Tag: seafood
Shrimp and Andouille Creole Pizza
Shrimp and Andouille Creole Pizza
Creole cuisine is one of my favorite types of food. I wanted to incorporate ingredients that are in gumbo and jambalaya into a pizza. For the toppings, I used thinly sliced andouille sausage sautéed with the trinity(celery, bell pepper, and onion), plus some garlic, 26/30 ct. shrimp that were sliced in half, and green onion. For the sauce, I created a creole béchamel using the leftover fat of the sautéed andouille and the addition of creole seasoning. I cut back on the amount of mozzarella since this is fairly heavy pizza.
Equipment
- pizza pan or stone
Ingredients
- 1 pizza dough recipe or half for thin crust
- 1 1/2 cups mozzarella cheese
- 1 large andouille sausage thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup celery finely chopped
- 1/4 cup yellow onion finely chopped
- 1/4 cup red or green bell pepper finely chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 12 26/30 ct. shrimp peeled; deveined; tails removed; sliced in half
- 1/4 cup green onion finely chopped
Creole Cream Sauce
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 tsp creole seasoning
Instructions
- Sauté the andouille sausage, celery, bell pepper, and onion for 4 minutes. Add in the garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Remove from the pan, saving any drippings.
- In the same pan, add the butter and flour. Cook for 2 minutes, whisking out the lumps.
- Pour in the milk. Continue whisking; cooking for 2 minutes until thickened into a cream sauce.
- Turn off the heat. Stir in the creole seasoning.
- Roll out the pizza dough to your desired thickness. Spread the sauce on the dough, leaving a 1/4” edge of crust.
- Top the pizza with mozzarella, rolled by the andouille mixture, halved shrimp, and green onion.
- Bake in a preheated 475° oven for 12-15 minutes.
Pizza Dough
For the last 8 months, I’ve been trying to perfect the perfect standard pizza dough. Through lots of trial and error, I think I may have done it. This recipe is basic and straightforward, yielding what I consider a really good medium thickness crust for a 14” pizza. If you divide the dough into two, you will have 2 – 12” thin crust pizzas. Once assembled, these pizzas bake at 475° for 12-15 minutes depending on the crust thickness and the type of pan or pizza stone you use. This dough can keep in the refrigerator for 3 days and can also be frozen.
Equipment
- upright standing mixer with dough hook attachment
- plastic wrap
- rolling pin optional
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 tsp dry active yeast
- 2 tsp sugar
- 3/4 cup warm water
- 2 cups flour plus extra
- 1 tsp salt
- 3 tbsp olive oil
Instructions
- Mix together the yeast and sugar. Dissolve in the warm water and let activate until bubbly; about 5 minutes.
- Mix the flour and salt in an upright standing mixer for 30 seconds on low. Pour in the yeast mixture and olive oil.
- Increase the speed to medium and continue to knead for 5 minutes. At this point, the dough will pull away completely from the side of the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow the dough to rise in a warm area for about 30 minutes.
- Gently flour a clean surface. Place the dough in the center of the floured surface and lightly flour the top.
- Using either your hands or a rolling pin, stretch out the dough to your desired thickness.
Shrimp and Pork Belly Negiyaki
If using pork belly, lay the slices across the pancake once you pour the batter in the pan.
Oysters with Mignonette Sauce
Oysters with Mignonette Sauce
Despite the French name, mignonette sauce was created in New York in the 1930’s. The red wine vinegar and shallot base cuts through the brininess of oysters; making them the perfect accompaniment. There are many variations of mignonette sauce; some using champagne vinegar, herbs, hot sauce, amongst other additions. When choosing the right oyster, there are a few things to consider. The first is the type. Do you like a milder tasting oyster, then go with the traditional Blue Point. I’m partial to briny oysters such as Old Salts and Kumamoto. The next thing to consider is shucking them at home. You will need an oyster shucker, oyster gloves or a towel, and ice; preferably shaved. The oysters need to be on ice the whole time from purchase, to transport, to the kitchen, and serving. First, wash the oysters in cold water. Place on your oyster gloves. Using the oyster shucker, wedge the tip into the back lip of the oyster and pop open, trying to keep in all of the oyster liquor. Swipe the inside bottom of the oyster to loosen it from the shell. Immediately place back on ice. This will take some practice if this is your first time shucking. Then spoon over a teaspoon of mignonette sauce on each oyster.
Equipment
- oyster shucker
- shaved ice
Ingredients
- 12 oysters freshly shucked and on ice
Mignonette Sauce
- 2 tbsp shallots finely chopped
- 1/4 cup red wine vinegar
- cracked black pepper
Instructions
- Mix together the red wine vinegar and shallots, then refrigerate. Wash, then shuck the oysters. Place on shaved ice. Spoon some of the mignonette sauce on each of the oysters. Crack fresh pepper over each of the oysters and serve.
Blackened Grilled Shrimp
Blackened Grilled Shrimp
Blackened seasoning was made popular in the 1980’s by the godfather of Cajun and Creole cooking, Paul Prudhomme. The seasoning was used to mimic open-fire grilling, but on cast iron in a commercial restaurant kitchen; creating a blackened crust. Blackened seasoning is great on chicken, fish, seafood, and vegetables; giving a nice smokey flavor.
Equipment
- metal skewers
- chimney starter
- charcoal
- charcoal grill
Ingredients
- 1 lb 16-20 ct. shrimp peeled and deveined
Blackened Seasoning
- 2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp onion powder
- 1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp oregano
- 1/4 tsp thyme
- 1/4 tsp salt
Instructions
- Mix together the blackened seasoning.
- Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels. Toss the shrimp with the blackened seasoning.
- Add 5-6 shrimp on each skewer.
- Let the charcoal turn gray in a chimney starter. Pour the charcoal into the grill in a single layer and place on the grill grate. Place the skewers directly over the charcoal.
- Grill for 3-4 minutes a side until the shrimp are cooked through.
