Fish and Seafood Selections

Seared tuna

Fresh Tuna Pan-seared With Ginger-Shiitake Cream Sauce

Posted on 25 February 2017
in Fish and Seafood Selections, Recipes
by Bob

     It wasn’t as if we didn’t have choices. We could choose if we wanted to buy our tuna in pouches or cans and packed in water or oil. We also had the choice of serving it in either a sandwich or a casserole. This was the extent of what I knew about tuna the first four decades of my life. Fresh tuna steaks? Whoever heard of such things?      Well, fresh tuna steaks have often been described as “the fillet mignon of the sea.” The meat’s texture is dense and firm,…

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Shrimp Caramelized With Chardonnay Sauce

Posted on 25 February 2017
in Fish and Seafood Selections, Recipes
by Bob

     First of all, are prawns and shrimp one and the same? Although they have a similar appearance, they are not. We can talk about membership in different crustacean families, but the main difference is their habitat: “Shrimp come from both fresh and salt water and can live in both cold and warm waters; if they come from cold waters, then they will be smaller in size. There are more saltwater than freshwater species. Prawns come from fresh water, and are much larger and meatier, like a langoustine. Their meat…

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Seared scallops

Scallops With Lemon Butter (Simply Divine)

Posted on 23 February 2017
in Fish and Seafood Selections, Recipes
by Bob

     For those of us who love fish, nothing can compare to that delectable taste we experience when we bite into a scallop. Sweet and delicate with a melt in your mouth goodness, it’s heaven at the end of your fork. And scallops served with a lemon butter sauce are divine. Pay Close Attention When Cooking Your Scallops      It should be noted that we lovers of scallops are a fussy lot. We detest one that isn’t cooked properly. If it’s overcooked, it will be chewy and rubbery – and undercooked…

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Shrimp sausage etouffee

Shrimp & Andouille Sausage Étouffée

Posted on 23 February 2017
in Fish and Seafood Selections, Recipes
by Bob

     Someone once said, “I’ve concluded that a woman’s preparation for an evening out is like the making of sausage – the less you know about the process, the more you respect the result.”          Well, I happen to love being privy to a woman’s preparation for an evening out. The transfiguration from natural beauty to stylish elegance and sophistication is often tedious, but it’s always sensual, and sometimes performed with a flourish. Each step is absolutely necessary, deliberate, and most certainly can’t be rushed.      As I was watching…

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tterflied lobster

Lobster Tails Butterflied

Posted on 19 February 2017
in Fish and Seafood Selections, Recipes
by Bob

     Because we live in a landlocked state, few of our guests know anything about lobsters. I always like to impart a bit of information about what I’m about to serve, so I try to regale those assembled with some noted facts.      It takes an American lobster 6-7 years to get to an edible size. While it feeds primarily on fish and mollusks, it will also consume algae, other plant life, and even other lobsters.  It’s a ten-legged crustacean that walks forward, but if it needs to quickly get…

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Jambalaya

Jambalaya (On The Bayou)

Posted on 19 February 2017
in Fish and Seafood Selections, Recipes
by Bob

     It was in the 1950s when country music legend, Hank Williams, released a slew of hits. One of my favorites was “On The Bayou,” a song he wrote along with Moon Mullican. It was number one on the country charts for fourteen consecutive weeks, and it also had huge success as a crossover tune. It’s a song that celebrates good times, good music, good lovin’, and Cajun cuisine.      Although Hank was born and reared an Alabama boy, he did spend some time in Shreveport. I’m assuming this is…

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Frog legs

Frog Legs Frenched And Fried

Posted on 19 February 2017
in Fish and Seafood Selections, Recipes
by Bob

     “I’ve heard it tastes like chicken.” This is usually the response I get when I mention I’ll be preparing frog legs. While the meat does look a bit like chicken, I’ve found the taste to be more subtle and fishlike. Because the meat is cooked right next to the bones, it imparts a rich and delicate flavor, so as far as I’m concerned, frog legs taste like frog legs.     They were never available locally until a new grocery store opened. We had heard their fish section was fantastic, and someone…

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Cataplana (Portuguese Fish Stew )

Posted on 18 February 2017
in Fish and Seafood Selections, Recipes
by Bob

     The Portuguese know fish. Their cuisine reflects the fact that Portugal is a seafaring nation with the highest consumption of fish per capita in all of Europe. This is due to the fact that they have a wide variety of fish and spices available to them. One of their favorite dishes is a rich and delicious fish stew called cataplana.      It’s a bit confusing because the clam-shaped pot the stew is cooked in is also named a cataplana. Its lid has a tight seal, so the pot is basically used…

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coulibiac

Coulibiac – Salmon And Brown Rice (Simplified Version)

Posted on 18 February 2017
in Fish and Seafood Selections
by Bob

     If unique is what you are seeking in a salmon recipe, try a coulibiac.  It’s essentially a pastry loaf containing salmon baked with rice, vegetables, hard-boiled eggs, wine, herbs, and spices.  I read about it in the July 29, 2013, edition of The New Yorker magazine in an article titled “Cooking With Daniel,” where author Bill Buford (author of the book Heat) and Daniel Boulud recreate three French dishes, one of them being coulibiac.  Originally A Russian Dish      It’s origin is Russia and was adapted to French cuisine…

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