Tag: seafood
New England Clam Chowder
New England Clam Chowder
I absolutely love chowders of all types; especially clam chowder. Quality clam chowder can cost you an arm and a leg. This chowder is so good that you’d think that it came from a high-end restaurant. For what you’d normally pay for 2 servings eating out, this recipe will yield enough to serve 8.
Ingredients
- 6 strips bacon diced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 small white onion diced
- 3 ribs celery diced
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp hot sauce
- 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp dried parsley
- 1/4 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp dried thyme
- 1/3 cup flour
- 4 cups half and half
- 1 cup chicken stock
- 8 oz clam juice
- 1 bay leaf
- 1 1/2 lbs red potatoes diced
- 16 oz chopped clams
Instructions
- In a large pot, brown the bacon until crispy. Remove from the pan, reserving 2 tbsp of the bacon grease.
- Add in the butter. Sauté the onions and celery for 5 minutes over medium high heat.
- Add in the garlic, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, oregano, parsley, thyme, and smoked paprika. Cook for 1 minute.
- Stir in the flour. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add in the chicken stock and half/half.
- Stir in the clam juice and bay leaf. Bring to a gentle boil, then reduce the heat to low. Simmer for 20 minutes, occasionally stirring.
- Add in the potatoes and continue simmering for 20 minutes.
- Stir in the clams and half of the cooked bacon. Simmer for no more than 5 minutes.
Garnish with more crumbled bacon. Serve with oyster crackers.
Scallops in Brown Butter Sauce
Scallops in Brown Butter Sauce
Scallops are some of my favorite seafood to eat. Cooking them in brown butter makes them even better. Brown butter is regular butter cooked until the milk solids brown, giving the butter a nuttier flavor. Once you have browned the butter, scallops will only take a couple of minutes a side until a crust forms. Plate them up, pouring the remaining butter over the scallops. Finish off with Hawaiian pink salt. Truly a decadent treat for any occasion.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 lb sea scallops 10-20ct
- cracked black pepper
- Hawaiian pink salt
Instructions
- Pat dry the scallops on paper towel. Season with fresh cracked black pepper.
- Melt the butter in a nonstick pan over medium heat. Whisk for 3-5 minutes until the butter starts to turn brown.
- Increase the heat to medium high. Add in the scallops.
- Cook for 2-3 minutes a side until a crust is formed on each side.
Chimichurri Shrimp Quinoa Salad
Chimichurri Shrimp Quinoa Salad
This is the first time I’ve cooked with quinoa. I’ve eaten it in numerous forms plenty of times and am now making it a regular part of my diet due to quinoa’s nutrient density of protein, fiber, b vitamins, and other minerals. The salad has chimichurri sauce mixed in with quinoa, shrimp, and grape tomatoes. If you aren’t a fan of shrimp, you can substitute cooked chicken breast.
Ingredients
- 1 lb 41/50 count shrimp
- 4 cups water
- 2 cups quinoa
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 2 cups grape tomatoes sliced in half
- 1/2 cup chimichurri sauce
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring 4 cups of water to boil. Add in the shrimp and boil for 4-5 minutes. Remove the shrimp from the pot. Remove the shells and tails. Set aside.
- Add the quinoa to the boiling water. Reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 20 minutes until all of the water has been absorbed.
- Allow the quinoa to completely cool.
- Mix together the quinoa, chimichurri sauce, salt, and pepper. Stir in the shrimp and grape tomatoes.
Chimichurri Sauce
Chimichurri is a raw sauce originating from Argentina. It is used on all types of meat, fish, vegetables, and doubles as a marinade. Chimichurri’s base ingredients are parsley, cilantro, onion, garlic, red wine vinegar, and olive oil. There are a couple ways that you can prepare chimichurri. The first way is to process all of the ingredients in a food processor. This produces a a sauce with a homogenized blend. The other way is to process the herbs, onion, and garlic. Then the rest of the ingredients are stirred in. This gives the sauce a chunkier texture. Both are great. The sauce keeps for up to 2 weeks in the refrigerator.
Equipment
- food processor
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup parsley
- 1/2 cup cilantro
- 1/2 medium white onion
- 4 garlic cloves
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp oregano
- 1/2 tsp chili flakes
- 1/3 cup olive oil
Instructions
- Chop the onions and garlic in a food processor.
- Add in the parsley and cilantro. Process until the herbs are finely chopped. Scrape into a bowl.
- Stir in the red wine vinegar, olive oil, oregano, chili flakes, and salt.
- Store in a container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
