My Grandma's White Cocktails Sauce with Jumbo Grilled Shirmp Cocktail

I will never forget my Grandma's Christmas parties, they meant one thing and one thing only- SHRIMP COCKTAIL TIME!!! This was both blessing and a curse. As we (my mom, aunt, grandma and I) gathered around the kitchen table to peel and devein shrimp; lots and lots of shrimp. That part was no fun, but it was all worth it for those wonderful shrimp and Grandma's white cocktail sauce.

Yes I said white cocktail sauce. This recipe had two uses that I can remember, and they were polar opposites. This sauce was used at Passover for Gelfite fish and at the Christmas party for shrimp. Not so Kosher I know, but oh so tasty.

Not sure where the origins of this sauce came from but I love it and relish any excuse to enjoy it. In a recent cooking class I updated the classic shrimp cocktail by grilling them and serving them with classic red and my beloved white cocktail sauce.

 

Grilled Jumbo Shrimp with Red and White Cocktail Sauce

Serves 6 appetizers

1.5 to 2 lb   Jumbo Shrimp (U10), shell on (approximately24 to 30 shrimp )   

1/3 cup       Grape seed oil

½ tsp           Black pepper
1 ½ tsp        Old Bay
3 tbsp          Fresh lemon juice

Cut through shells of shrimp; along middle of back, using kitchen shears or a paring knife. Exposing the vein, devein shrimp, leaving shells and tail in place.

Prepare grill with medium-hot charcoal or gas grill.

In a bowl stir together grape seed oil, pepper, old bay and lemon juice.

Toss shrimp in in oil and spice mixture and marinate for 15 minutes. (no more than  15 minutes or texture of shrimp will change if marinated too long.)

Grill shrimp for about 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until pink and firm.

Remove from grill and serve shrimp hot or refrigerate till cold.

 

Red Cocktail Sauce

1/2 cup                   Ketchup
1 to 1 ½ tbsp      Prepared horseradish
2 dashes              Crystal or a Louisiana style hot sauce
¼ tsp                    Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup                   Lemon juice

Combine all ingredients and chill till ready to serve.

 

 

White Cocktail Sauce

½ cup                   Mayonnaise

½ tsp                    Sugar

1 tsp                    Onion, finely minced

¼ tsp                   Garlic, finely minced

2 tbsp                  Fresh dill chopped

1 ½ tbsp              Parsley, chopped

1 tsp                    Prepared horseradish

2 tbsp to ¼ cup   Lemon juice

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Stir together all ingredients and add lemon juice to taste; chill till ready to serve.

Salmon Burgers for a Happy and Healthy New Year

 

 

With the New Year just around the corner;

 many of us (oh yes.....myself included) have vowed to eat healthier.

I thought I would share a recipe to help.

 

Salmon burgers can be a great way to eat more Omega-3 Fatty Acids! Those lovey little wonders that support everything from brain function to maintaing strong hair and nails.

 

The recipe for this burger is simple and full of flavor.

It can be made with just about any fish (from yellowtail to shark). It can also be flavored with all your favorite herbs and spices (I chose Asian flavors, but I encourage you to play with your food).

 

 

 

 

Salmon Burger

Serves 4 to 8

2.5 lb                    Salmon 

4                           Green onions, sliced thin
1 tbsp                   Lemon zest
2 tsp                     Fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
1 tsp                     Mirin
1                           Egg, scrambled
½ cup                   Panko bread crumbs
4 tbsp                   Mayonaise (or low-fat Greek yogurt)
2 tsp                     Peanut oil
4                          Hamburgers buns
8 thin slices         English cucumbers
1cup                    Arugula

 

Salmon Burgers:
Discard salmon skin and any bones.

Finely chop salmon by hand.

In a bowl stir together salmon, green onions, lemon zest, ginger, Mirin, egg, bread crumbs and salt and pepper to taste and form into 4 patties.

Refrigerate for 1 hour before cooking.

In a non-stick skillet heat oil over moderate heat until hot but not smoking and sauté patties 4 minutes on each side, or until just cooked through.

Transfer salmon burgers to buns and top with mayonnaise, cucumber, and arugula.

 

Battle Crab Cake with Baja Crab from Catalina Offshore Products

Recently my favorite fish monger (Tommy Gomes at Catalina Offshore Products) introduced me to his newest product, Baja Crab. A flaky, sweet, lump pacific stone crab meat.

You can imagine my excitement, I could not wait to get home and play with crab cakes and crab salad (let's be honest, just standing in from of the fridge eating directly from the tub).
I one question to ask myself;  "should I make a Maryland style crab cakes or a Southern style crab cakes." That is where battle crab cake began.

Southern Style Crab Cakes (left) and Maryland Crab Cakes (right) with coriander pickled corn and blanched green beans.

The results, they both won. That is we love the flavor of the Southern style crab cake, with its bell peppers and Creole Seasoning. While we agreed that the light texture of the Maryland crab cake was amazing. The next step is to buy another tub of crab meat and perfect a recipe for the marriage of the two.

Day at The Docks 2011...Pan Seared Corvina with Citrus Butter and Sauted Swiss Chard

I recently spent the day at H and M landing in Point Loma. I was there for Day at The Docks. A wonderful day to celebrate our local sport fishing community. For me it was a day to help make and sell hundreds of fish taco with my friends from Catalina Offshore Products. The tacos were just a fun way to raise money for the Monarch School (at amazing place that helps to "prepare at-risk children to achieve success through the provision of an accredited education, enrichment programs, social skills training, support services and basic necessities").
But I could never just spend my time "slinging" fish tacos. I had to have some fun teaching. I was invited to do a cooking demonstration on one of the many beautiful sport fishing boats. I did a simple local corvina with a citrus butter and some sauted spinach and swiss chard. Here are the recipes.

Seared Corvina with Cirtus Butter
Serves 4

4 (6 oz) Corvina fish fillets, skinless
2 tbsp Peanut oil
4 tsp Ground coriander
2 tsp Garlic salt
Pepper

Brush fish fillets with peanut oil.
Sprinkle fish with coriander, garlic salt and pepper.
Heat a small non-stick skillet over medium- high heat.
Add fish fillet, flesh side down to the pan.
Cook, without moving, until brown crust forms, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Flip, top fish with citrus butter and cover pan: cook for 5 minutes or until fish is just cooked through

Citrus Butter
Makes 1 cup

1 tbsp Fresh lemon juice
2 tsp Lemon zest
2 tsp Lime zest
1 tsp Orange zest
½ lb Unsalted butter, room temperature
¼ tsp Kosher salt

In a bowl stir together lemon juice, zest, butter, and salt. Roll into a log (using parchment paper) and refrigerate till cold and solid.

Sautéed Spinach and Swiss Chard
Serves 4

2 tbsp Olive oil
2 tbsp Shallots, sliced thin
3 cups Fresh spinach, washed tough stems remove
3 cups Swiss Chard, soaked, tough separated- (stems chopped into small pieces and leaves coarsely chopped)
¼ cup Water
1 tbsp Honey
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat; add shallots and cook about 30 second.
Add water and chard stems. Cover and reduce heat to low, cook for 5 minutes. Remove cover and add chard leaves, season with salt and pepper ;cook for 5 to 7 minutes over medium heat or until chard just starts to become tender.
Add spinach and honey, stir and cover. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until spinach is tender.
Taste for seasoning and serve.