s a relatively quick recipe that serves as a light lunch or as a main dish with a salad on the side.

The most difficult part of this recipe? Making the toast cups. I always have a fight when I try to press a piece of square bread into a round muffin tin. If anyone has a technique to end my suffering please let me know.

I find that pinching the sides together seems to work. Kind of… But the end result makes “all that stress” worthwhile. You can serve on buttered flat toast, but it’s not as dramatic.

There are many variations of “Newburg” with different seafood ingredients. The most common are scallops, shrimp and lobster.

Photo: Renée S., Flickr CCL

History of Seafood Newburg

Abridged from foodtimeline.org

Lobster Newburg first appeared at Delmonico’s in New York in the 1870s. Its was among the most popular dishes served in the American Pavilion at the Paris Exposition of 1900 and the Columbian Exposition in Chicago 1893. 

There are several versions of how the dish got its name. Most agree on two important points: the restaurant that made this dish famous was Delmonico's in New York, and it was named for Ben Wenberg. It appeared on Delmonico’s menu as Lobster a la Wenberg. 

The story of how the name changed from "Wenberg" to "Newburg" is fuzzy. One story has that Mr. Delmonico and Mr. Wenberg had a bit of a falling out. In a fit of pique Mr. Delmonico wanted it removed from the menu, but it was so popular he couldn’t. So he switched the first three letters from “Wen” to “New” and Newburg was born.

Another story has the argument, but from Mr. Wenburg’s side. He didn't want his name used with it. But who in their right mind would not want their name associated with a recipe so delicious?

From Delmonico's the dish gained a life of its own. The first print reference can be found published in 1884. From there the variations – and names – began to accumulate. A Good Way To Prepare Lobster (1883), Lobster Newburg (1887), Creamed Lobster (1883), Newburg Sauce (1938)…

I tend to agree with the first name actually. This is a good way to prepare lobster, or shrimp, or scallops. The originals never had onion or mushrooms. Those are my additions and help stretch a little scallop meat into enough to feed four.

There’s something about the richness of seafood that pairs beautifully with cream, cayenne and liquor. I have written “optional” by the cognac, but you really should include it.

If like most of us you seem to be out of cognac, a perfectly acceptable alternative is either brandy or vermouth.

Delicious either in toast cups or plain toast, with a side salad or not, this recipe takes very little effort to bring together. I’m sure if your family likes scallops they’ll love them served this way!

So many people don't know how to cook scallops.
At their best they are simply seared on both sides and
sprinkled with salt and pepper. Never overcrowd the pan,
or they will steam. Photo: rory k mccharg, Flickr ccl

Scallops Newburg in Toast Cups

Prep: 5 min  |  Cook: 15-20 min  |  Serves 4

1 lb scallops

3 tbsp butter

200g mushrooms, sliced

1/4 medium onion, diced

2 tbsp flour

1-3/4 cups milk

1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/2 tsp dried tarragon, or 2 tsp fresh

1 tbsp cognac, brandy or vermouth, optional

1/2 tsp salt

8 toast cups

Make the toast cups by pressing slices of bread into muffin tins. Place in a 350°F oven until browned. Set aide. (These can be made while you make the sauce.)

Heat one tablespoon of butter in a sauté pan. Once hot, add the scallops. Do not crowd them in the pan.

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and let sear on one side. Then turn – only once – and repeat on the other side. A little on the raw side is best.

Remove the scallops to a pan, and if the scallops are large either quarter or halve them.

Add the remaining butter to the pan. Add the mushrooms and onion and let cook until the mushrooms begin to brown. Add the flour and mix in well. Then slowly add the milk.

Stir until the mixture has thickened. Then add the pepper, cayenne and tarragon. Add the scallops and cognac and let cook long enough to just heat through.

Taste for salt and adjust.

Divide the Newburg between the eight cups. Serve with a simple green salad if you wish.

………………………………….

If you like this post feel free to share it using any of the links. If you repost, please give me credit and a link back to this site.

Questions? Comments? Derogatory remarks? Just ask!