Tag: Seafood

Shrimp scampi

The word ‘scampi’ means shrimp, so this dish is called shrimp shrimp.

Fun Fact: There are more than 2000 species of shrimp.

This is a pretty simple dish but it really comes together as more than just the few simple ingredients that are used. I think one of the great parts of the recipe is using the shrimp shells to make the stock that forms the base of the sauce. Its a great lesson on not wasting any part of the ingredient and making fresh shrimp stock is so much better than what you might find in a store so its a win-win. I’d also say feel free to experiment with the type of noodle. I like rigatoni since its about the same size as the shrimp for easy eating.

This recipe is from Not Another Cooking Show (click here) and while I stayed close to the recipe, I did use Argentinian Red Shrimp which actually gave my sauce that more deep orange/red color compared to his recipe which I actually think I preferred. I also served it with some homemade bread which I think is non-negotiable since you’ll want to mop up that super delicious sauce (don’t you dare waste it). This was a super fun and easy recipe to make and the dish was fantastic, definitely recommend and I’ll be making this again in the future.

Scallops with Pea Puree

I think the pea puree and micro greens qualify this as a salad…

Fun Fact: Scallops are the only bivalve mollusk that can jump and swim.

This is one of the first ‘chef-y’ dishes I came up with including thinking about the presentation, plating, and the colors of the dish. I’ve gone through a few iterations and designs but this is really just a technique style recipe for you to be creative with. Scallops are one of my favorite seafood items to make and can be incredible when prepared correctly. I think peas + scallops are a great match and the toppings and garnishes can help bring some brightness and a punch of spice. This recipe is a great way to experiment with scallops and I have a few more variations I can’t wait to share.

This recipe is pretty loosely defined and is meant to leave room for you to adjust to your preferences, especially for the garnishes. This is meant to allow you to taste, adjust and really get a feel for cooking with intuition and adjusting on the fly. Feel free to experiment with the plating and I’d love to see what you come up with!

Tips and tricks:

  • Use the recipe as a guide but be sure to taste and adjust as you see fit. This is after all, your dish to eat (unless you want to invite me over and let me try it).
  • For the garnish/ salsa, this is a good time to practice your knife work. its really visually appealing to get a very small dice on the vegetables and make a great topping to sprinkle on.
  • Make sure to fully drain the peas before blending, and add liquid sparingly to thin it out. Can always add but not remove to control the thickness.
  • To make the puree extra smooth, pass it through a strainer or sieve for pro chef-y points. Gold star for you.
  • The pea puree will make a lot more than needed for a single serving (in picture above) so feel free to adjust the amount. Can also be used as a dip or a soup if you thin it out more!

Ingredients

  • 3 scallops, thawed and patted dry (per serving)
  • 1 Tb. butter
  • Pea Puree:
    • 2 c. peas, thawed or fresh
    • Stock or water
    • Butter
    • 1-2 tsp. Lemon juice (to taste) and lemon zest
    • 1-2 cloves garlic, roughly chopped and sautéed
    • Mint leaves, 1/4 c. chopped or to taste (optional)
  • Mango Salsa:
    • Mango, small dice
    • Shallots, small dice
    • Fresno Chile or Habanero pepper, small dice
    • Red/Orange sweet pepper, small dice
  • Garnish:
    • Pomegranate Seeds
    • Microgreens
    • Fresno Chile, thinly sliced
    • Snow Peas
    • Blood orange segments
    • Pickled lemon rind
    • Thin sliced radish, cucumber

Get Cooking

  1. Prepare mango salsa: Small dice the mango, shallots, Fresno Chile, and sweet pepper. Combine and set aside to let the flavors develop. Wait to season with salt (as needed) just before plating to avoid drawing out water.
  2. Additionally, prepare any other garnishes such as charred pea pods, blood orange segments, pickled lemon rinds, etc. Go crazy!
  3. Pea Puree: Boil the peas in the chicken stock or water until fully tender, 2-3 minutes. Be sure not to over cook them as they will lose their vibrant green color.
  4. Fully drain the peas and add to a blender or food processor. Add in the garlic (optional), chopped mint (optional), lemon zest, salt, and pepper to taste and blend until smooth. Add in small chunks of butter and keep blending to emulsify.
  5. At this point, adjust the taste of the puree as you see fit, and adjust the viscosity with small additions of lemon juice or stock/water. Optionally, pass through a mesh sieve until smooth. Set aside until ready to plate, keep warm.
  6. Pat the scallops completely dry and preheat a skillet on high heat until very hot. Add a small amount of high smoke point oil (vegetable, canola, avocado, etc.). Season with salt and pepper on both sides. PRO TIP: Whichever side you sear first will usually have the better/more even sear so pick that as the presentation side. Make sure to pick the larger/flat side for this.
  7. Place the scallops in the pan and press slightly to ensure good contact. Season the other side with salt and pepper. Sear for 2-5 minutes or until golden brown on the first side.
  8. Gently flip the scallops and add the butter, reducing the heat to medium. Once the butter is melted, baste the tops of the scallops. Cook for another ~3 minutes or so or until fully cooked.
  9. Plate! Go crazy with plating and feel free to get creative.

Seafood Paella

I took high school Spanish so I know how to pronounce this dish.


Fun Fact: Paella has origins in Valencia and the first documented recipes date back to the 18th century.

Since Christmas has far less rules about what to make (compared to Thanksgiving) I decided to make this as a way to pretend I was in a much more exotic place for the holiday (results may vary based on imagination).

I had never made paella before so I found this recipe from tastesbetterfromscratch.com (click here) to use as a baseline, but did make some changes to adapt to what I had on hand. It is a simple recipe but very easy to follow and the results turned out great! I think this recipe has a lot of room to experiment with in terms of fillings so feel free to get creative!

For my version, I used a mix of seafood including calamari rings, octopus, baby scallops, and muscles. Additionally, I decided to get some U13/15 shrimp to arrange on top and I think they really brought the dish together. I used a 12 inch diameter pan which worked well so I would be careful to adjust things if your pan size is different.