"Norcal" Nicoise Salad – Layered for Your Pleasure

"Norcal" Nicoise Salad – Layered for Your Pleasure

French Cuisine Potato Salads Seafood Vegetables

I know I’ve made fun of salads served in Mason jars before, but when I was asked to contribute a layered Nicoise to an Allrecipes Easter feature, I immediately thought of this tragically hip presentation. Also, I didn’t have a straight-sided, see-through glass bowl to do the layered salad in.

I love a good Nicoise, and it’s perfect for layering, especially if you slice/chop up the ingredients first. Not only will your layers be easier to keep straight, but chopped salads are always a pleasure to toss with dressing. Speaking of which, I really enjoyed this avocado spiked French-style vinaigrette, and it paired perfectly with the rich, fatty, olive oil-packed tuna. 

Look for something from Spain or Italy, and you will be impressed with how much nicer it is than the stuff Charlie and his buddies are pushing. So, whether you composed this on a plate, in the classic fashion, or follow my lead, and create the world’s trendiest Nicoise, I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for Nicoise (amounts are up to you)

3-4 ounces per person olive-oil packed tuna

tender green beans

Yukon gold potatoes

cherry tomatoes

hard boiled eggs

Nicoise olives, or other pitted olives

parsley and/or chives

anchovy fillets, optional

Ingredients for the dressing:

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

3 anchovy fillets

2 teaspoons minced shallots

1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon

2 tablespoons lemon juice

3 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1/4 cup ripe avocado

1/3 cup olive oil, or more to taste

freshly ground black pepper

pinch cayenne

water as needed to adjust texture

salt to taste

Prawn Provencale – Eating the 80’s

Prawn Provencale – Eating the 80’s

Appetizer Seafood

I’m not sure these are actually prawns, and I’ve never been to Provence, but this great appetizer was called Prawn Provencale when I learned it working for a caterer, back in the 80’s. It was a crazy time, or so I’m told, and this delicious garlic and herb shrimp pop is one of the more vivid memories I have.

It does take some time to butterfly the prawns, but as I mentioned in the video, everything can be done ahead of time, including the crumbing. Just pan them up, and bake them off, once your guests arrive. Preferably in waves, so they can be enjoyed warm.

In case you’re wondering, while biologically different, culinarily speaking, shrimp and prawns are the same thing. I used to know the difference a long time ago, like in the 80’s, but my brain must’ve erased it for more storage space.

One major tip here is to be sure and season your breadcrumb mixture very well. You can season the shrimp also, but I don’t, and instead make sure the mixture has plenty of everything. Once they’re baked, you can serve with any number of dips, or just some fresh lemon. So, whether you’re making these for a party or not, I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 pounds shrimp (about 32 pieces)

2 pounds shrimp (16-20 per pound), butterflied

olive oil for brushing pan

For the breadcrumb mixture:

3-4 cloves garlic, crushed fine with dried herbs and salt)

kosher salt to taste

1/4 teaspoon dry oregano

1/4 teaspoon dry thyme

1/3 cup Italian parsley

1 cup plain dry breadcrumbs

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

cayenne to taste

1/3 cup olive oil, or as needed

Norwegian Butter Sauce – Better Know as Sandefjordsmør

Norwegian Butter Sauce – Better Know as Sandefjordsmør

Sauces Seafood Tips and Techniques

My Norwegian pronunciations aren’t any better than my French ones, but as challenging as saying, “Sandefjordsmør,” may be, this amazingly simple butter sauce is not very challenging to make. 

People get nervous about butter sauce, since many types can easily “break,” which means the butter separates, but because of the cream, this is extremely stable, and very user-friendly. As long you don’t dump all the cold butter cubes in at once, and just toss them in a few at a time, your sauce will not break. 

Along the same lines, if you make the sauce early, be sure to keep it in a warm spot, since if it gets cold and solidifies, and then you try and reheat it, the butter will most likely separate. Above and beyond being easy, and relatively sturdy, this Sandefjordsmør is also quite versatile.

Not only is it wonderful on all types of fish, but also works beautifully with shrimp and lobster. Speaking of versatility, the same goes for changing up the herbs. So, no matter how you flavor it, or what you spoon it over, I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 servings:

2 lemons, juiced

1/2 cup heavy cream

5 tablespoons cold unsalted, grass-fed butter, cut in cubes

salt and cayenne to taste

2 generous tablespoons chopped Italian parsley

Brazilian Fish Stew – Almost Moqueca

Brazilian Fish Stew – Almost Moqueca

Seafood Spicy Stews

In case I wasn’t completely clear the multiple times I mentioned it in the video – this is just my take, my twist, my interpretation of a Brazilian fish stew. Or, as people who will ignore the previous sentence call it, “moqueca.”

The most glaring omission from the classic ingredient list would be red palm oil, which apparently gives this dish it signature flavor. Since I don’t think I ever had it, it’s hard for me to say, but what I can tell you, is that this was incredibly delicious even without the mysterious oil.

Like most of the world’s great fish stews, this is usually made with several types of seafood, but this is what I’m calling the weeknight version. Using a whitefish, along with scallops, shrimp, clams, etc., is lovely, but then you do have to worry about timing, so that everything finishes at the same time.

By using one fish, this really is quite a simple recipe, and the little bit of slicing and mincing involved is well worth the gorgeous, and very tasty results. I really do hope you give this gorgeous Brazilian fish stew a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 yellow onion, thinly sliced

1 teaspoon salt, plus more to taste

2 tablespoons tomato paste

4 cloves minced garlic

2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

cayenne pepper to taste

1 can (14-oz) coconut milk (not low fat!)

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1 1/2 cup sliced assorted sweet and/or hot peppers

1/4 cup chopped green onion

1 1/2 pounds sea bass, or other firm white fish, cut into chunks

1/4 cup chopped cilantro leaves

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice

serve with rice

Deviled Lobster Tails – There's Something in the Details

Deviled Lobster Tails – There's Something in the Details

Appetizer Seafood Spicy

I never blame people for not wanting to work with fresh lobsters, but when it comes to lobster tails, there is no excuse. Well, I guess the enormous price tag is also an excuse, but other than that, no excuse. 

Speaking of price tags, since the recipe is so straightforward, I’ll spend the rest of the post ranting about pre-thawed lobster at the market. When buying your tails, ask the person working the fish department to go into the freezer, and get you ones that are still frozen. Lobster tails are always flash frozen shortly after being caught, and sent to the grocery store in this state, which is how they should be sold, except they’re not. 

What the grocery store does is thaw them, and pile them in the fish case, so you think a big batch of fresh lobster tails have just arrived from Cape Cod. They sit there for a day, or two, or three, getting less fresh and sweet by the minute. So, bypass the “fresh,” for the frozen, which are fresher. I really hope that all made sense, but regardless, with fancy dinner party season in full swing, I really do hope you give these deviled lobster tails a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

Please note: I never measure when I use this technique, and so these are just guesses. Everything in this is “to taste,” so work accordingly.

4 frozen lobster tails, thawed and split as shown

1/4 cup mayonnaise

pinch of salt

1 tablespoon sriracha hot sauce

1/4 teaspoon cayenne

1 teaspoon paprika

1 teaspoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons chopped tarragon, chervil, or dill

Mexican-Style Shrimp Cocktail – The New Taco?

Mexican-Style Shrimp Cocktail – The New Taco?

Appetizer Mexican Food Seafood Spicy

One of the many advantages of living in San Francisco is my proximity to some pretty amazing Mexican food. That used to be a much bigger deal, but happily, you can now get tacos and burritos in just about every corner of the country these days.

However, one item that hasn’t swept the nation like the others, is the Mexican-style shrimp cocktail. Which is a shame, since it’s every bit as good, if not better, than the more common version. Who knows? Maybe if this video goes viral, one day “Taco Tuesday,” will be joined by “Mexican Shrimp Cocktail Monday.”

Please just use the ingredients and amounts below as a rough guide, and adapt as you see fit. The spiciness, tanginess, and salt level are all very subjective things, and you’ll almost certainly need to adjust. I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 servings:

1 cup clam juice

1 pound raw large shrimp, peeled and deveined

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1 cup diced English cucumber

1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 cup finely diced red onion

2 tablespoons jalapeno peppers, seeded, finely diced

1 1/4 cup diced, peeled, seeded ripe tomatoes, or quartered small cherry tomatoes

1/2 cup ketchup

2 freshly squeezed limes or to taste

freshly chopped cilantro to taste

Mexican hot sauce to taste

1 large Hass avocado, cubed

Grilled Shrimp Louie – Dressing Up a Classic

Grilled Shrimp Louie – Dressing Up a Classic

Dressings Salads Sauces Seafood

I don’t do a lot of salad dressing videos, since it’s pretty much just adding things to a bowl, but when that dressing is going on a grilled shrimp Louie, I’ll make an exception. By the way, this is usually done with crab, but I think the smoky, grilled shrimp are a great summertime twist.

This is my take on a classic Louie dressing, and as with all such recipes, you’ll need to taste and adjust for acid, salt, and heat. Just be sure to wait until the dressing is nice and cold before tasting. You’ll get a more accurate reading, since that’s the temperature we’re going to be serving at.

If you do grill the shrimp, don’t toss it with the oil and lemon until right before you grill. This isn’t a marinade, and we don’t want the shrimp to start “cooking” in the acid. I really hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 1 3/4 cups:

1 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup ketchup

1/4 cup crème fraiche

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar

1 packed teaspoon brown sugar

1 teaspoon paprika

1/8 teaspoon cayenne

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2 tablespoons minced green onion

2 tablespoons freshly chopped parsley

For the grilled shrimp:

2 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp

1 tablespoon olive oil

juice from 1/2 lemon

1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 teaspoon kosher salt