Is there anything better than fresh fish in the summer?
- By America's Test Kitchen
In the traditional Greek dish called shrimp saganaki, sweet, briny shrimp are covered with a garlic- and herb-accented tomato sauce and topped with crumbles of creamy, salty feta cheese.
Restaurant versions, however, can be a gamble. The shrimp can be tough and rubbery, the tomato sauce can turn out dull or overwhelming, and the feta is often lackluster. We set out to develop a fool-proof recipe for home cooks.
Canned diced tomatoes, along with sauteed onion and garlic, provided the base for the sauce. Dry white wine added acidity, and ouzo, the slightly sweet anise-flavored Greek liqueur, added welcome complexity.
While the shrimp are typically layered with the tomato sauce and feta and baked, we were after a quick and easy dish. We opted to cook the shrimp right in the sauce; adding the shrimp raw to the sauce helped infuse them with the sauce's bright flavor.
And for even more flavor, we first marinated the shrimp with olive oil, ouzo, garlic, and lemon zest while we made the sauce. A generous sprinkling of feta and chopped fresh dill over the sauced shrimp finished our recipe.
The cooking time is for extra-large shrimp (about 21 to 25 per pound). If using smaller or larger shrimp, be sure to adjust the cooking time as needed. If you don't have ouzo, you can substitute an equal amount of Pernod or 1 tablespoon vodka plus 1/8 teaspoon anise seeds.
GREEK-STYLE SHRIMP WITH TOMATOES AND FETA
Servings: 4-6
Start to finish: 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 pounds extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons ouzo
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Salt and pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1 red or green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained with 1/3 cup juice reserved
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh parsley
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (1 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
DIRECTIONS:
Toss shrimp in bowl with 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon ouzo, 1 teaspoon garlic, lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, bell pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables release their liquid, 3 to 5 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates and vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Stir in tomatoes and reserved juice, wine, and remaining 2 tablespoons ouzo. Bring to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld and sauce is slightly thickened (sauce should not be completely dry), 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Reduce heat to medium-low and add shrimp along with any accumulated juices; stir to coat and distribute evenly. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are opaque throughout, 6 to 9 minutes, adjusting heat as needed to maintain bare simmer. Off heat, sprinkle with feta and dill and drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Serve.
Nutrition information per serving: 330 calories; 150 calories from fat; 17 g fat (6 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 168 mg cholesterol; 1298 mg sodium; 16 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 11 g sugar; 21 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit americastestkitchen.com. Find more recipes like Greek-Style Shrimp in "Complete Mediterranean ."
- By Robert Luhmann, Eagle correspondent
It's summertime and my thoughts turn to lobster more than any other time of year.
When eating lobster from the shell, I find it virtually impossible not to create a shambles at the table. For that reason, I find it much safer to enjoy lobster on the deck, as I get in far less trouble with the lovely Lois. I inevitably spray lobster juice as I crack lobster shells and as I savor the precious meat dipped in sweet clarified butter, I just as inevitably drip it everywhere. There's a reason why restaurants provide bibs to adults with boiled lobster dinners.
Then, there is one of life's most pleasing food pairings of boiled lobster with the all-too-briefly-available New England sweet corn on the cob. There's something so satisfyingly basic about eating boiled lobster and corn on the cob as you have little choice but to dig in with both hands with a minimum use of utensils. The table, my clothes (I refuse to wear a bib) and close environs have the potential of becoming collateral damage, as I happily gorge myself on two of the most inelegant, but pleasurable foods on this planet.
I have to admit to a mixed relationship with the species, however. I spent close to 15 years as a chef on Cape Cod, during which I killed a lot of lobsters. I've always felt there would have to be a resultant day of reckoning. A symptom of my restaurant PTSD is I've had this recurring nightmare of being sent down to lobster hell. In this nightmare, I'm forced to run a gauntlet of lobsters snapping and pinching at me as I pass. At the end of the gauntlet is a cauldron of boiling water into which I'm pitched by my ghosts of slaughtered lobsters' past. Before they yank me out of the boiling cauldron, they dance around the cauldron singing a variation of the boys' chant in "Lord of the Flies." Their chorus is, "Kill the chef, boil `em up, do it again!" It being lobster hell, this nightmare repeats for eternity.
My most memorable restaurant experience with lobster was on an evening in the 1980s when I was the chef/owner of my family's restaurant, The Captain Linnell House in Orleans on Cape Cod. It was on a Saturday evening in the latter part of September, when business was less predictable, and we had fewer staff than during the summer months. The evening in question, following Murphy's Law, turned out to be considerably busier than expected. My sous chef, Gene the Dream, and I were cooking to order some involved dishes requiring all our concentration for what turned out to be 170 customers that evening.
We were in the middle of one of the busiest times of the evening and just on the cusp of being "in the weeds" (a restaurant term meaning being overwhelmed, but before your hair catches fire). It was at that point we got an order from a table of nine celebrating the birthday of the future lieutenant governor of Massachusetts, Thomas P. "Tom" O'Neill III. His father, the legendary Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill, Jr., was Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives at the time and was celebrating his son's birthday with him.
Speaker O'Neill decided to order a lobster salad that evening. His choice presented me with a conundrum of sorts. Lobster salad wasn't on my menu, I didn't have cooked lobster meat in my cooler, and I was distracted by my hair beginning to catch fire. I was not, however, comfortable with denying a dinner order from the man third in line to the presidency of the United States, who was celebrating the birthday of his son in my restaurant.
Somehow, I cooked the lobster, chilled it in an ice bath, removed the meat from the shell and put together the best lobster salad I could under the circumstances, while still manning my station for the continuing onslaught of customer orders. I'm not describing this scene to boast about my abilities as a chef so many years ago. I'm describing circumstances, which are not atypical in restaurant kitchens everywhere. So many chefs have faced similar situations and somehow found an extra gear to overcome the adversity of the moment. It comes with the territory. This story just happens to involve a former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Memorable doesn't fully describe the experience still seared into my brain some 30-plus years later.
My family sold the restaurant 31 years ago to the Conways, who still own it following my family's 10-year stewardship. In writing this article, I became curious to see what the menu looked like after all these years. As I read the online menu, there were a few preparations described exactly as ones from my menus 31 years ago. I'm sure each of those preparations has evolved over the years, just as my cooking style has evolved. One of those dishes was bourbon lobster bisque. I've included the recipe, as I prepared it recently.
BOURBON LOBSTER BISQUE
I prepared this recipe specifically for extending our lobster experience after having bought the store's limit of four 1 1/2-pound lobsters on sale at a local market. We tend to be greedy with our lobsters and we kept them all to ourselves; however, this recipe can serve four. My plan was for lobsters three ways: boiled, on a roll and as bisque. We each had one of the boiled lobsters for dinner, after which I removed the meat from the remaining two lobsters, reserving all the shells for a stock. After making four lobster rolls for another meal, I reserved half of a tail from one of the lobsters to add to the bisque. This recipe can be done in advance up until adding the cr me fraiche and reserved lobster meat before serving. Served with bagels, cream cheese with smoked salmon and a glass of white Burgundy makes for a decadent summer brunch.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
Enough lobster shells to make more than 6 cups of concentrated lobster stock
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 celery stalk, chopped (about cup)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup bourbon
1/2 cup jasmine rice
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 8-ounce container cr me fraiche
Finely chopped reserved lobster meat
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped chives for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
Make the lobster stock by covering the lobster shells by about 1 inch with water in a large stock pot. Bring the stock to the boil over medium high heat. Turn the stock down to simmer and simmer for about an hour. Strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve, discard the shells and reduce the stock over high heat until something over 6 cups remain.
Melt butter in a medium large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook, stirring occasionally to avoid browning until very soft, about 15 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes until brick red. Add bourbon and bring to a boil. Stir in the rice, herbs, cayenne, 6 cups of the lobster stock and 1 tablespoon lemon juice and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the rice is very soft, about 25 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and remove and discard the bay leaf.
When the soup is cool enough, puree the soup until smooth (very small grains of rice may remain).
Reheat the soup after adding the container of cr me fraiche and reserved lobster meat. If necessary, add additional stock until the bisque achieves proper consistency. Add salt, pepper and additional lemon juice (if necessary) to taste. Garnish with fresh chives and serve hot.
- By America's Test Kitchen
You may be used to pan-searing thick-cut white fish fillets any time you take them home from the market and want a quick dinner, but it's worth it to try a different technique.
Braising is a great way to add flavor to mild-tasting fish, it's a mess-free alternative to cooking in oil in a skillet, and it doesn't take much longer to execute with fish.
Using cherry tomatoes and making a white wine sauce in the pan made the dish fresh and bright — perfect for pristine white fish. Cooking the fillets among sauteed leeks imparted a subtle sweet flavor to the fish. To ensure the fish cooked through gently and evenly, we turned down the heat and covered the skillet so the fish both simmered and steamed.
A pat of butter swirled into the resulting sauce contributed richness. Haddock, snapper, tilapia, bluefish, monkfish, and sea bass fillets are good substitutes for the cod.
BRAISED COD WITH LEEKS AND CHERRY TOMATOES
Servings: 4
Start to finish: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced thin and washed thoroughly
Salt and pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
Four 6- to 8-ounce skinless cod fillets, 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick
DIRECTIONS:
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, wine, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and bring to simmer.
Pat cod dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Nestle cod into skillet and spoon some vegetables and sauce over top. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until fish flakes apart when gently prodded with paring knife and registers 140 F, 10 to 12 minutes.
Carefully transfer cod to platter. Stir remaining 1 tablespoon butter into vegetables, season with salt and pepper to taste, and spoon vegetables and sauce over cod. Serve.
Nutrition information per serving: 372 calories; 95 calories from fat; 11 g fat (6 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 120 mg cholesterol; 443 mg sodium; 20 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 7 g sugar; 43 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit americastestkitchen.com . Find more recipes like Braised Cod with Leeks and Cherry Tomatoes in "How to Braise Everything ."
- By Robert Luhmann, Eagle correspondent
I love our local sweet corn, but it comes with a complicated history. The season now lasts from mid-July until past the middle of September. I find the best corn is generally found from the end of July until the first week of September. It's during this period our local corn fully develops its savory flavor, becoming more nuanced while maintaining its characteristic sweetness and tenderness. Later in the season, the sugars convert to starch and the kernels become tougher.
Corn or maize, as it's known below our southern border, was first cultivated by indigenous people in southern Mexico as early as 10,000 years ago from a grass called teosinte. The earliest ears of maize were just inches long and bore little resemblance to our sweet corn of today. Maize's cultivation spread first south into South America and the Andes about 6,000 years ago, before beginning to spread significantly northward about 4,500 years ago.
Corn cultivation didn't reach New England until about 1,000 years ago as Native Americans slowly developed strains that could mature in the shorter northern growing seasons. The development of corn cultivation, and the ability of corn to be dried and stored, was a major driving force for many of our Native American tribes to eschew a transient lifestyle following food sources with the seasons and begin adopting a less nomadic lifestyle, eventually forming permanent settlements. As cultivation became more prevalent, corn became a staple of many of our Native American peoples. Corn was dried before the winter and was either reconstituted into hominy or ground into corn meal for any number of uses. Dried corn was essential for planting the following spring.
By the time the Pilgrims landed almost 400 years ago in November 1620 as the first Europeans to arrive in New England, the cultivation of corn had become well established among the Native American peoples of the area. Cultivation of corn played a major role in the survival of the Pilgrims of Plimouth Plantation; however, discovery by the Pilgrims of dried corn on Cape Cod was their first aggressive act committed against Native American peoples.
Native Americans had learned to store a winter cache of dried corn underground in corn husk baskets lined with grass to prevent mold and mildew. It took less than four days after the Pilgrims' first landed in Provincetown harbor after 66 days at sea for the Pilgrims to discover and pilfer a buried cache of dried corn while exploring the shores of Cape Cod. That cache on Corn Hill in Truro belonged to the Pamet tribe of the Wampanoag nation. The Pilgrims quickly moved on from the area, so there's no accurate record of how the Pamet tribe fared that winter without the stolen corn; however, we do know the Pilgrims used some of that corn to plant their first crop the following spring.
Today, there are several unresolved debates regarding sweet corn. The first debate is how to eat it off the cob. This is, of course, an extremely serious question that can reveal enormous amounts of information regarding your personality. Are you a neat freak and eat the corn in rows, moving along the cob as an old-fashioned manual typewriter? Are you an artistic right-brainer and eat around the cob circularly turning it like a rolling pin? Maybe you belong in the rabid squirrel category and take random bites off the cob? Finally, do you dispense with the whole eating off the cob thing and strip the cob of its kernels before eating?
My method is to eat it in rows, which probably has a lot to do with when my brother and I were kids watching Looney Tunes. One of those early exaggerated cartoon characters would wildly chomp to the end of each row of corn and a ding from a manual typewriter would sound as he joyously flailed through each row of corn. My brother and I thought it was hilarious and would mimic that character as we ate our corn, dinging as we finished each row. I'm sure our parents were not quite so thrilled.
The next debate is how to cook corn on the cob or whether to even cook it all. People swear by whatever method they use and will stick their chins out defiantly if challenged. The cooking methods include boiling, steaming, poaching, grilling or roasting — with or without the husk — and microwaving. Once again, there are pluses and minuses to each method and may have a lot more to do with what you're serving it with, how many ears you're cooking, the recipe you may be using and personal taste.
Whatever method you use, the most important considerations are to make sure the corn is as local and fresh as possible and that it's not overcooked. Once corn has been picked, it begins a slow steady process of having its natural sugars convert to starch. I say slow, because it was once believed to enjoy sweet corn a pot needed to be put on to boil before picking the corn. Hybridization has significantly slowed the sugar conversion process, but as fresh and local as possible still stands. The other thing that stands is to eat as much corn as possible during its six- to seven-week peak. Once it's over, it's over.
As far as I'm concerned, nothing beats slathering the corn with a quality butter and a good sprinkling of salt, but I encourage you to use a specific salt. If you've never used Maldon salt, start using it on corn on the cob. From England, it is flaked, crunchy, mild and not at all bitter with a distinctive purity.
Lastly, what to do with leftover corn on the cob? If you're like me and buy ears of corn by the half dozen for the two of us, you'll probably have corn left over. Here's a recipe I've been making for years. One tip I will add about stripping leftover corn on the cob of its kernels is it's far less messy to strip them when the ears are cold.
CURRIED CORN AND SHRIMP SALAD
The basic method for this corn salad, mixing cold corn from the cob with a bit of oil, something acidic and other vegetables and herbs, has countless permutations. Try experimenting with tomato, black beans, avocado and lime. Corn with summer vegetables and basil with lemon yogurt dressing is another. For right now, if you enjoy curried dishes as much as I do, this recipe works for me.
INGREDIENTS:
For the shrimp:
8 cups water
2 tablespoons Patak's Mild Curry Paste
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 lemon
1 pound 31-40 EZ peel raw shrimp
For the salad:
1 cup julienned red bell pepper
2 cups corn off the cob
1 tablespoon vegetable or grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup Patek's Mild Curry Paste
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup mint, chopped
DIRECTIONS:
For the shrimp: Mix 2 tablespoons curry paste, salt and lemon with the water and bring to a boil. Have a bowl with ice water ready for the cooked shrimp. Add the shrimp and cook for 3 minutes. Drain shrimp and plunge the shrimp into the ice water to stop the cooking process. Peel and dry the shrimp once they are thoroughly chilled.
For the salad: Combine the shrimp with the salad ingredients and blend thoroughly. Serve chilled.
- By America's Test Kitchen
Perfectly grilled tuna steaks should combine a hot, smoky, charred exterior with a cool, rare center. For a home cook, this ideal can be an elusive goal.
For grilled tuna steaks with an intense smoky char and a tender interior, we started with a hot grill. We moistened the tuna steaks' flesh with a vinaigrette to promote browning and allow the oil to penetrate the meat of the tuna steaks. And instead of using sugar in our vinaigrette, we used honey.
Both promote browning, but honey does it faster, which was important with the quick cooking times for tuna on the grill. It's easy to add complementary flavors to this dish by mixing up the seasoning in the vinaigrette.
GRILLED TUNA STEAKS WITH VINAIGRETTE
Servings: 6
Start to finish: 25 minutes
We prefer our tuna served rare or medium-rare. If you like your tuna cooked medium, observe the timing for medium-rare, then tent the steaks with foil for 5 minutes before serving.
INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or rosemary
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons honey
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup olive oil
6 (8-ounce) tuna steaks, 1 inch thick
DIRECTIONS:
For a charcoal grill: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.
For a gas grill: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk vinegar, thyme, mustard, honey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pinch pepper together in large bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle oil into vinegar mixture until lightly thickened and emulsified. Measure out 3/4 cup vinaigrette and set aside for cooking tuna. Reserve remaining vinaigrette for serving.
Clean cooking grate, then repeatedly brush grate with well-oiled paper towels until grate is black and glossy, 5 to 10 times.
Pat tuna dry with paper towels. Generously brush both sides of tuna with vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper. Place tuna on grill (on hotter side if using charcoal) and cook (covered if using gas) until grill marks form and bottom surface is opaque, 1 to 3 minutes.
Flip tuna and cook until opaque at perimeter and translucent red at center when checked with tip of paring knife and registers 110 F (for rare), about 1 1/2 minutes, or until opaque at perimeter and reddish pink at center when checked with tip of paring knife and registers 125 F (for medium-rare), about 3 minutes. Serve, passing reserved vinaigrette.
Nutrition information per serving: 560 calories; 333 calories from fat; 37 g fat (6 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 81 mg cholesterol; 398 mg sodium; 3 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 50 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com . Find more recipes like Grilled Tuna Steaks in "Master of the Grill ."
- By America's Test Kitchen
We love a simple cheese quesadilla, but add a filling of succulent shrimp spiked with tequila and lime zest and you turn Mexico's griddled cheese sandwich into a party.
To make them substantial enough for a meal, we started with 10-inch flour tortillas. To make four at once, we turned to the oven. By placing the quesadillas on an oiled baking sheet and then brushing their tops with oil, we were able to brown and crisp them on both sides without having to cook each individually.
To keep the quesadillas from getting soggy while ensuring juicy shrimp, we par-cooked the shrimp slightly on the stovetop with aromatics and tequila; this gave them a head start while evaporating most of the liquid. It was essential to cut the shrimp in half so that they released most of their moisture into the pan.
Cilantro, scallion greens, and lime zest provided welcome freshness, and Monterey Jack cheese offered melty richness.
TEQUILA-LIME SHRIMP QUESADILLAS
Servings: 4
Start to finish: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
12 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (3 cups)
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
2 scallions, white and green parts separated and sliced thin
1 1/2 pounds medium-large shrimp (31 to 40 per pound), peeled, deveined, tails removed, and halved lengthwise
Salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1/3 cup tequila
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
4 (10 inch) flour tortillas
DIRECTIONS:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 F. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and brush with 1 tablespoon oil. Toss Monterey Jack with cilantro and scallion greens.
Pat shrimp dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add scallion whites, garlic, chipotle, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add tequila and simmer until tequila has evaporated and pan is dry, about 5 minutes.
Add shrimp and cook, stirring often, until cooked through and opaque throughout, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl, stir in zest, and let cool for 5 minutes; drain well.
Lay tortillas on counter. Sprinkle half of cheese mixture over half of each tortilla, leaving 1/2 inch border around edge. Arrange shrimp on top in single layer, then sprinkle with remaining cheese mixture. Fold other half of each tortilla over top and press firmly to compact.
Arrange quesadillas in single layer on prepared sheet with rounded edges facing center of sheet. Brush with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Bake until quesadillas begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Flip quesadillas over and press gently with spatula to compact. Continue to bake until crisp and golden brown on second side, about 5 minutes. Let quesadillas cool on wire rack for 5 minutes, then slice each into 4 wedges and serve.
Nutrition information per serving: 789 calories; 375 calories from fat; 42 g fat (18 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 290 mg cholesterol; 2145 mg sodium; 41 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 50 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com . Find more recipes like Shrimp Quesadillas in "New Essentials ."
- By America's Test Kitchen
A surfside treat, California fish tacos feature battered and fried crispy white fish and sprightly pickled vegetables. When done right, they are light and fresh, with a lively mix of textures and flavors.
This recipe may look involved, but the components come together quickly, so invite your friends to help. The frying uses a mere 3/4-inch layer of oil (no splattering vats).
We made an ultrathin batter by adding two sources of carbonation, beer and baking powder; they provided lift and their slight acidity limited gluten development. Frying in batches helped maintain the oil's temperature.
For toppings, we quick-pickled onion and jalapenos and then used the brine to brighten shredded cabbage. Slice fish on the bias if your fillets are not 4 inches wide. Serve with green salsa if desired.
CALIFORNIA-STYLE FISH TACOS
Servings: 6
Start to finish: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS:
Pickled onion and cabbage:
1 small red onion, halved and sliced thin
2 jalapeno chiles, stemmed and sliced into thin rings
1 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt and pepper
3 cups shredded green cabbage
Tacos:
2 pounds skinless white fish fillets, such as cod,
haddock, or halibut
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup beer
1 quart peanut or vegetable oil
18 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup crema
DIRECTIONS:
For the pickled onion and cabbage: Combine onion and jalapenos in medium bowl. Bring vinegar, lime juice, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt to boil in small saucepan. Pour vinegar mixture over onion mixture and let sit for at least 30 minutes, or refrigerate for up to 2 days. Transfer 1/4 cup pickling liquid to second medium bowl, add cabbage, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss to combine.
For the tacos: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 F. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Cut fish crosswise into 4 by 1-inch strips. Pat dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper. Whisk flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt together in large bowl. Add beer and whisk until smooth. Add fish and toss to coat evenly.
Add oil to large Dutch oven until 3?4 inch deep. Heat over medium-high heat to 350 F.
Remove 5 or 6 pieces of fish from batter, allowing excess to drip back into bowl, and add to hot oil, briefly dragging fish along surface of oil to prevent sticking. Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 325 F and 350 F. Fry fish, stirring gently to prevent pieces from sticking together and turning as needed, until golden brown and crisp, about 8 minutes.
Using slotted spoon or spider skimmer, transfer fish to prepared wire rack and place in oven to keep warm. Return oil to 350 F and repeat with remaining fish. Serve fish and pickled onions and cabbage with tortillas, cilantro, and crema.
Nutrition information per serving: 699 calories; 307 calories from fat; 35 g fat ( 5 g saturated; 1 g trans fats); 65 mg cholesterol; 530 mg sodium; 59 g carbohydrate; 6 g fiber; 7 g sugar; 33 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com . Find more recipes like California-Style Fish Tacos in "New Essentials ."
- By J.M. HIRSCH, AP Food Editor
Just because guys tend to like to grill doesn't mean every Father's Day meal has to be a culinary cliché.
Not that most guys would argue if they were honored with a honking steak over hot coals. But this year maybe mix it up a bit and do something a little more exciting. Without sacrificing any of the meaty goodness Dad craves, consider moving the meal inside and whipping up a monster paella he can share with everyone he loves.
Paella is a pretty simple dish. And anyone who has ever made risotto will recognize similarities in the process. You start by browning some onions and peppers, then adding some meat. OK, lots of meat. Once the meat is browned, in goes the rice and liquid, then it cooks merrily along for a while, mostly on its own. The whole thing finishes quickly in the oven, but only after you stir in some shrimp.
Want to make this dish even more decadent? You could add any number of other meats and seafood in addition to what is called for here. Add cubed sirloin tips at the same time (and same size) as the chicken. Ditto for lamb. Want more seafood? Scallops and hunks of salmon could go in at the same time as the shrimp.
SHRIMP AND CHORIZO PAELLA
Start to finish: 1 hour
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
1/4 cup hot water
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper, cored and diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 pound chorizo, peeled and crumbled
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 1/2 cup Spanish or Arborio rice
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
15-ounce can chopped tomatoes
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound raw, peeled shrimp
Chopped fresh parsley, to garnish
Lemon wedges, to serve
Directions:
Heat the oven to 425 F.
In a small bowl or glass, combine the hot water and saffron. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a very large skillet or paella pan (about 15 inches, if possible) over medium-high, heat the oil. Add the pepper, onion and garlic. Saute until the onion is just browned, about 6 minutes. Add the chorizo and chicken, then saute for another 5 minutes.
Add the rice and stir well. Add the water and saffron, then add the broth. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Uncover and stir in the tomatoes, paprika, salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered and without stirring, for another 10 minutes. Stir in the shrimp, then smooth the paella and set in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked.
Remove the paella from the oven and let stand 5 minutes. Serve topped with parsley and lemon wedges on the side.
Nutrition information per serving: 560 calories; 260 calories from fat (46 percent of total calories); 29 g fat (10 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 175 mg cholesterol; 1340 mg sodium; 37 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 38 g protein.
J.M. Hirsch is the food editor for The Associated Press. He blogs at http://www.LunchBoxBlues.com and tweets at http://twitter.com/JM_Hirsch . Email him at jhirsch@ap.org
- By America's Test Kitchen
Shrimp can turn from moist and juicy to rubbery and dry in the blink of an eye over the heat of a grill.
While grilling shrimp in their shells can shield them from the coals' scorching heat, any seasonings you add are stripped off along with the shells when it's time to eat. For juicy, boldly seasoned shrimp we decided to go with peeled shrimp and find a way to prevent them from drying out.
We seasoned the shrimp with salt, pepper, and sugar (to encourage browning) and set them over the hot side of a half-grill fire. This worked well with jumbo shrimp, but smaller shrimp overcooked before charring.
However, since jumbo shrimp cost as much as $25 per pound, we wanted a less expensive solution, so we created faux jumbo shrimp by cramming a skewer with several normal-size shrimp pressed tightly together.
The final step was to take the shrimp off the fire before they were completely cooked and finish cooking them in a heated sauce waiting on the cooler side of the grill; this final simmer infused them with bold flavor. The flavors of the sauce can easily be changed to taste; one variation is included here.
Grilled shrimp with spicy lemon-garlic sauce
Servings: 4
Start to finish: 45 minutes
To fit all the shrimp on the cooking grate at once, you will need three 14-inch metal skewers. Serve with grilled bread.
INGREDIENTS:
Lemon-garlic sauce:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1/4 cup lemon juice (2 lemons)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (10-inch) disposable aluminum pie pan
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
Shrimp:
1 1/2 pounds extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined
2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Lemon wedges
DIRECTIONS:
For the lemon-garlic sauce, combine butter, lemon juice, garlic, pepper flakes, and salt in disposable pan.
For the shrimp, pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Thread shrimp tightly onto three 14-inch metal skewers, alternating direction of heads and tails. Brush shrimp with oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 1 side of each skewer evenly with sugar.
For a charcoal grill: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.
For a gas grill: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn other burner(s) to medium-low.
Clean cooking grate, then repeatedly brush grate with well-oiled paper towels until black and glossy, 5 to 10 times. Place disposable pan with sauce ingredients on hotter side of grill and cook until hot, 1 to 3 minutes; slide pan to cooler side of grill.
Place shrimp skewers, sugared side down, on hotter side of grill; use tongs to push shrimp together on skewers if they have separated. Cook shrimp until lightly charred on first side, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip skewers and cook until second side is pink and slightly translucent, 1 to 2 minutes.
Using potholder, carefully lift each skewer from grill and use tongs to slide shrimp off skewers and into pan with sauce. Toss shrimp and sauce to combine. Slide pan to hotter side of grill and cook, stirring, until shrimp are opaque throughout, about 30 seconds.
Stir in parsley. Transfer shrimp to platter and serve with lemon wedges.
Nutrition information per serving: 243 calories; 131 calories from fat; 15 g fat (6 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 235 mg cholesterol; 1258 mg sodium; 3 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 0 g sugar; 24 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com . Find more recipes like Grilled Shrimp with Spicy Lemon-Garlic Sauce in "Master Of The Grill ."
- By America's Test Kitchen
We wanted to bring home a true New England-style lobster roll, complete with tender meat coated in a light dressing and tucked into a buttery toasted bun, but first we had to deal with the lobster.
To make things easier, we sedated the lobster by placing it in the freezer for 30 minutes. Boiling was the easiest way to cook it, and removing it from the water when the tail registered 175 F ensured it was perfectly tender.
For the lobster roll, we adhered mostly to tradition, tossing our lobster with just a bit of mayonnaise and adding a hint of crunch with lettuce leaves and a small amount of minced celery. Onion and shallot were overpowering, but minced chives offered bright herb flavor.
Lemon juice and a pinch of cayenne provided a nice counterpoint to the rich lobster and mayo.
New England lobster roll
Servings: 6
Start to finish: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS:
To boil lobster:
4 (1 1/4-pound) live lobsters (yields 1 pound of meat)
1/3 cup salt
Lobster roll filling:
1 pound lobster meat, tail meat cut into 1/2-inch pieces and claw meat cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons minced celery
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced fresh chives
Salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
6 New England-style hot dog buns
6 leaves Boston lettuce
DIRECTIONS:
Place lobsters in large bowl and freeze for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, bring 2 gallons water to boil in large pot over high heat. To cook four lobsters at once, you will need a pot with a capacity of at least 3 gallons. If your pot is smaller, boil the lobsters in batches. Start timing the lobsters from the moment they go into the pot.
Add lobsters and salt to pot, arranging with tongs so that all lobsters are submerged. Cover pot, leaving lid slightly ajar, and adjust heat to maintain gentle boil. Cook for 12 minutes, until thickest part of tail registers 175 F (insert thermometer into underside of tail to take temperature). If temperature registers lower than 175 F, return lobster to pot for 2 minutes, until tail registers 175 F, using tongs to transfer lobster in and out of pot.
Transfer lobsters to rimmed baking sheet and set aside until cool enough to remove meat, about 10 minutes. Cut tail meat into 1/2-inch pieces and claw meat into 1-inch pieces. (Lobster meat can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 24 hours.)
Whisk mayonnaise, celery, lemon juice, chives, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and cayenne together in large bowl. Add lobster and gently toss to combine.
Place 12-inch nonstick skillet over low heat. Butter both sides of hot dog buns and sprinkle lightly with salt. Place buns in skillet, with 1 buttered side down; increase heat to medium-low; and cook until crisp and brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook second side until crisp and brown, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Transfer buns to large platter. Line each bun with lettuce leaf. Spoon lobster salad into buns and serve immediately.
Nutrition information per serving: 265 calories; 83 calories from fat; 9 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 65 mg cholesterol; 824 mg sodium; 27 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 20 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com . Find more recipes like Best New England Lobster Rolls in "America's Test Kitchen Best Summer Recipes ."
- By Melissa d'Arabian, The Associated Press
Grilled fish is the official dish of summer around our house. There is nothing I love to eat more in warm weather than a piece of fresh seasonal fish cooked on the grill — the slightly sweet flesh offset by a tiny bit of char.
You can use some fish from your freezer stash in a pinch, but ask at the fish counter what is seasonal and freshest, and you won't regret the few extra dollars you'll pay. I used Alaskan halibut for today's recipe, but any firm white-fleshed fish will work great. (Skip the flaky thin fish like Dover sole for indoor cooking, or use a special fine-meshed metal grate.)
Halibut is mild, tender and sweet, and it's a fantastic lean source of protein. A 4-ounce serving has 24 grams of protein, a little over 2 grams of fat, and offers a nice showing of B vitamins and minerals, all for 120 calories.
My go-to strategy for grilling mild white fish is to keep it super simple on the actual grill, and then top it with a quick sauce made from a few ingredients. Pat the fish dry gently, and toss on the grill with just a little salt, pepper and olive oil.
Once the fish is cooked, I top it straight from the grill with the sauce. While the fish is cooking, whip up a sauce with a little acid (like lemon or vinegar), aromatics (like minced garlic, shallot or green onion), herbs, and a tiny touch of fat (like olive oil or butter). Pouring it on while the fish is hot makes the simple flavors come alive like Hugh Jackman playing P.T. Barnum.
Grilled halibut with butter caper herb sauce is an excellent starting point for mastering this easy fish-grilling blueprint that you'll use both on weekends and busy weeknight meals. In under 20 minutes, you can have summer on the plate.
Grilled halibut with butter caper herb sauce
Servings: 6
Start to finish: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1 3/4 pounds of fresh Alaskan halibut fillet (or other firm white-flesh fish), checked for bones
1/2 lemon, for squeezing
2 teaspoons olive oil
salt and pepper
Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons capers, plus a little of the juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
A handful of chopped tender herbs, like basil, parsley, or cilantro
DIRECTIONS:
Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium high. Scrub the grill grates with a wire brush or tongs and ball of foil to clean off burnt food debris, and lightly oil the grates. Squeeze a little lemon juice on the halibut and let it sit a few minutes before blotting it dry gently with a paper towel.
Season the fish with a little salt and pepper. Drizzle the olive oil over both sides of the fish, and use your fingers to coat the whole fillet lightly with oil. Once the grill is hot, place the fish flesh side down on the grill. Allow to cook about 5-6 minutes on the first side. Use a metal spatula to flip the fish to cook the second side, until cooked through but not dry, about 3-4 more minutes. (To help keep the fish from sticking, don't flip it too soon, and flip the fish with a purposeful, quick motion.)
Meanwhile, heat the butter and garlic in a small sauce pan on the stove at medium heat until the garlic is aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add the capers with a little caper liquid and the lemon juice and whisk to combine. Remove from heat, stir the herbs into the sauce and then pour over the fish just as it comes off the grill. Serve.
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Nutrition information per serving: 198 calories; 76 calories from fat; 9 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 104 mg cholesterol; 625 mg sodium; 3 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 0 g sugar; 28 g protein.
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Food Network star Melissa d'Arabian is an expert on healthy eating on a budget. She is the author of the cookbook, "Supermarket Healthy."
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Online: http://www.melissadarabian.net
- By Melissa d'Arabian, The Associated Press
I pulled out an easy recipe that uses pantry ingredients that I keep on hand. One of my favorite items to keep in the freezer is frozen shrimp.
I keep both cooked and uncooked versions. Raw shrimp cook up in minutes and have more flavor, so I use them for pasta dishes and easy sheet-pan suppers. But cooked shrimp have their place on my menu, too. I love how quickly they thaw for salads and appetizers, and other cold preparations.
The downside to pre-cooked shrimp is the texture is a notch softer. My solution is to buy the large shrimp and then cut it in half. I know this may be counter-shrimp culture, so feel free to leave them large, but the solution works for us.
A super easy go-to recipe for shrimp for us is my Shrimp Pineapple Brochettes, which uses easy pantry ingredients — you can even use canned pineapple — to create something that still feels high-end.
It's healthy and versatile, working as either a meal when paired with some greens, a first course, or even an appetizer for parties. Shrimp brings protein and elegance, while pineapple balances out with both sweetness and acid. I use prepared pesto for some fat and flavor, and I highly recommend keeping a jar of prepared pesto in the freezer to scoop out for recipes. But, if you don't have any, just substitute a bunch of chopped herbs, olive oil and lemon juice for an easy, tasty version. And with skewers, I think it goes without saying that you can swap in whatever fruit you have in your kitchen — grapes, grapefruit, orange segments and even canned mango all work beautifully.
Shrimp and pineapple brochettes
Servings: 4
Start to finish: 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound large cooked shrimp, cleaned, thawed if frozen
1 cup pineapple cubes, about 1/2-inch each, drained and halved if using typical large canned chunks (grapefruit or orange may be used)
1 tablespoon prepared pesto sauce
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
Black pepper
A pinch (1/8 teaspoon) kosher salt
Chopped fresh mint, parsley or basil, optional
12 small or 8 large skewers, or 24 toothpicks if making appetizer bites
DIRECTIONS:
Cut shrimp into halves or thirds, depending on size of shrimp. Thread the skewers with alternating shrimp and fruit. Lay the skewers on a platter.
In a small bowl, add the lemon juice to the pesto sauce to thin it and stir. Drizzle the pesto mixture over the skewers, aiming mostly for the shrimp. Drizzle a few drops of olive oil onto the skewers. Top with freshly ground black pepper, the kosher salt and chopped herbs, if desired. Serve as a first course, an appetizer, or with a green salad for a light meal.
Nutrition information per serving: 130; 35 calories from fat; 4 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 145 mg cholesterol; 720 mg sodium; 1 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 16 g protein.
Food Network star Melissa d'Arabian is an expert on healthy eating on a budget. She is the author of the cookbook, "Supermarket Healthy." Online: http://www.melissadarabian.net.
- By Melissa d'Arabian, The Associated Press
The health benefits of eating fish two or three times a week are well-documented. So, as a mom of four kiddos, I'm always looking for creative ways to add fish into our weekly menu.
I love Alaskan cod especially this time of year because it's in season, it's loaded with omegas and lean protein, and my girls all love the mild flavor. But any mild white fish will work for today's recipe, Cod with Pomegranate and Zucchini en Papillote. My kids love the pretty color play between the bright green lime and rich-ruby pomegranate, while I love the fact that I can make a fantastic dinner that isn't loaded down with extra fat or empty calories.
I use the papillote method, which is simply loading up a sheet of parchment with fish, aromatics and some quick-cooking veggies and sealing them up into a pouch and baking. Cooking in the cozy, moist heat of the parchment pouch means the fish stays tender as it baths gently in the steam created by the vegetables and a tiny splash of wine, like a flavorful spa.
The result is fish that is almost impossible to overcook, giving a busy weeknight cook a forgiving window of time for serving dinner. Cooking in a papillote also means you can cook with no additional fat, making fish-en-papillote a super strategy for anyone watching their caloric intake.
If you feel like living it up a little, add a drizzle of olive oil or a tiny pat of butter — you'll be amazed by how even a tiny bit of fat can make the rest of the ingredients sing. Make a large papillote to eat family-style, or make smaller, individual papillotes for a dinner party — either way, you'll feel like dinner is a tiny bit special.
Cod with pomegranate and zucchini en papillote
Servings: 4
Start to finish: 25 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 pounds cod, or other mild white fish, cut into 4 portions, or kept in one large portion
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced zucchini, about two small zucchini
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
1 lime, thinly sliced, seeds removed
2 tablespoons white wine
1/4 cup pomegranate arils (seeds)
salt and pepper
Special equipment: parchment paper
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Lightly salt and pepper the cod fillet and set aside. Cut a sheet of parchment paper that is a couple of inches longer than the length of the fish, and a little more than twice the width. Use one large piece of parchment if fillet is whole; or four individual pieces of parchment if you've cut the fish into individual portions. Place the sliced shallots along the middle of the parchment paper, and layer the zucchini on top of the shallots - this is the bed where you'll place the cod. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
Place the fish on top of the zucchini. Top the fish with the sliced lime, white wine, pomegranate arils, and a little salt and pepper. Close the parchment paper by folding the paper in half over the fish. Create a closed pouch by starting at one corner, and folding the paper into small triangles, tightly pinching them closed as you go around the edges. The result will be a semi-circle shaped sealed pouch.
Place the pouch on a baking sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes, or a few minutes less if fish is thin. Remove from the oven, carefully cut open the pouch and serve.
Chef's note: Recipe can also be made in a baking dish: Simply layer, cover and bake.
Nutrition information per serving: 201 calories; 15 calories from fat; 2 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 73 mg cholesterol; 687 mg sodium; 12 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 7 g sugar; 33 g protein.
Food Network star Melissa d'Arabian is an expert on healthy eating on a budget. She is the author of the cookbook, "Supermarket Healthy." Online: http://www.melissadarabian.net
- By The Culinary Institute of America
Fresh shellfish is one of the hallmarks of a good summer vacation, and it is best eaten barefoot with a sea breeze and chilled rose. But life is not always a beach and we are, regrettably, not always on vacation. Luckily, with a few staycation-ready recipes stored away, you can easily transport yourself and all of your friends to the shores of Cape Cod.
This Grilled White Pizza with Cockles, Lemon and Kale, with a rich creamy sauce reminiscent of New England clam chowder, is a refreshing change of pace from a summer full of hamburgers and grilled vegetables. Bright lemon zest pops against the season's sweetest clams, while lightly charred pizza dough offers a crunchy smokiness that no oyster cracker would dare to challenge.
Culinary Institute of America chef Scott Swartz says that grilling pizza, especially this one, is great for summertime parties, because each component can be made ahead.
He suggests, "Grill one side of the pizza dough, then remove it, cooked-side up, to a lightly oiled tray. Put your toppings on the cooked side and then, just before serving, return to the grill, cover, and let the dough crisp and the toppings warm through. This way, the dough can be grilled way ahead of time and quickly finished when ready to eat."
Though the flavors of this pizza are rich and bold, there's still leaves plenty of room for personalization. Add familiar chowder ingredients like bacon or sweet summer corn for an ode to the classic. Or try roasted poblanos, caramelized fennel, or spicy chorizo for something new and exciting.
And if this feels a little heavy on the summer bod, you can make the sauce without the cream. Since you'll still need it to be saucy, we would add a bit more wine and a little squeeze of lemon juice. Remember, though, that the whole thing is topped with kale, which basically makes it a salad, right?
Speaking of kale, we like it here because it's a mild green with a texture that holds up well to cooking. If it's not for you, you can use spinach (just skip the pre-cooking step), Swiss chard, or even flavorful mustard greens. This would also be equally delicious with blanched asparagus, thinly sliced broccoli, or even shaved cabbage.
Cockles are a nice choice for this pizza, since they are small and tender, but fresh and local should take precedence. Choose whatever clam variety is of the best quality where you are, and make sure to keep them nice and cold while you prepare the other ingredients.
Most store-bought clams should be relatively clean and free of sand, but you'll want to be extra sure, since in most coastal regions, serving gritty clams is punishable by a fine of one case of cold beer. Refrigerate your clams in a bowl of salted water for at least a few hours for peace of mind. Discard any clams with broken or damaged shells, or any open clams that do not close when gently tapped.
This pizza makes enough a family dinner, with a nice summer salad on the side. The recipe can easily be doubled or even tripled for a party, and the dough can be shaped into rectangles for easy appetizer portions, or even into small individual rounds_whatever floats your boat. It's still summer, so you can do what you want. Save the rules for September.
Grilled white pizza with cockles, lemon and kale
Servings: 4
Start to finish: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS:
3 cups torn kale leaves, from about bunch
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 shallot, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup heavy cream
1 pound, 8 ounces of cockles, little necks, or other small, seasonal clam, rinsed and soaked, if needed
2 teaspoons cornstarch, mixed with 1 tablespoon water, to make a slurry
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound pizza dough, thawed if frozen
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
1 teaspoon lemon zest (see note)
Lemon wedges, for serving
DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, prepare an ice water bath and set aside. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the kale and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. Use tongs or a large slotted spoon to transfer the kale to the ice water bath to cool. Drain and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large lidded saucepan or pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallot and cook, stirring constantly, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the wine, cream, and clams, and stir to coat. Cover and cook until the clamshells have opened, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and use a slotted spoon or tongs to transfer clams to a bowl.
Return the pan to low heat and bring the cooking liquid to a simmer. Add the cornstarch slurry, mixing constantly to incorporate. Return to a simmer and add the cheese and pepper. Simmer, stirring constantly, until the cheese has melted and the sauce has thickened, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, straining through a mesh sieve if desired, and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, remove the clam meat from the shells and roughly chop (leave some clams in the shell for garnish, if you like). Discard shells.
To make the pizza, prepare a grill for medium-heat cooking. Roll or stretch the pizza dough into a 14-inch round. Lightly brush one side with about half of the canola oil, then place oil-side down on the grill. Cook, covered, until the dough is browned and crisp on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes.
Carefully transfer the dough, cooked-side down, onto a large baking sheet. Brush the top with the remaining canola oil, then flip. Spread the cooked side with a thin layer of cream sauce (you may not use it all), leaving a 2-inch border around the edge of the dough. Top with chopped clams, kale, and chili flakes and cook until crisp and golden brown and toppings are warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon zest, then slice and serve with lemon wedges.
Chef's note: For a sweet and savory variation, use chopped candied lemon peel in place of fresh zest. It can be found in most specialty markets.
Nutrition information per serving: 570 calories; 250 calories from fat; 28 g fat (9 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 49 mg cholesterol; 465 mg sodium; 59 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 25 g protein.
- By Sara Moulton, The Associated Press
Cooked hard-shell clams are an unbeatable two-for-the price-of-one delight. You get the clams themselves and the clam liquid they give off as they cook, which creates an instant sauce with astonishing depth of flavor. And it's simple. You just combine the clams with some liquid (and aromatics, if you want — here I've added scallions, garlic and tomatoes), cover them and let them steam until the shells open.
The only tricky part is that all clams don't cook at the same pace. The first specimen might open after just 5 minutes while the last one luxuriates for three times as long. If you allow that first clam to hang out until the last clam opens, it'll end up rubbery. Accordingly, it takes a tough cook to make a tender clam. Check the steaming clams frequently and pull each one out of the pot the second its shell opens.
This very same recipe also works using a different kind of bivalve mollusk, namely mussels. You'll need about 4 pounds of these critters. Method-wise, proceed as with the clams, removing each mussel as it opens.
Clam or mussel, this sea creature must be well-cleaned before it's steamed. Start by filling a large bowl with cold water. Add the mollusks and swirl them around, then lift them out of the bowl. Dump out the sand on the bottom of the bowl, refill the bowl with clean water and repeat the procedure until the bathed clams leave no sand.
Canadian bacon adds some meat and smoke to the finished dish. (Also, it's leaner than traditional bacon.) Of course, the pescatarians among us are welcome to leave out the bacon. Likewise, folks who aren't into alcohol can substitute water for the wine. Finally, those who dislike basil can use cilantro instead.
But please don't skip the garlic bread. It's easy to make and key to the recipe. And there's no better way to sop up all that luscious clam broth.
Clam tomato and bacon stew with grilled garlic bread
Start to finish: 1 hour
Servings: 6
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped Canadian bacon
1 cup sliced white part of scallions and 1/2 cup sliced green part of scallions
1 cup medium chopped green bell pepper
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 cups medium chopped ripe tomatoes
1 cup dry white wine
4 dozen cherrystone clams, cleaned well
1/2 cup packed basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1 recipe Grilled Garlic Bread (recipe below)
DIRECTIONS:
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven large enough to hold all the clams, heat the oil over medium-high heat, add the bacon, reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon starts to brown around the edges. Add the sliced white part of scallions and the bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the white wine and the clams, cover the pot and steam, transferring the clams as they open to a bowl. Discard any clams that do not open.
Remove all the clams from their shells and return them to the pot with the tomato mixture. Reheat over medium-low heat until just hot. Stir in the basil and scallion greens.
To serve: Put 2 pieces of the grilled bread into each of 6 soup plates and spoon one-sixth of the clam mixture on top.
Grilled garlic bread
6 (1/2-inch thick) slices country bread
Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing the bread
1 garlic clove, halved
Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium heat. Brush both sides of the bread slices with the oil. Add the bread to the preheated grill and grill until it's nicely marked and crispy on both sides (about 2 minutes a side). Remove the bread from the grill and while it's still hot, rub one side of each slice with the cut side of the garlic.
Nutrition information per serving: 393 calories; 145 calories from fat; 16 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 75 mg cholesterol; 1,020 mg sodium; 33 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 21 g protein.
Sara Moulton is host of public television's "Sara's Weeknight Meals." She was executive chef at Gourmet magazine for nearly 25 years and spent a decade hosting several Food Network shows, including "Cooking Live." Her latest cookbook is "HomeCooking 101."
- By Robert Luhmann, Eagle Correspondent
My earliest cooking chops were formulated in restaurants on Cape Cod many years ago. At that time, it was almost unheard of to not have New England Clam Chowder on the menu, so I made a lot of chowder in those days.
Eastern Massachusetts natives are, of course, famous for dropping their R’s, so I was taught to make “chowdah.” It took years for this New Jersey native, who drank “cawffee” and went to the city of “Bawston,” to acclimate my ear to the strongest accents of the region. I remember a time when a man introduced himself as “Cahlpetahs” as if it was one word. It took a minute before realizing his name was Carl Peters and not an exotic eastern European surname like Kahlpettas.
The clam chowder preparation technique I learned then was pretty standard. Diced onions and celery were sautéed in butter with diced salt pork until the vegetables were tender and the salt pork rendered to which flour was added and allowed to cook over low heat for a few minutes.
Clam juice was added and brought back to a simmer at which point a combination of chopped sea clams and quahogs were added and allowed to cook a bit longer, allowing the clams to become thoroughly cooked. Finally, cooked diced potatoes and light cream were added and gently brought back to a simmer again, then salt and pepper were added to taste and possibly some gratuitous herbs to make the restaurant’s advertised famous clam chowder famous. A little plastic packet of oyster crackers always accompanied the chowder. In the kitchen, we used to laugh at the perhaps one-ounce difference between a cup and a bowl costing a dollar more for a bowl.
Recently, I made a chicken soup with kale and decided to add pureed cannellini beans to give the soup a creamier texture and body, which made me think it could be interesting to use that technique in a soup mimicking fish chowder. I have no illusions that I’m the first to think of employing this technique for a creamy textured fish soup, as I’ve certainly learned that there are very few original recipes, only variations on a theme. However, I was pleased with the result. As an added benefit, the soup is both lactose-free and gluten-free.
I served the soup for dinner with a salad and some homemade Irish brown bread.
THE LACTOSE-FREE AND GLUTEN-FREE FISH 'UNCHOWDAH'
The pureed bean base of this soup can be used in all sorts of soups if you're looking to make a soup that mimics a cream soup without lactose and gluten, while providing the nutritional benefits of cannellini beans, which are rich in protein, fiber, copper, folate and iron. In this soup, I added minced fresh rosemary, as I like it in combination with olive oil and beans and its affinity to fish. I wasn’t looking for something garlicky at the time, but I’m sure garlic would make this soup satisfying in a Tuscan or Southern French sort of way. Any combination of firm fish, shellfish, lobster and crab can obviously be used for the chowder.
Ingredients:
1 cup medium diced onion
1 cup medium diced celery
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 15.5-ounce cans of cannellini beans
1 1/2 cups of medium peeled and diced Yukon Gold potatoes
6 cups fish stock or clam juice
1 pound of diced haddock, cod or other firm white fish
1 tablespoon minced rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
In a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or similar pot, sauté the onion and celery with olive oil until soft.
Meanwhile, after draining and rinsing the cannellini beans add them to the fish stock in an appropriately sized saucepan and bring to a simmer.
Using an immersion blender or food processor, puree the beans until completely smooth.
Add the pureed bean mixture and diced potatoes to the onions and celery in the Dutch oven and simmer until the potatoes are soft.
Add the fish and the rosemary and simmer for a few minutes before turning off the heat and allow to sit for about a half hour for the pureed beans to fully thicken the soup before reheating and serving.
- By America's Test Kitchen
Cooking salmon can be intimidating since it overcooks and dries out so easily. But the multicooker makes the process foolproof: The consistent moisture level and temperature, as well as the precise timing safeguards against overcooking, produce evenly cooked salmon each and every time.
Cooking the salmon on a foil sling made it easy to transfer in and out of the multicooker, and propping the fish up on lemon slices insulated it from the direct heat.
While both methods produced great salmon in under an hour, we slightly preferred the slow cook setting since it allowed us to regularly check the doneness of the fish, guaranteeing that it was cooked perfectly.
To complete our healthy dinner, we made a fresh and light salad with cucumber, tomatoes, olives and herbs. If using the slow cook function, check the salmon's temperature after 15 minutes of cooking and continue to monitor until it registers 135 F.
POACHED SALMON WITH CUCUMBER AND TOMATO SALAD
Servings: 4
Pressure cook total time: 25 minutes
Slow cook total time: 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1 lemon, sliced 1/4 inch thick, plus 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest and 2 tablespoons juice
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, stems reserved
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, stems reserved
1 (1 1/2-pound) skinless center-cut salmon fillet, 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick, sliced crosswise into 4 equal pieces
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and minced
1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
DIRECTIONS:
Fold sheet of aluminum foil into 12-by-9 inch sling. Press sling into multicooker, allowing narrow edges to rest along sides of insert. Arrange lemon slices in single layer on prepared sling, then scatter parsley and dill stems over top. Add water until liquid level is even with lemon slices (about 1/2 cup). Season salmon with salt and pepper and arrange skinned side down in even layer on top of herb stems.
To pressure cook: Lock lid in place and close pressure release valve. Select high-pressure cook function and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off multicooker and quick-release pressure. Carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.
To slow cook: Lock lid in place and open pressure release valve. Select low slow cook function and cook until salmon is opaque throughout when checked with tip of paring knife and registers 135 F (for medium), 15 to 20 minutes. (If using Instant Pot, select high slow cook function.) Turn off multicooker and carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.
Meanwhile, whisk oil, shallot, capers, lemon zest and juice, and chopped dill together in large bowl. Add cucumber, tomatoes, olives and parsley leaves and gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Using sling, transfer salmon to baking sheet; discard poaching liquid. Gently lift and tilt fillets with spatula to remove herb stems and lemon slices and remove any white albumin. Transfer salmon to individual plates and serve with salad.
Nutrition information per serving: 427 calories; 262 calories from fat; 29 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 62 mg cholesterol; 1145 mg sodium; 16 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 6 g sugar; 26 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit americastestkitchen.com. Find more recipes like Poached Salmon with Cucumber and Tomato Salad in "Multicooker Perfection ."
- By Katie Workman, The Associated Press
I love a deep-fried, puffy-battered fish sandwich, with a tempura-like coating, but I'm not doing that at home. That's for an indulgent summer seafood shack lunch, or if you're lucky enough to find yourself in a British pub.
But a great, pan-fried piece of fish can be yours with much less work, and significantly less oil. One time to do it, and stat, is when you have Alaskan halibut. It's worth seeking out — sweet and delicate, with white, firm, flaky flesh. It keeps its shape nicely even as you flip it in the pan. One-quarter inch of oil will get you a great crust, and when that crispy fish is nestled in a roll with lettuce, tomato and tartar sauce, you will feel like summer has returned.
You could certainly just go out and buy some prepared tartar sauce if you're in a hurry, but a homemade tartar sauce is a bit of a revelation, and very simple to make. If you don't have cornichons, you can substitute jarred relish.
Halibut fried fish sandwich with lemon basil tartar sauce
Makes 4 sandwiches
Start to finish: 25 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
Lemon basil tartar sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons minced cornichons (baby pickles)
2 tablespoons minced scallions
1 tablespoon capers, drained and rinsed, then minced
2 teaspoons coarse Dijon or Creole mustard
1 tablespoon minced basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Halibut fried fish sandwiches:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 cup panko bread crumbs
4 (6 -ounce) pieces halibut
vegetable oil for pan frying (about cup)
4 potato rolls
Several pieces of leaf or romaine lettuce, torn to fit the rolls
1 ripe tomato, sliced
Lemon wedges for serving
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to broil.
Make the tartar sauce. In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, cornichons, scallions, capers, mustard, basil, parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Have all of the sandwich rolls and toppings ready to go so that when the fish is cooked, you can assemble the sandwiches right away.
In a shallow wide bowl, mix the flour with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. In another shallow wide bowl, beat the egg with the milk and the hot sauce. Place the panko bread crumbs in a third shallow wide bowl.
Heat enough oil to come up 1/4-inch high in a large skillet over medium high heat. While the oil is heating, dredge each piece of fish first in the flour, shaking off any excess, then in the milk mixture, allowing any excess to drip back into the bowl, and then finally dredge the fish in the bread crumbs. Fry the fish in the oil for about 4 minutes on each side until the fish is golden brown and cooked through. Remove it with a slotted spatula and place on a paper towel-lined plate or surface to drain for a minute.
While the fish is cooking, broil the buns cut side up for just a minute until lightly browned. Place a piece of cooked fish on the bottom half of each roll, and top with a spoonful of the tartar sauce. Top with the lettuce and tomato, and then with the second half of the roll. Serve immediately, with the lemon wedges.
Nutrition information per serving of Lemon Basil Tartar Sauce (about 2 tablespoons): Nutrition information per serving: 98 calories; 93 calories from fat; 10 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 6 mg cholesterol; 319 mg sodium; 1 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 0 g sugar; 0 g protein.
Nutrition information per serving of Halibut Fried Fish Sandwiches: 611 calories; 168 calories from fat; 19 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 139 mg cholesterol; 686 mg sodium; 62 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 8 g sugar; 45 g protein.
Katie Workman has written two cookbooks focused on easy, family-friendly cooking, "Dinner Solved!" and "The Mom 100 Cookbook." She blogs at http://www.themom100.com/about-katie-workman
- By Robert Luhmann, Eagle Correspondent
I recently returned to my old stomping grounds on Cape Cod to visit my beautiful niece, Daven, and her husband and my good friend, Benn. It was only the second time the Lovely Lois and I had left Berkshire County since March 2020, and the first time we had seen them in person in almost two pandemic-riddled years.
Besides being my niece whom I held as a baby, Daven worked with me in my family’s restaurant on the Cape during the 1980s for 10 years. Her loving and loveable husband, Benn, and I have had many adventures over the last 30-plus years enjoying each other’s company. There were countless times we’d fish on Cape Cod Bay on one of his string of boats for as long as 12 hours at a time — or until the beer and sandwiches ran out.
Whenever I visit Daven and Benn, we all throw any pretense of sticking to a healthy diet to the wind. Thankfully, they’re both excellent cooks and one of the many reasons I love them is they have their priorities straight. When we started making plans for our visit, they immediately began suggesting what we’d have for dinners on our long weekend together. They usually decide on the menus and prepare the food, while I provide the wine, beer, cheese and Berkshire County treats.
We were thrilled to learn they chose to go with steamed lobsters on the evening of our arrival. I chose to bring a couple of bottles of one of my favorite rosés, Mimi’s Grande Réserve Rosé from Provence to help celebrate our reunion.
On our trip out to Cape Cod, we endured the obligatory miles-long Friday afternoon backup onto the Cape via the Bourne Bridge, but I was spurred on by dreams of lobsters dancing the hokey pokey in my head. Before going to Daven and Benn’s, our first stop was the Kream N Kone in Dennis for a late lunch on its deck next to the Swan River. Despite the name, it’s a mostly fried seafood joint, where you order at the counter and they give you one of those number sticks to find you when they bring out your order.
Keeping with tradition and my lust for deep-fried, whole-belly clams, I seek out a plateful whenever I go to the Cape. I was not disappointed by my excellent heaping paper plate of fried clams, French fries and onion rings, chased down with a beer from Cape Cod Beer, while Lois, who can never get enough lobster, contented herself with a lobster roll. Forget about natural supplements, crystals or meditation to help calm jangled nerves from the longish and sometimes frustrating ride down. Crispy, fried whole-belly clams bursting with juicy Atlantic Ocean goodness and a cold beer provided all the serenity I needed.
That evening, we all sat in Daven and Benn’s backyard in Brewster on a coolish mid-June evening tearing into steamed 2 1/2 pound lobsters and grilled local-to-Florida corn. The lobsters were perfectly steamed and needed nothing more than sides of melted butter, a roll of paper towels, lobster shell crackers and wooden skewers pressed into service as picks. I was in heaven surrounded by people I love with butter infused lobster juices dripping from our chins, while Ajax, the sweet, nonstop-frisbee-chasing yellow lab, and Bruce, the perpetually hungry beagle, roamed beneath our feet hoping for a dropped morsel or two. I do have to admit I purposefully dropped a bit here and there. As night fell and we all became increasingly contented, their neighbor’s peacocks interjected their jungle screeches and Bruce howled his beagle howl at intruders, real or imaginary, only he could sense prowling the perimeter of his territory.
While still dreaming of lobsters dancing in my head and deciding on another evening of decadent dining, I decided to butter-poach lobster tails after I got back.
BUTTER-POACHED MAINE LOBSTER TAILS WITH MUSSELS AND COUSCOUS
Serves two
Frozen Maine or cold-water lobster tails are available online and from some local stores, such as Guido’s. After butter-poaching lobster tails a time or two, I think you’ll find the process is not difficult at all.
A cautionary note: Raw lobster meat decomposes quickly, so it’s best to thaw overnight in the refrigerator the night before using.
INGREDIENTS:
2 defrosted, raw cold-water lobster tails 5 to 6 ounces apiece (the equivalent of a tail from a 1 1/2-pound lobster)
12 mussels, soaked in cold water for a few minutes and debearded. Toss any mussels with broken shells or which don’t close after soaking.
For the sauce:
1 sprig of fresh tarragon
1 medium shallot, sliced (about 1 tablespoon)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
1/4 pound, plus 2 tablespoons, cold unsalted butter, cut into about tablespoon pieces.
Approximately 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives.
Approximately 1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon.
Salt and pepper to taste.
For the couscous:
1/2 cup Moroccan-style couscous
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS:
Using heavy-duty kitchen shears, cut the end of the lobster tails off, then cut down the back of the lobster tails. Turn each lobster tail on its side, cover with a kitchen towel and push down with the heel of you hand firmly until you hear the shell crack. Using your thumbs, separate the meat from the sides of the shells until you’re able to extract the meat. Reserve the shells. Rinse the meat under cold water and extract the digestive tract from the back of the tail. Skewer each tail lengthwise to avoid having it curl while cooking and use toothpicks to seal the back of the tail.
In a small saucepan, place the sprig of tarragon, the sliced shallots, white wine, mussels and reserved lobster shells and cook over medium heat, stirring the lobster shells and mussels occasionally until the liquid is almost gone. Remove the mussels and lobster shells, remove each mussel from its shell and replace it on the half shell. Discard the remaining mussel and lobster shells. Cover the mussels on the half shell with a warm damp paper towel on a small plate.
Begin cooking the couscous by bringing the water to a boil in a small saucepan with the butter and salt. Add the couscous, stir and remove from the heat.
Add the heavy cream to the saucepan with the shallots and tarragon sprig and reduce by half over low heat. This will only take a minute or two. Lower the heat so that the heavy cream is just barely simmering and begin whisking in the 1/4 pound of butter two pieces at a time waiting for the pieces to become fully emulsified before adding more. Once the butter has become fully emulsified into the sauce, strain the sauce with a fine sieve into a medium sauté pan with a cover.
Add the lobster tails to the sauté pan, bring the sauce back to a very low simmer and cover. Swirl the pan somewhat consistently to avoid having the sauce break and to incorporate the lobster juices into the sauce for about 3 minutes. Turn the lobster tails over and continue cooking and swirling the pan for about 3 minutes longer until the lobster tails reach an internal temperature of 140 degrees F using an instant read thermometer.
Pack the cooked couscous into a 1/2-cup dry measuring cup and tap firmly on the bottom of the measuring cup while holding it bottom side up on each warmed dinner plate until it comes out in one mound. Remove the lobster tails from the pan and remove their skewers and toothpicks. Microwave the mussels for 10 seconds to warm. Arrange the mussels and lobster around the couscous while finishing the sauce.
Add the chopped chives and tarragon to the sauce and whisk in the additional butter and heavy cream to fully emulsify the sauce. Even a salt hound like me didn’t need any additional salt and just added some grindings of pepper. Using a rubber spatula transfer the sauce to a 2-cup liquid measure and drizzle over all. Garnish with chive and tarragon sprigs.
- By America's Test Kitchen
In the traditional Greek dish called shrimp saganaki, sweet, briny shrimp are covered with a garlic- and herb-accented tomato sauce and topped with crumbles of creamy, salty feta cheese.
Restaurant versions, however, can be a gamble. The shrimp can be tough and rubbery, the tomato sauce can turn out dull or overwhelming, and the feta is often lackluster. We set out to develop a fool-proof recipe for home cooks.
Canned diced tomatoes, along with sauteed onion and garlic, provided the base for the sauce. Dry white wine added acidity, and ouzo, the slightly sweet anise-flavored Greek liqueur, added welcome complexity.
While the shrimp are typically layered with the tomato sauce and feta and baked, we were after a quick and easy dish. We opted to cook the shrimp right in the sauce; adding the shrimp raw to the sauce helped infuse them with the sauce's bright flavor.
And for even more flavor, we first marinated the shrimp with olive oil, ouzo, garlic, and lemon zest while we made the sauce. A generous sprinkling of feta and chopped fresh dill over the sauced shrimp finished our recipe.
The cooking time is for extra-large shrimp (about 21 to 25 per pound). If using smaller or larger shrimp, be sure to adjust the cooking time as needed. If you don't have ouzo, you can substitute an equal amount of Pernod or 1 tablespoon vodka plus 1/8 teaspoon anise seeds.
GREEK-STYLE SHRIMP WITH TOMATOES AND FETA
Servings: 4-6
Start to finish: 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 pounds extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons ouzo
5 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Salt and pepper
1 small onion, chopped
1 red or green bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
One 28-ounce can diced tomatoes, drained with 1/3 cup juice reserved
1/4 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh parsley
6 ounces feta cheese, crumbled (1 1/2 cups)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
DIRECTIONS:
Toss shrimp in bowl with 1 tablespoon oil, 1 tablespoon ouzo, 1 teaspoon garlic, lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; set aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in 12-inch skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion, bell pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt, cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables release their liquid, 3 to 5 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates and vegetables are softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in remaining garlic and pepper flakes and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Stir in tomatoes and reserved juice, wine, and remaining 2 tablespoons ouzo. Bring to simmer and cook, stirring occasionally, until flavors meld and sauce is slightly thickened (sauce should not be completely dry), 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in parsley and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Reduce heat to medium-low and add shrimp along with any accumulated juices; stir to coat and distribute evenly. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until shrimp are opaque throughout, 6 to 9 minutes, adjusting heat as needed to maintain bare simmer. Off heat, sprinkle with feta and dill and drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Serve.
Nutrition information per serving: 330 calories; 150 calories from fat; 17 g fat (6 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 168 mg cholesterol; 1298 mg sodium; 16 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 11 g sugar; 21 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit americastestkitchen.com. Find more recipes like Greek-Style Shrimp in "Complete Mediterranean ."
- By Robert Luhmann, Eagle correspondent
It's summertime and my thoughts turn to lobster more than any other time of year.
When eating lobster from the shell, I find it virtually impossible not to create a shambles at the table. For that reason, I find it much safer to enjoy lobster on the deck, as I get in far less trouble with the lovely Lois. I inevitably spray lobster juice as I crack lobster shells and as I savor the precious meat dipped in sweet clarified butter, I just as inevitably drip it everywhere. There's a reason why restaurants provide bibs to adults with boiled lobster dinners.
Then, there is one of life's most pleasing food pairings of boiled lobster with the all-too-briefly-available New England sweet corn on the cob. There's something so satisfyingly basic about eating boiled lobster and corn on the cob as you have little choice but to dig in with both hands with a minimum use of utensils. The table, my clothes (I refuse to wear a bib) and close environs have the potential of becoming collateral damage, as I happily gorge myself on two of the most inelegant, but pleasurable foods on this planet.
I have to admit to a mixed relationship with the species, however. I spent close to 15 years as a chef on Cape Cod, during which I killed a lot of lobsters. I've always felt there would have to be a resultant day of reckoning. A symptom of my restaurant PTSD is I've had this recurring nightmare of being sent down to lobster hell. In this nightmare, I'm forced to run a gauntlet of lobsters snapping and pinching at me as I pass. At the end of the gauntlet is a cauldron of boiling water into which I'm pitched by my ghosts of slaughtered lobsters' past. Before they yank me out of the boiling cauldron, they dance around the cauldron singing a variation of the boys' chant in "Lord of the Flies." Their chorus is, "Kill the chef, boil `em up, do it again!" It being lobster hell, this nightmare repeats for eternity.
My most memorable restaurant experience with lobster was on an evening in the 1980s when I was the chef/owner of my family's restaurant, The Captain Linnell House in Orleans on Cape Cod. It was on a Saturday evening in the latter part of September, when business was less predictable, and we had fewer staff than during the summer months. The evening in question, following Murphy's Law, turned out to be considerably busier than expected. My sous chef, Gene the Dream, and I were cooking to order some involved dishes requiring all our concentration for what turned out to be 170 customers that evening.
We were in the middle of one of the busiest times of the evening and just on the cusp of being "in the weeds" (a restaurant term meaning being overwhelmed, but before your hair catches fire). It was at that point we got an order from a table of nine celebrating the birthday of the future lieutenant governor of Massachusetts, Thomas P. "Tom" O'Neill III. His father, the legendary Thomas P. "Tip" O'Neill, Jr., was Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives at the time and was celebrating his son's birthday with him.
Speaker O'Neill decided to order a lobster salad that evening. His choice presented me with a conundrum of sorts. Lobster salad wasn't on my menu, I didn't have cooked lobster meat in my cooler, and I was distracted by my hair beginning to catch fire. I was not, however, comfortable with denying a dinner order from the man third in line to the presidency of the United States, who was celebrating the birthday of his son in my restaurant.
Somehow, I cooked the lobster, chilled it in an ice bath, removed the meat from the shell and put together the best lobster salad I could under the circumstances, while still manning my station for the continuing onslaught of customer orders. I'm not describing this scene to boast about my abilities as a chef so many years ago. I'm describing circumstances, which are not atypical in restaurant kitchens everywhere. So many chefs have faced similar situations and somehow found an extra gear to overcome the adversity of the moment. It comes with the territory. This story just happens to involve a former speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives. Memorable doesn't fully describe the experience still seared into my brain some 30-plus years later.
My family sold the restaurant 31 years ago to the Conways, who still own it following my family's 10-year stewardship. In writing this article, I became curious to see what the menu looked like after all these years. As I read the online menu, there were a few preparations described exactly as ones from my menus 31 years ago. I'm sure each of those preparations has evolved over the years, just as my cooking style has evolved. One of those dishes was bourbon lobster bisque. I've included the recipe, as I prepared it recently.
BOURBON LOBSTER BISQUE
I prepared this recipe specifically for extending our lobster experience after having bought the store's limit of four 1 1/2-pound lobsters on sale at a local market. We tend to be greedy with our lobsters and we kept them all to ourselves; however, this recipe can serve four. My plan was for lobsters three ways: boiled, on a roll and as bisque. We each had one of the boiled lobsters for dinner, after which I removed the meat from the remaining two lobsters, reserving all the shells for a stock. After making four lobster rolls for another meal, I reserved half of a tail from one of the lobsters to add to the bisque. This recipe can be done in advance up until adding the cr me fraiche and reserved lobster meat before serving. Served with bagels, cream cheese with smoked salmon and a glass of white Burgundy makes for a decadent summer brunch.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS:
Enough lobster shells to make more than 6 cups of concentrated lobster stock
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup)
1 celery stalk, chopped (about cup)
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/4 cup bourbon
1/2 cup jasmine rice
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
1 bay leaf
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 8-ounce container cr me fraiche
Finely chopped reserved lobster meat
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped chives for garnish
DIRECTIONS:
Make the lobster stock by covering the lobster shells by about 1 inch with water in a large stock pot. Bring the stock to the boil over medium high heat. Turn the stock down to simmer and simmer for about an hour. Strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve, discard the shells and reduce the stock over high heat until something over 6 cups remain.
Melt butter in a medium large sauce pan over medium heat. Add the onions and celery and cook, stirring occasionally to avoid browning until very soft, about 15 minutes. Stir in tomato paste and cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes until brick red. Add bourbon and bring to a boil. Stir in the rice, herbs, cayenne, 6 cups of the lobster stock and 1 tablespoon lemon juice and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the rice is very soft, about 25 minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and remove and discard the bay leaf.
When the soup is cool enough, puree the soup until smooth (very small grains of rice may remain).
Reheat the soup after adding the container of cr me fraiche and reserved lobster meat. If necessary, add additional stock until the bisque achieves proper consistency. Add salt, pepper and additional lemon juice (if necessary) to taste. Garnish with fresh chives and serve hot.
- By America's Test Kitchen
You may be used to pan-searing thick-cut white fish fillets any time you take them home from the market and want a quick dinner, but it's worth it to try a different technique.
Braising is a great way to add flavor to mild-tasting fish, it's a mess-free alternative to cooking in oil in a skillet, and it doesn't take much longer to execute with fish.
Using cherry tomatoes and making a white wine sauce in the pan made the dish fresh and bright — perfect for pristine white fish. Cooking the fillets among sauteed leeks imparted a subtle sweet flavor to the fish. To ensure the fish cooked through gently and evenly, we turned down the heat and covered the skillet so the fish both simmered and steamed.
A pat of butter swirled into the resulting sauce contributed richness. Haddock, snapper, tilapia, bluefish, monkfish, and sea bass fillets are good substitutes for the cod.
BRAISED COD WITH LEEKS AND CHERRY TOMATOES
Servings: 4
Start to finish: 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound leeks, white and light green parts only, halved lengthwise, sliced thin and washed thoroughly
Salt and pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced
12 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 cup dry white wine or dry vermouth
Four 6- to 8-ounce skinless cod fillets, 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick
DIRECTIONS:
Melt 2 tablespoons butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add leeks and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in tomatoes, wine, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and bring to simmer.
Pat cod dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Nestle cod into skillet and spoon some vegetables and sauce over top. Cover and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook until fish flakes apart when gently prodded with paring knife and registers 140 F, 10 to 12 minutes.
Carefully transfer cod to platter. Stir remaining 1 tablespoon butter into vegetables, season with salt and pepper to taste, and spoon vegetables and sauce over cod. Serve.
Nutrition information per serving: 372 calories; 95 calories from fat; 11 g fat (6 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 120 mg cholesterol; 443 mg sodium; 20 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 7 g sugar; 43 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit americastestkitchen.com . Find more recipes like Braised Cod with Leeks and Cherry Tomatoes in "How to Braise Everything ."
- By Robert Luhmann, Eagle correspondent
I love our local sweet corn, but it comes with a complicated history. The season now lasts from mid-July until past the middle of September. I find the best corn is generally found from the end of July until the first week of September. It's during this period our local corn fully develops its savory flavor, becoming more nuanced while maintaining its characteristic sweetness and tenderness. Later in the season, the sugars convert to starch and the kernels become tougher.
Corn or maize, as it's known below our southern border, was first cultivated by indigenous people in southern Mexico as early as 10,000 years ago from a grass called teosinte. The earliest ears of maize were just inches long and bore little resemblance to our sweet corn of today. Maize's cultivation spread first south into South America and the Andes about 6,000 years ago, before beginning to spread significantly northward about 4,500 years ago.
Corn cultivation didn't reach New England until about 1,000 years ago as Native Americans slowly developed strains that could mature in the shorter northern growing seasons. The development of corn cultivation, and the ability of corn to be dried and stored, was a major driving force for many of our Native American tribes to eschew a transient lifestyle following food sources with the seasons and begin adopting a less nomadic lifestyle, eventually forming permanent settlements. As cultivation became more prevalent, corn became a staple of many of our Native American peoples. Corn was dried before the winter and was either reconstituted into hominy or ground into corn meal for any number of uses. Dried corn was essential for planting the following spring.
By the time the Pilgrims landed almost 400 years ago in November 1620 as the first Europeans to arrive in New England, the cultivation of corn had become well established among the Native American peoples of the area. Cultivation of corn played a major role in the survival of the Pilgrims of Plimouth Plantation; however, discovery by the Pilgrims of dried corn on Cape Cod was their first aggressive act committed against Native American peoples.
Native Americans had learned to store a winter cache of dried corn underground in corn husk baskets lined with grass to prevent mold and mildew. It took less than four days after the Pilgrims' first landed in Provincetown harbor after 66 days at sea for the Pilgrims to discover and pilfer a buried cache of dried corn while exploring the shores of Cape Cod. That cache on Corn Hill in Truro belonged to the Pamet tribe of the Wampanoag nation. The Pilgrims quickly moved on from the area, so there's no accurate record of how the Pamet tribe fared that winter without the stolen corn; however, we do know the Pilgrims used some of that corn to plant their first crop the following spring.
Today, there are several unresolved debates regarding sweet corn. The first debate is how to eat it off the cob. This is, of course, an extremely serious question that can reveal enormous amounts of information regarding your personality. Are you a neat freak and eat the corn in rows, moving along the cob as an old-fashioned manual typewriter? Are you an artistic right-brainer and eat around the cob circularly turning it like a rolling pin? Maybe you belong in the rabid squirrel category and take random bites off the cob? Finally, do you dispense with the whole eating off the cob thing and strip the cob of its kernels before eating?
My method is to eat it in rows, which probably has a lot to do with when my brother and I were kids watching Looney Tunes. One of those early exaggerated cartoon characters would wildly chomp to the end of each row of corn and a ding from a manual typewriter would sound as he joyously flailed through each row of corn. My brother and I thought it was hilarious and would mimic that character as we ate our corn, dinging as we finished each row. I'm sure our parents were not quite so thrilled.
The next debate is how to cook corn on the cob or whether to even cook it all. People swear by whatever method they use and will stick their chins out defiantly if challenged. The cooking methods include boiling, steaming, poaching, grilling or roasting — with or without the husk — and microwaving. Once again, there are pluses and minuses to each method and may have a lot more to do with what you're serving it with, how many ears you're cooking, the recipe you may be using and personal taste.
Whatever method you use, the most important considerations are to make sure the corn is as local and fresh as possible and that it's not overcooked. Once corn has been picked, it begins a slow steady process of having its natural sugars convert to starch. I say slow, because it was once believed to enjoy sweet corn a pot needed to be put on to boil before picking the corn. Hybridization has significantly slowed the sugar conversion process, but as fresh and local as possible still stands. The other thing that stands is to eat as much corn as possible during its six- to seven-week peak. Once it's over, it's over.
As far as I'm concerned, nothing beats slathering the corn with a quality butter and a good sprinkling of salt, but I encourage you to use a specific salt. If you've never used Maldon salt, start using it on corn on the cob. From England, it is flaked, crunchy, mild and not at all bitter with a distinctive purity.
Lastly, what to do with leftover corn on the cob? If you're like me and buy ears of corn by the half dozen for the two of us, you'll probably have corn left over. Here's a recipe I've been making for years. One tip I will add about stripping leftover corn on the cob of its kernels is it's far less messy to strip them when the ears are cold.
CURRIED CORN AND SHRIMP SALAD
The basic method for this corn salad, mixing cold corn from the cob with a bit of oil, something acidic and other vegetables and herbs, has countless permutations. Try experimenting with tomato, black beans, avocado and lime. Corn with summer vegetables and basil with lemon yogurt dressing is another. For right now, if you enjoy curried dishes as much as I do, this recipe works for me.
INGREDIENTS:
For the shrimp:
8 cups water
2 tablespoons Patak's Mild Curry Paste
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 lemon
1 pound 31-40 EZ peel raw shrimp
For the salad:
1 cup julienned red bell pepper
2 cups corn off the cob
1 tablespoon vegetable or grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
1/4 cup Patek's Mild Curry Paste
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup mint, chopped
DIRECTIONS:
For the shrimp: Mix 2 tablespoons curry paste, salt and lemon with the water and bring to a boil. Have a bowl with ice water ready for the cooked shrimp. Add the shrimp and cook for 3 minutes. Drain shrimp and plunge the shrimp into the ice water to stop the cooking process. Peel and dry the shrimp once they are thoroughly chilled.
For the salad: Combine the shrimp with the salad ingredients and blend thoroughly. Serve chilled.
- By America's Test Kitchen
Perfectly grilled tuna steaks should combine a hot, smoky, charred exterior with a cool, rare center. For a home cook, this ideal can be an elusive goal.
For grilled tuna steaks with an intense smoky char and a tender interior, we started with a hot grill. We moistened the tuna steaks' flesh with a vinaigrette to promote browning and allow the oil to penetrate the meat of the tuna steaks. And instead of using sugar in our vinaigrette, we used honey.
Both promote browning, but honey does it faster, which was important with the quick cooking times for tuna on the grill. It's easy to add complementary flavors to this dish by mixing up the seasoning in the vinaigrette.
GRILLED TUNA STEAKS WITH VINAIGRETTE
Servings: 6
Start to finish: 25 minutes
We prefer our tuna served rare or medium-rare. If you like your tuna cooked medium, observe the timing for medium-rare, then tent the steaks with foil for 5 minutes before serving.
INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme or rosemary
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons honey
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup olive oil
6 (8-ounce) tuna steaks, 1 inch thick
DIRECTIONS:
For a charcoal grill: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.
For a gas grill: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, whisk vinegar, thyme, mustard, honey, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pinch pepper together in large bowl. Whisking constantly, slowly drizzle oil into vinegar mixture until lightly thickened and emulsified. Measure out 3/4 cup vinaigrette and set aside for cooking tuna. Reserve remaining vinaigrette for serving.
Clean cooking grate, then repeatedly brush grate with well-oiled paper towels until grate is black and glossy, 5 to 10 times.
Pat tuna dry with paper towels. Generously brush both sides of tuna with vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper. Place tuna on grill (on hotter side if using charcoal) and cook (covered if using gas) until grill marks form and bottom surface is opaque, 1 to 3 minutes.
Flip tuna and cook until opaque at perimeter and translucent red at center when checked with tip of paring knife and registers 110 F (for rare), about 1 1/2 minutes, or until opaque at perimeter and reddish pink at center when checked with tip of paring knife and registers 125 F (for medium-rare), about 3 minutes. Serve, passing reserved vinaigrette.
Nutrition information per serving: 560 calories; 333 calories from fat; 37 g fat (6 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 81 mg cholesterol; 398 mg sodium; 3 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 2 g sugar; 50 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com . Find more recipes like Grilled Tuna Steaks in "Master of the Grill ."
- By America's Test Kitchen
We love a simple cheese quesadilla, but add a filling of succulent shrimp spiked with tequila and lime zest and you turn Mexico's griddled cheese sandwich into a party.
To make them substantial enough for a meal, we started with 10-inch flour tortillas. To make four at once, we turned to the oven. By placing the quesadillas on an oiled baking sheet and then brushing their tops with oil, we were able to brown and crisp them on both sides without having to cook each individually.
To keep the quesadillas from getting soggy while ensuring juicy shrimp, we par-cooked the shrimp slightly on the stovetop with aromatics and tequila; this gave them a head start while evaporating most of the liquid. It was essential to cut the shrimp in half so that they released most of their moisture into the pan.
Cilantro, scallion greens, and lime zest provided welcome freshness, and Monterey Jack cheese offered melty richness.
TEQUILA-LIME SHRIMP QUESADILLAS
Servings: 4
Start to finish: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
12 ounces Monterey Jack cheese, shredded (3 cups)
1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
2 scallions, white and green parts separated and sliced thin
1 1/2 pounds medium-large shrimp (31 to 40 per pound), peeled, deveined, tails removed, and halved lengthwise
Salt and pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon minced canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1/3 cup tequila
1 teaspoon grated lime zest
4 (10 inch) flour tortillas
DIRECTIONS:
Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 450 F. Line rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil and brush with 1 tablespoon oil. Toss Monterey Jack with cilantro and scallion greens.
Pat shrimp dry with paper towels and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Add scallion whites, garlic, chipotle, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add tequila and simmer until tequila has evaporated and pan is dry, about 5 minutes.
Add shrimp and cook, stirring often, until cooked through and opaque throughout, about 3 minutes. Transfer to bowl, stir in zest, and let cool for 5 minutes; drain well.
Lay tortillas on counter. Sprinkle half of cheese mixture over half of each tortilla, leaving 1/2 inch border around edge. Arrange shrimp on top in single layer, then sprinkle with remaining cheese mixture. Fold other half of each tortilla over top and press firmly to compact.
Arrange quesadillas in single layer on prepared sheet with rounded edges facing center of sheet. Brush with remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Bake until quesadillas begin to brown, about 10 minutes. Flip quesadillas over and press gently with spatula to compact. Continue to bake until crisp and golden brown on second side, about 5 minutes. Let quesadillas cool on wire rack for 5 minutes, then slice each into 4 wedges and serve.
Nutrition information per serving: 789 calories; 375 calories from fat; 42 g fat (18 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 290 mg cholesterol; 2145 mg sodium; 41 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 50 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com . Find more recipes like Shrimp Quesadillas in "New Essentials ."
- By America's Test Kitchen
A surfside treat, California fish tacos feature battered and fried crispy white fish and sprightly pickled vegetables. When done right, they are light and fresh, with a lively mix of textures and flavors.
This recipe may look involved, but the components come together quickly, so invite your friends to help. The frying uses a mere 3/4-inch layer of oil (no splattering vats).
We made an ultrathin batter by adding two sources of carbonation, beer and baking powder; they provided lift and their slight acidity limited gluten development. Frying in batches helped maintain the oil's temperature.
For toppings, we quick-pickled onion and jalapenos and then used the brine to brighten shredded cabbage. Slice fish on the bias if your fillets are not 4 inches wide. Serve with green salsa if desired.
CALIFORNIA-STYLE FISH TACOS
Servings: 6
Start to finish: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS:
Pickled onion and cabbage:
1 small red onion, halved and sliced thin
2 jalapeno chiles, stemmed and sliced into thin rings
1 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon sugar
Salt and pepper
3 cups shredded green cabbage
Tacos:
2 pounds skinless white fish fillets, such as cod,
haddock, or halibut
Salt and pepper
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup beer
1 quart peanut or vegetable oil
18 (6-inch) corn tortillas, warmed
1 cup fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup crema
DIRECTIONS:
For the pickled onion and cabbage: Combine onion and jalapenos in medium bowl. Bring vinegar, lime juice, sugar, and 1 teaspoon salt to boil in small saucepan. Pour vinegar mixture over onion mixture and let sit for at least 30 minutes, or refrigerate for up to 2 days. Transfer 1/4 cup pickling liquid to second medium bowl, add cabbage, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper and toss to combine.
For the tacos: Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200 F. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet. Cut fish crosswise into 4 by 1-inch strips. Pat dry with paper towels; season with salt and pepper. Whisk flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and 1 teaspoon salt together in large bowl. Add beer and whisk until smooth. Add fish and toss to coat evenly.
Add oil to large Dutch oven until 3?4 inch deep. Heat over medium-high heat to 350 F.
Remove 5 or 6 pieces of fish from batter, allowing excess to drip back into bowl, and add to hot oil, briefly dragging fish along surface of oil to prevent sticking. Adjust burner, if necessary, to maintain oil temperature between 325 F and 350 F. Fry fish, stirring gently to prevent pieces from sticking together and turning as needed, until golden brown and crisp, about 8 minutes.
Using slotted spoon or spider skimmer, transfer fish to prepared wire rack and place in oven to keep warm. Return oil to 350 F and repeat with remaining fish. Serve fish and pickled onions and cabbage with tortillas, cilantro, and crema.
Nutrition information per serving: 699 calories; 307 calories from fat; 35 g fat ( 5 g saturated; 1 g trans fats); 65 mg cholesterol; 530 mg sodium; 59 g carbohydrate; 6 g fiber; 7 g sugar; 33 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com . Find more recipes like California-Style Fish Tacos in "New Essentials ."
- By J.M. HIRSCH, AP Food Editor
Just because guys tend to like to grill doesn't mean every Father's Day meal has to be a culinary cliché.
Not that most guys would argue if they were honored with a honking steak over hot coals. But this year maybe mix it up a bit and do something a little more exciting. Without sacrificing any of the meaty goodness Dad craves, consider moving the meal inside and whipping up a monster paella he can share with everyone he loves.
Paella is a pretty simple dish. And anyone who has ever made risotto will recognize similarities in the process. You start by browning some onions and peppers, then adding some meat. OK, lots of meat. Once the meat is browned, in goes the rice and liquid, then it cooks merrily along for a while, mostly on its own. The whole thing finishes quickly in the oven, but only after you stir in some shrimp.
Want to make this dish even more decadent? You could add any number of other meats and seafood in addition to what is called for here. Add cubed sirloin tips at the same time (and same size) as the chicken. Ditto for lamb. Want more seafood? Scallops and hunks of salmon could go in at the same time as the shrimp.
SHRIMP AND CHORIZO PAELLA
Start to finish: 1 hour
Servings: 8
Ingredients:
1/4 cup hot water
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 red bell pepper, cored and diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 pound chorizo, peeled and crumbled
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
1 1/2 cup Spanish or Arborio rice
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
15-ounce can chopped tomatoes
3/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound raw, peeled shrimp
Chopped fresh parsley, to garnish
Lemon wedges, to serve
Directions:
Heat the oven to 425 F.
In a small bowl or glass, combine the hot water and saffron. Let stand for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a very large skillet or paella pan (about 15 inches, if possible) over medium-high, heat the oil. Add the pepper, onion and garlic. Saute until the onion is just browned, about 6 minutes. Add the chorizo and chicken, then saute for another 5 minutes.
Add the rice and stir well. Add the water and saffron, then add the broth. Bring to a simmer, then reduce heat to low. Cover and cook for 10 minutes. Uncover and stir in the tomatoes, paprika, salt and pepper. Cook, uncovered and without stirring, for another 10 minutes. Stir in the shrimp, then smooth the paella and set in the oven for 15 minutes, or until the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked.
Remove the paella from the oven and let stand 5 minutes. Serve topped with parsley and lemon wedges on the side.
Nutrition information per serving: 560 calories; 260 calories from fat (46 percent of total calories); 29 g fat (10 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 175 mg cholesterol; 1340 mg sodium; 37 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 3 g sugar; 38 g protein.
J.M. Hirsch is the food editor for The Associated Press. He blogs at http://www.LunchBoxBlues.com and tweets at http://twitter.com/JM_Hirsch . Email him at jhirsch@ap.org
- By America's Test Kitchen
Shrimp can turn from moist and juicy to rubbery and dry in the blink of an eye over the heat of a grill.
While grilling shrimp in their shells can shield them from the coals' scorching heat, any seasonings you add are stripped off along with the shells when it's time to eat. For juicy, boldly seasoned shrimp we decided to go with peeled shrimp and find a way to prevent them from drying out.
We seasoned the shrimp with salt, pepper, and sugar (to encourage browning) and set them over the hot side of a half-grill fire. This worked well with jumbo shrimp, but smaller shrimp overcooked before charring.
However, since jumbo shrimp cost as much as $25 per pound, we wanted a less expensive solution, so we created faux jumbo shrimp by cramming a skewer with several normal-size shrimp pressed tightly together.
The final step was to take the shrimp off the fire before they were completely cooked and finish cooking them in a heated sauce waiting on the cooler side of the grill; this final simmer infused them with bold flavor. The flavors of the sauce can easily be changed to taste; one variation is included here.
Grilled shrimp with spicy lemon-garlic sauce
Servings: 4
Start to finish: 45 minutes
To fit all the shrimp on the cooking grate at once, you will need three 14-inch metal skewers. Serve with grilled bread.
INGREDIENTS:
Lemon-garlic sauce:
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
1/4 cup lemon juice (2 lemons)
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 (10-inch) disposable aluminum pie pan
1/3 cup minced fresh parsley
Shrimp:
1 1/2 pounds extra-large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined
2-3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Lemon wedges
DIRECTIONS:
For the lemon-garlic sauce, combine butter, lemon juice, garlic, pepper flakes, and salt in disposable pan.
For the shrimp, pat shrimp dry with paper towels. Thread shrimp tightly onto three 14-inch metal skewers, alternating direction of heads and tails. Brush shrimp with oil and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle 1 side of each skewer evenly with sugar.
For a charcoal grill: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over half of grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes.
For a gas grill: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and turn other burner(s) to medium-low.
Clean cooking grate, then repeatedly brush grate with well-oiled paper towels until black and glossy, 5 to 10 times. Place disposable pan with sauce ingredients on hotter side of grill and cook until hot, 1 to 3 minutes; slide pan to cooler side of grill.
Place shrimp skewers, sugared side down, on hotter side of grill; use tongs to push shrimp together on skewers if they have separated. Cook shrimp until lightly charred on first side, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip skewers and cook until second side is pink and slightly translucent, 1 to 2 minutes.
Using potholder, carefully lift each skewer from grill and use tongs to slide shrimp off skewers and into pan with sauce. Toss shrimp and sauce to combine. Slide pan to hotter side of grill and cook, stirring, until shrimp are opaque throughout, about 30 seconds.
Stir in parsley. Transfer shrimp to platter and serve with lemon wedges.
Nutrition information per serving: 243 calories; 131 calories from fat; 15 g fat (6 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 235 mg cholesterol; 1258 mg sodium; 3 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 0 g sugar; 24 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com . Find more recipes like Grilled Shrimp with Spicy Lemon-Garlic Sauce in "Master Of The Grill ."
- By America's Test Kitchen
We wanted to bring home a true New England-style lobster roll, complete with tender meat coated in a light dressing and tucked into a buttery toasted bun, but first we had to deal with the lobster.
To make things easier, we sedated the lobster by placing it in the freezer for 30 minutes. Boiling was the easiest way to cook it, and removing it from the water when the tail registered 175 F ensured it was perfectly tender.
For the lobster roll, we adhered mostly to tradition, tossing our lobster with just a bit of mayonnaise and adding a hint of crunch with lettuce leaves and a small amount of minced celery. Onion and shallot were overpowering, but minced chives offered bright herb flavor.
Lemon juice and a pinch of cayenne provided a nice counterpoint to the rich lobster and mayo.
New England lobster roll
Servings: 6
Start to finish: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS:
To boil lobster:
4 (1 1/4-pound) live lobsters (yields 1 pound of meat)
1/3 cup salt
Lobster roll filling:
1 pound lobster meat, tail meat cut into 1/2-inch pieces and claw meat cut into 1-inch pieces
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons minced celery
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon minced fresh chives
Salt
Pinch cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
6 New England-style hot dog buns
6 leaves Boston lettuce
DIRECTIONS:
Place lobsters in large bowl and freeze for 30 minutes. Meanwhile, bring 2 gallons water to boil in large pot over high heat. To cook four lobsters at once, you will need a pot with a capacity of at least 3 gallons. If your pot is smaller, boil the lobsters in batches. Start timing the lobsters from the moment they go into the pot.
Add lobsters and salt to pot, arranging with tongs so that all lobsters are submerged. Cover pot, leaving lid slightly ajar, and adjust heat to maintain gentle boil. Cook for 12 minutes, until thickest part of tail registers 175 F (insert thermometer into underside of tail to take temperature). If temperature registers lower than 175 F, return lobster to pot for 2 minutes, until tail registers 175 F, using tongs to transfer lobster in and out of pot.
Transfer lobsters to rimmed baking sheet and set aside until cool enough to remove meat, about 10 minutes. Cut tail meat into 1/2-inch pieces and claw meat into 1-inch pieces. (Lobster meat can be refrigerated in airtight container for up to 24 hours.)
Whisk mayonnaise, celery, lemon juice, chives, 1/8 teaspoon salt, and cayenne together in large bowl. Add lobster and gently toss to combine.
Place 12-inch nonstick skillet over low heat. Butter both sides of hot dog buns and sprinkle lightly with salt. Place buns in skillet, with 1 buttered side down; increase heat to medium-low; and cook until crisp and brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip and cook second side until crisp and brown, 2 to 3 minutes longer. Transfer buns to large platter. Line each bun with lettuce leaf. Spoon lobster salad into buns and serve immediately.
Nutrition information per serving: 265 calories; 83 calories from fat; 9 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 65 mg cholesterol; 824 mg sodium; 27 g carbohydrate; 1 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 20 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit https://www.americastestkitchen.com . Find more recipes like Best New England Lobster Rolls in "America's Test Kitchen Best Summer Recipes ."
- By Melissa d'Arabian, The Associated Press
Grilled fish is the official dish of summer around our house. There is nothing I love to eat more in warm weather than a piece of fresh seasonal fish cooked on the grill — the slightly sweet flesh offset by a tiny bit of char.
You can use some fish from your freezer stash in a pinch, but ask at the fish counter what is seasonal and freshest, and you won't regret the few extra dollars you'll pay. I used Alaskan halibut for today's recipe, but any firm white-fleshed fish will work great. (Skip the flaky thin fish like Dover sole for indoor cooking, or use a special fine-meshed metal grate.)
Halibut is mild, tender and sweet, and it's a fantastic lean source of protein. A 4-ounce serving has 24 grams of protein, a little over 2 grams of fat, and offers a nice showing of B vitamins and minerals, all for 120 calories.
My go-to strategy for grilling mild white fish is to keep it super simple on the actual grill, and then top it with a quick sauce made from a few ingredients. Pat the fish dry gently, and toss on the grill with just a little salt, pepper and olive oil.
Once the fish is cooked, I top it straight from the grill with the sauce. While the fish is cooking, whip up a sauce with a little acid (like lemon or vinegar), aromatics (like minced garlic, shallot or green onion), herbs, and a tiny touch of fat (like olive oil or butter). Pouring it on while the fish is hot makes the simple flavors come alive like Hugh Jackman playing P.T. Barnum.
Grilled halibut with butter caper herb sauce is an excellent starting point for mastering this easy fish-grilling blueprint that you'll use both on weekends and busy weeknight meals. In under 20 minutes, you can have summer on the plate.
Grilled halibut with butter caper herb sauce
Servings: 6
Start to finish: 20 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1 3/4 pounds of fresh Alaskan halibut fillet (or other firm white-flesh fish), checked for bones
1/2 lemon, for squeezing
2 teaspoons olive oil
salt and pepper
Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons capers, plus a little of the juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
A handful of chopped tender herbs, like basil, parsley, or cilantro
DIRECTIONS:
Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium high. Scrub the grill grates with a wire brush or tongs and ball of foil to clean off burnt food debris, and lightly oil the grates. Squeeze a little lemon juice on the halibut and let it sit a few minutes before blotting it dry gently with a paper towel.
Season the fish with a little salt and pepper. Drizzle the olive oil over both sides of the fish, and use your fingers to coat the whole fillet lightly with oil. Once the grill is hot, place the fish flesh side down on the grill. Allow to cook about 5-6 minutes on the first side. Use a metal spatula to flip the fish to cook the second side, until cooked through but not dry, about 3-4 more minutes. (To help keep the fish from sticking, don't flip it too soon, and flip the fish with a purposeful, quick motion.)
Meanwhile, heat the butter and garlic in a small sauce pan on the stove at medium heat until the garlic is aromatic, about 2 minutes. Add the capers with a little caper liquid and the lemon juice and whisk to combine. Remove from heat, stir the herbs into the sauce and then pour over the fish just as it comes off the grill. Serve.
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Nutrition information per serving: 198 calories; 76 calories from fat; 9 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 104 mg cholesterol; 625 mg sodium; 3 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 0 g sugar; 28 g protein.
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Food Network star Melissa d'Arabian is an expert on healthy eating on a budget. She is the author of the cookbook, "Supermarket Healthy."
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Online: http://www.melissadarabian.net
- By Melissa d'Arabian, The Associated Press
I pulled out an easy recipe that uses pantry ingredients that I keep on hand. One of my favorite items to keep in the freezer is frozen shrimp.
I keep both cooked and uncooked versions. Raw shrimp cook up in minutes and have more flavor, so I use them for pasta dishes and easy sheet-pan suppers. But cooked shrimp have their place on my menu, too. I love how quickly they thaw for salads and appetizers, and other cold preparations.
The downside to pre-cooked shrimp is the texture is a notch softer. My solution is to buy the large shrimp and then cut it in half. I know this may be counter-shrimp culture, so feel free to leave them large, but the solution works for us.
A super easy go-to recipe for shrimp for us is my Shrimp Pineapple Brochettes, which uses easy pantry ingredients — you can even use canned pineapple — to create something that still feels high-end.
It's healthy and versatile, working as either a meal when paired with some greens, a first course, or even an appetizer for parties. Shrimp brings protein and elegance, while pineapple balances out with both sweetness and acid. I use prepared pesto for some fat and flavor, and I highly recommend keeping a jar of prepared pesto in the freezer to scoop out for recipes. But, if you don't have any, just substitute a bunch of chopped herbs, olive oil and lemon juice for an easy, tasty version. And with skewers, I think it goes without saying that you can swap in whatever fruit you have in your kitchen — grapes, grapefruit, orange segments and even canned mango all work beautifully.
Shrimp and pineapple brochettes
Servings: 4
Start to finish: 10 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound large cooked shrimp, cleaned, thawed if frozen
1 cup pineapple cubes, about 1/2-inch each, drained and halved if using typical large canned chunks (grapefruit or orange may be used)
1 tablespoon prepared pesto sauce
1 tablespoon lemon or lime juice
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
Black pepper
A pinch (1/8 teaspoon) kosher salt
Chopped fresh mint, parsley or basil, optional
12 small or 8 large skewers, or 24 toothpicks if making appetizer bites
DIRECTIONS:
Cut shrimp into halves or thirds, depending on size of shrimp. Thread the skewers with alternating shrimp and fruit. Lay the skewers on a platter.
In a small bowl, add the lemon juice to the pesto sauce to thin it and stir. Drizzle the pesto mixture over the skewers, aiming mostly for the shrimp. Drizzle a few drops of olive oil onto the skewers. Top with freshly ground black pepper, the kosher salt and chopped herbs, if desired. Serve as a first course, an appetizer, or with a green salad for a light meal.
Nutrition information per serving: 130; 35 calories from fat; 4 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 145 mg cholesterol; 720 mg sodium; 1 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 16 g protein.
Food Network star Melissa d'Arabian is an expert on healthy eating on a budget. She is the author of the cookbook, "Supermarket Healthy." Online: http://www.melissadarabian.net.
- By Melissa d'Arabian, The Associated Press
The health benefits of eating fish two or three times a week are well-documented. So, as a mom of four kiddos, I'm always looking for creative ways to add fish into our weekly menu.
I love Alaskan cod especially this time of year because it's in season, it's loaded with omegas and lean protein, and my girls all love the mild flavor. But any mild white fish will work for today's recipe, Cod with Pomegranate and Zucchini en Papillote. My kids love the pretty color play between the bright green lime and rich-ruby pomegranate, while I love the fact that I can make a fantastic dinner that isn't loaded down with extra fat or empty calories.
I use the papillote method, which is simply loading up a sheet of parchment with fish, aromatics and some quick-cooking veggies and sealing them up into a pouch and baking. Cooking in the cozy, moist heat of the parchment pouch means the fish stays tender as it baths gently in the steam created by the vegetables and a tiny splash of wine, like a flavorful spa.
The result is fish that is almost impossible to overcook, giving a busy weeknight cook a forgiving window of time for serving dinner. Cooking in a papillote also means you can cook with no additional fat, making fish-en-papillote a super strategy for anyone watching their caloric intake.
If you feel like living it up a little, add a drizzle of olive oil or a tiny pat of butter — you'll be amazed by how even a tiny bit of fat can make the rest of the ingredients sing. Make a large papillote to eat family-style, or make smaller, individual papillotes for a dinner party — either way, you'll feel like dinner is a tiny bit special.
Cod with pomegranate and zucchini en papillote
Servings: 4
Start to finish: 25 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1 1/2 pounds cod, or other mild white fish, cut into 4 portions, or kept in one large portion
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced zucchini, about two small zucchini
2 large shallots, thinly sliced
1 lime, thinly sliced, seeds removed
2 tablespoons white wine
1/4 cup pomegranate arils (seeds)
salt and pepper
Special equipment: parchment paper
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to 400 F. Lightly salt and pepper the cod fillet and set aside. Cut a sheet of parchment paper that is a couple of inches longer than the length of the fish, and a little more than twice the width. Use one large piece of parchment if fillet is whole; or four individual pieces of parchment if you've cut the fish into individual portions. Place the sliced shallots along the middle of the parchment paper, and layer the zucchini on top of the shallots - this is the bed where you'll place the cod. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper.
Place the fish on top of the zucchini. Top the fish with the sliced lime, white wine, pomegranate arils, and a little salt and pepper. Close the parchment paper by folding the paper in half over the fish. Create a closed pouch by starting at one corner, and folding the paper into small triangles, tightly pinching them closed as you go around the edges. The result will be a semi-circle shaped sealed pouch.
Place the pouch on a baking sheet and bake for 13-15 minutes, or a few minutes less if fish is thin. Remove from the oven, carefully cut open the pouch and serve.
Chef's note: Recipe can also be made in a baking dish: Simply layer, cover and bake.
Nutrition information per serving: 201 calories; 15 calories from fat; 2 g fat (0 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 73 mg cholesterol; 687 mg sodium; 12 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 7 g sugar; 33 g protein.
Food Network star Melissa d'Arabian is an expert on healthy eating on a budget. She is the author of the cookbook, "Supermarket Healthy." Online: http://www.melissadarabian.net
- By The Culinary Institute of America
Fresh shellfish is one of the hallmarks of a good summer vacation, and it is best eaten barefoot with a sea breeze and chilled rose. But life is not always a beach and we are, regrettably, not always on vacation. Luckily, with a few staycation-ready recipes stored away, you can easily transport yourself and all of your friends to the shores of Cape Cod.
This Grilled White Pizza with Cockles, Lemon and Kale, with a rich creamy sauce reminiscent of New England clam chowder, is a refreshing change of pace from a summer full of hamburgers and grilled vegetables. Bright lemon zest pops against the season's sweetest clams, while lightly charred pizza dough offers a crunchy smokiness that no oyster cracker would dare to challenge.
Culinary Institute of America chef Scott Swartz says that grilling pizza, especially this one, is great for summertime parties, because each component can be made ahead.
He suggests, "Grill one side of the pizza dough, then remove it, cooked-side up, to a lightly oiled tray. Put your toppings on the cooked side and then, just before serving, return to the grill, cover, and let the dough crisp and the toppings warm through. This way, the dough can be grilled way ahead of time and quickly finished when ready to eat."
Though the flavors of this pizza are rich and bold, there's still leaves plenty of room for personalization. Add familiar chowder ingredients like bacon or sweet summer corn for an ode to the classic. Or try roasted poblanos, caramelized fennel, or spicy chorizo for something new and exciting.
And if this feels a little heavy on the summer bod, you can make the sauce without the cream. Since you'll still need it to be saucy, we would add a bit more wine and a little squeeze of lemon juice. Remember, though, that the whole thing is topped with kale, which basically makes it a salad, right?
Speaking of kale, we like it here because it's a mild green with a texture that holds up well to cooking. If it's not for you, you can use spinach (just skip the pre-cooking step), Swiss chard, or even flavorful mustard greens. This would also be equally delicious with blanched asparagus, thinly sliced broccoli, or even shaved cabbage.
Cockles are a nice choice for this pizza, since they are small and tender, but fresh and local should take precedence. Choose whatever clam variety is of the best quality where you are, and make sure to keep them nice and cold while you prepare the other ingredients.
Most store-bought clams should be relatively clean and free of sand, but you'll want to be extra sure, since in most coastal regions, serving gritty clams is punishable by a fine of one case of cold beer. Refrigerate your clams in a bowl of salted water for at least a few hours for peace of mind. Discard any clams with broken or damaged shells, or any open clams that do not close when gently tapped.
This pizza makes enough a family dinner, with a nice summer salad on the side. The recipe can easily be doubled or even tripled for a party, and the dough can be shaped into rectangles for easy appetizer portions, or even into small individual rounds_whatever floats your boat. It's still summer, so you can do what you want. Save the rules for September.
Grilled white pizza with cockles, lemon and kale
Servings: 4
Start to finish: 1 hour
INGREDIENTS:
3 cups torn kale leaves, from about bunch
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 shallot, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 cup heavy cream
1 pound, 8 ounces of cockles, little necks, or other small, seasonal clam, rinsed and soaked, if needed
2 teaspoons cornstarch, mixed with 1 tablespoon water, to make a slurry
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 pound pizza dough, thawed if frozen
1 tablespoon canola oil
1/2 teaspoon crushed red chili flakes
1 teaspoon lemon zest (see note)
Lemon wedges, for serving
DIRECTIONS:
In a large bowl, prepare an ice water bath and set aside. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add the kale and cook until wilted, about 3 minutes. Use tongs or a large slotted spoon to transfer the kale to the ice water bath to cool. Drain and set aside.
Heat the olive oil in a large lidded saucepan or pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallot and cook, stirring constantly, until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the wine, cream, and clams, and stir to coat. Cover and cook until the clamshells have opened, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and use a slotted spoon or tongs to transfer clams to a bowl.
Return the pan to low heat and bring the cooking liquid to a simmer. Add the cornstarch slurry, mixing constantly to incorporate. Return to a simmer and add the cheese and pepper. Simmer, stirring constantly, until the cheese has melted and the sauce has thickened, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, straining through a mesh sieve if desired, and set aside to cool.
Meanwhile, remove the clam meat from the shells and roughly chop (leave some clams in the shell for garnish, if you like). Discard shells.
To make the pizza, prepare a grill for medium-heat cooking. Roll or stretch the pizza dough into a 14-inch round. Lightly brush one side with about half of the canola oil, then place oil-side down on the grill. Cook, covered, until the dough is browned and crisp on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes.
Carefully transfer the dough, cooked-side down, onto a large baking sheet. Brush the top with the remaining canola oil, then flip. Spread the cooked side with a thin layer of cream sauce (you may not use it all), leaving a 2-inch border around the edge of the dough. Top with chopped clams, kale, and chili flakes and cook until crisp and golden brown and toppings are warmed through, 2 to 3 minutes. Sprinkle with lemon zest, then slice and serve with lemon wedges.
Chef's note: For a sweet and savory variation, use chopped candied lemon peel in place of fresh zest. It can be found in most specialty markets.
Nutrition information per serving: 570 calories; 250 calories from fat; 28 g fat (9 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 49 mg cholesterol; 465 mg sodium; 59 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 5 g sugar; 25 g protein.
- By Sara Moulton, The Associated Press
Cooked hard-shell clams are an unbeatable two-for-the price-of-one delight. You get the clams themselves and the clam liquid they give off as they cook, which creates an instant sauce with astonishing depth of flavor. And it's simple. You just combine the clams with some liquid (and aromatics, if you want — here I've added scallions, garlic and tomatoes), cover them and let them steam until the shells open.
The only tricky part is that all clams don't cook at the same pace. The first specimen might open after just 5 minutes while the last one luxuriates for three times as long. If you allow that first clam to hang out until the last clam opens, it'll end up rubbery. Accordingly, it takes a tough cook to make a tender clam. Check the steaming clams frequently and pull each one out of the pot the second its shell opens.
This very same recipe also works using a different kind of bivalve mollusk, namely mussels. You'll need about 4 pounds of these critters. Method-wise, proceed as with the clams, removing each mussel as it opens.
Clam or mussel, this sea creature must be well-cleaned before it's steamed. Start by filling a large bowl with cold water. Add the mollusks and swirl them around, then lift them out of the bowl. Dump out the sand on the bottom of the bowl, refill the bowl with clean water and repeat the procedure until the bathed clams leave no sand.
Canadian bacon adds some meat and smoke to the finished dish. (Also, it's leaner than traditional bacon.) Of course, the pescatarians among us are welcome to leave out the bacon. Likewise, folks who aren't into alcohol can substitute water for the wine. Finally, those who dislike basil can use cilantro instead.
But please don't skip the garlic bread. It's easy to make and key to the recipe. And there's no better way to sop up all that luscious clam broth.
Clam tomato and bacon stew with grilled garlic bread
Start to finish: 1 hour
Servings: 6
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped Canadian bacon
1 cup sliced white part of scallions and 1/2 cup sliced green part of scallions
1 cup medium chopped green bell pepper
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 cups medium chopped ripe tomatoes
1 cup dry white wine
4 dozen cherrystone clams, cleaned well
1/2 cup packed basil leaves, coarsely chopped
1 recipe Grilled Garlic Bread (recipe below)
DIRECTIONS:
In a large saucepan or Dutch oven large enough to hold all the clams, heat the oil over medium-high heat, add the bacon, reduce the heat to medium and cook, stirring occasionally, until the bacon starts to brown around the edges. Add the sliced white part of scallions and the bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the white wine and the clams, cover the pot and steam, transferring the clams as they open to a bowl. Discard any clams that do not open.
Remove all the clams from their shells and return them to the pot with the tomato mixture. Reheat over medium-low heat until just hot. Stir in the basil and scallion greens.
To serve: Put 2 pieces of the grilled bread into each of 6 soup plates and spoon one-sixth of the clam mixture on top.
Grilled garlic bread
6 (1/2-inch thick) slices country bread
Extra-virgin olive oil for brushing the bread
1 garlic clove, halved
Preheat a grill or grill pan over medium heat. Brush both sides of the bread slices with the oil. Add the bread to the preheated grill and grill until it's nicely marked and crispy on both sides (about 2 minutes a side). Remove the bread from the grill and while it's still hot, rub one side of each slice with the cut side of the garlic.
Nutrition information per serving: 393 calories; 145 calories from fat; 16 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 75 mg cholesterol; 1,020 mg sodium; 33 g carbohydrate; 4 g fiber; 4 g sugar; 21 g protein.
Sara Moulton is host of public television's "Sara's Weeknight Meals." She was executive chef at Gourmet magazine for nearly 25 years and spent a decade hosting several Food Network shows, including "Cooking Live." Her latest cookbook is "HomeCooking 101."
- By Robert Luhmann, Eagle Correspondent
My earliest cooking chops were formulated in restaurants on Cape Cod many years ago. At that time, it was almost unheard of to not have New England Clam Chowder on the menu, so I made a lot of chowder in those days.
Eastern Massachusetts natives are, of course, famous for dropping their R’s, so I was taught to make “chowdah.” It took years for this New Jersey native, who drank “cawffee” and went to the city of “Bawston,” to acclimate my ear to the strongest accents of the region. I remember a time when a man introduced himself as “Cahlpetahs” as if it was one word. It took a minute before realizing his name was Carl Peters and not an exotic eastern European surname like Kahlpettas.
The clam chowder preparation technique I learned then was pretty standard. Diced onions and celery were sautéed in butter with diced salt pork until the vegetables were tender and the salt pork rendered to which flour was added and allowed to cook over low heat for a few minutes.
Clam juice was added and brought back to a simmer at which point a combination of chopped sea clams and quahogs were added and allowed to cook a bit longer, allowing the clams to become thoroughly cooked. Finally, cooked diced potatoes and light cream were added and gently brought back to a simmer again, then salt and pepper were added to taste and possibly some gratuitous herbs to make the restaurant’s advertised famous clam chowder famous. A little plastic packet of oyster crackers always accompanied the chowder. In the kitchen, we used to laugh at the perhaps one-ounce difference between a cup and a bowl costing a dollar more for a bowl.
Recently, I made a chicken soup with kale and decided to add pureed cannellini beans to give the soup a creamier texture and body, which made me think it could be interesting to use that technique in a soup mimicking fish chowder. I have no illusions that I’m the first to think of employing this technique for a creamy textured fish soup, as I’ve certainly learned that there are very few original recipes, only variations on a theme. However, I was pleased with the result. As an added benefit, the soup is both lactose-free and gluten-free.
I served the soup for dinner with a salad and some homemade Irish brown bread.
THE LACTOSE-FREE AND GLUTEN-FREE FISH 'UNCHOWDAH'
The pureed bean base of this soup can be used in all sorts of soups if you're looking to make a soup that mimics a cream soup without lactose and gluten, while providing the nutritional benefits of cannellini beans, which are rich in protein, fiber, copper, folate and iron. In this soup, I added minced fresh rosemary, as I like it in combination with olive oil and beans and its affinity to fish. I wasn’t looking for something garlicky at the time, but I’m sure garlic would make this soup satisfying in a Tuscan or Southern French sort of way. Any combination of firm fish, shellfish, lobster and crab can obviously be used for the chowder.
Ingredients:
1 cup medium diced onion
1 cup medium diced celery
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 15.5-ounce cans of cannellini beans
1 1/2 cups of medium peeled and diced Yukon Gold potatoes
6 cups fish stock or clam juice
1 pound of diced haddock, cod or other firm white fish
1 tablespoon minced rosemary
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
In a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven or similar pot, sauté the onion and celery with olive oil until soft.
Meanwhile, after draining and rinsing the cannellini beans add them to the fish stock in an appropriately sized saucepan and bring to a simmer.
Using an immersion blender or food processor, puree the beans until completely smooth.
Add the pureed bean mixture and diced potatoes to the onions and celery in the Dutch oven and simmer until the potatoes are soft.
Add the fish and the rosemary and simmer for a few minutes before turning off the heat and allow to sit for about a half hour for the pureed beans to fully thicken the soup before reheating and serving.
- By America's Test Kitchen
Cooking salmon can be intimidating since it overcooks and dries out so easily. But the multicooker makes the process foolproof: The consistent moisture level and temperature, as well as the precise timing safeguards against overcooking, produce evenly cooked salmon each and every time.
Cooking the salmon on a foil sling made it easy to transfer in and out of the multicooker, and propping the fish up on lemon slices insulated it from the direct heat.
While both methods produced great salmon in under an hour, we slightly preferred the slow cook setting since it allowed us to regularly check the doneness of the fish, guaranteeing that it was cooked perfectly.
To complete our healthy dinner, we made a fresh and light salad with cucumber, tomatoes, olives and herbs. If using the slow cook function, check the salmon's temperature after 15 minutes of cooking and continue to monitor until it registers 135 F.
POACHED SALMON WITH CUCUMBER AND TOMATO SALAD
Servings: 4
Pressure cook total time: 25 minutes
Slow cook total time: 45 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1 lemon, sliced 1/4 inch thick, plus 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest and 2 tablespoons juice
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, stems reserved
1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill, stems reserved
1 (1 1/2-pound) skinless center-cut salmon fillet, 1 to 1 1/2 inches thick, sliced crosswise into 4 equal pieces
Salt and pepper
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 shallot, minced
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and minced
1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and sliced thin
8 ounces cherry tomatoes, halved
3/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, halved
DIRECTIONS:
Fold sheet of aluminum foil into 12-by-9 inch sling. Press sling into multicooker, allowing narrow edges to rest along sides of insert. Arrange lemon slices in single layer on prepared sling, then scatter parsley and dill stems over top. Add water until liquid level is even with lemon slices (about 1/2 cup). Season salmon with salt and pepper and arrange skinned side down in even layer on top of herb stems.
To pressure cook: Lock lid in place and close pressure release valve. Select high-pressure cook function and cook for 5 minutes. Turn off multicooker and quick-release pressure. Carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.
To slow cook: Lock lid in place and open pressure release valve. Select low slow cook function and cook until salmon is opaque throughout when checked with tip of paring knife and registers 135 F (for medium), 15 to 20 minutes. (If using Instant Pot, select high slow cook function.) Turn off multicooker and carefully remove lid, allowing steam to escape away from you.
Meanwhile, whisk oil, shallot, capers, lemon zest and juice, and chopped dill together in large bowl. Add cucumber, tomatoes, olives and parsley leaves and gently toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Using sling, transfer salmon to baking sheet; discard poaching liquid. Gently lift and tilt fillets with spatula to remove herb stems and lemon slices and remove any white albumin. Transfer salmon to individual plates and serve with salad.
Nutrition information per serving: 427 calories; 262 calories from fat; 29 g fat (4 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 62 mg cholesterol; 1145 mg sodium; 16 g carbohydrate; 3 g fiber; 6 g sugar; 26 g protein.
For more recipes, cooking tips and ingredient and product reviews, visit americastestkitchen.com. Find more recipes like Poached Salmon with Cucumber and Tomato Salad in "Multicooker Perfection ."
- By Katie Workman, The Associated Press
I love a deep-fried, puffy-battered fish sandwich, with a tempura-like coating, but I'm not doing that at home. That's for an indulgent summer seafood shack lunch, or if you're lucky enough to find yourself in a British pub.
But a great, pan-fried piece of fish can be yours with much less work, and significantly less oil. One time to do it, and stat, is when you have Alaskan halibut. It's worth seeking out — sweet and delicate, with white, firm, flaky flesh. It keeps its shape nicely even as you flip it in the pan. One-quarter inch of oil will get you a great crust, and when that crispy fish is nestled in a roll with lettuce, tomato and tartar sauce, you will feel like summer has returned.
You could certainly just go out and buy some prepared tartar sauce if you're in a hurry, but a homemade tartar sauce is a bit of a revelation, and very simple to make. If you don't have cornichons, you can substitute jarred relish.
Halibut fried fish sandwich with lemon basil tartar sauce
Makes 4 sandwiches
Start to finish: 25 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
Lemon basil tartar sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons minced cornichons (baby pickles)
2 tablespoons minced scallions
1 tablespoon capers, drained and rinsed, then minced
2 teaspoons coarse Dijon or Creole mustard
1 tablespoon minced basil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Halibut fried fish sandwiches:
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 large egg
1/2 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 cup panko bread crumbs
4 (6 -ounce) pieces halibut
vegetable oil for pan frying (about cup)
4 potato rolls
Several pieces of leaf or romaine lettuce, torn to fit the rolls
1 ripe tomato, sliced
Lemon wedges for serving
DIRECTIONS:
Preheat the oven to broil.
Make the tartar sauce. In a small bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, cornichons, scallions, capers, mustard, basil, parsley, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Have all of the sandwich rolls and toppings ready to go so that when the fish is cooked, you can assemble the sandwiches right away.
In a shallow wide bowl, mix the flour with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. In another shallow wide bowl, beat the egg with the milk and the hot sauce. Place the panko bread crumbs in a third shallow wide bowl.
Heat enough oil to come up 1/4-inch high in a large skillet over medium high heat. While the oil is heating, dredge each piece of fish first in the flour, shaking off any excess, then in the milk mixture, allowing any excess to drip back into the bowl, and then finally dredge the fish in the bread crumbs. Fry the fish in the oil for about 4 minutes on each side until the fish is golden brown and cooked through. Remove it with a slotted spatula and place on a paper towel-lined plate or surface to drain for a minute.
While the fish is cooking, broil the buns cut side up for just a minute until lightly browned. Place a piece of cooked fish on the bottom half of each roll, and top with a spoonful of the tartar sauce. Top with the lettuce and tomato, and then with the second half of the roll. Serve immediately, with the lemon wedges.
Nutrition information per serving of Lemon Basil Tartar Sauce (about 2 tablespoons): Nutrition information per serving: 98 calories; 93 calories from fat; 10 g fat (2 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 6 mg cholesterol; 319 mg sodium; 1 g carbohydrate; 0 g fiber; 0 g sugar; 0 g protein.
Nutrition information per serving of Halibut Fried Fish Sandwiches: 611 calories; 168 calories from fat; 19 g fat (3 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 139 mg cholesterol; 686 mg sodium; 62 g carbohydrate; 2 g fiber; 8 g sugar; 45 g protein.
Katie Workman has written two cookbooks focused on easy, family-friendly cooking, "Dinner Solved!" and "The Mom 100 Cookbook." She blogs at http://www.themom100.com/about-katie-workman
- By Robert Luhmann, Eagle Correspondent
I recently returned to my old stomping grounds on Cape Cod to visit my beautiful niece, Daven, and her husband and my good friend, Benn. It was only the second time the Lovely Lois and I had left Berkshire County since March 2020, and the first time we had seen them in person in almost two pandemic-riddled years.
Besides being my niece whom I held as a baby, Daven worked with me in my family’s restaurant on the Cape during the 1980s for 10 years. Her loving and loveable husband, Benn, and I have had many adventures over the last 30-plus years enjoying each other’s company. There were countless times we’d fish on Cape Cod Bay on one of his string of boats for as long as 12 hours at a time — or until the beer and sandwiches ran out.
Whenever I visit Daven and Benn, we all throw any pretense of sticking to a healthy diet to the wind. Thankfully, they’re both excellent cooks and one of the many reasons I love them is they have their priorities straight. When we started making plans for our visit, they immediately began suggesting what we’d have for dinners on our long weekend together. They usually decide on the menus and prepare the food, while I provide the wine, beer, cheese and Berkshire County treats.
We were thrilled to learn they chose to go with steamed lobsters on the evening of our arrival. I chose to bring a couple of bottles of one of my favorite rosés, Mimi’s Grande Réserve Rosé from Provence to help celebrate our reunion.
On our trip out to Cape Cod, we endured the obligatory miles-long Friday afternoon backup onto the Cape via the Bourne Bridge, but I was spurred on by dreams of lobsters dancing the hokey pokey in my head. Before going to Daven and Benn’s, our first stop was the Kream N Kone in Dennis for a late lunch on its deck next to the Swan River. Despite the name, it’s a mostly fried seafood joint, where you order at the counter and they give you one of those number sticks to find you when they bring out your order.
Keeping with tradition and my lust for deep-fried, whole-belly clams, I seek out a plateful whenever I go to the Cape. I was not disappointed by my excellent heaping paper plate of fried clams, French fries and onion rings, chased down with a beer from Cape Cod Beer, while Lois, who can never get enough lobster, contented herself with a lobster roll. Forget about natural supplements, crystals or meditation to help calm jangled nerves from the longish and sometimes frustrating ride down. Crispy, fried whole-belly clams bursting with juicy Atlantic Ocean goodness and a cold beer provided all the serenity I needed.
That evening, we all sat in Daven and Benn’s backyard in Brewster on a coolish mid-June evening tearing into steamed 2 1/2 pound lobsters and grilled local-to-Florida corn. The lobsters were perfectly steamed and needed nothing more than sides of melted butter, a roll of paper towels, lobster shell crackers and wooden skewers pressed into service as picks. I was in heaven surrounded by people I love with butter infused lobster juices dripping from our chins, while Ajax, the sweet, nonstop-frisbee-chasing yellow lab, and Bruce, the perpetually hungry beagle, roamed beneath our feet hoping for a dropped morsel or two. I do have to admit I purposefully dropped a bit here and there. As night fell and we all became increasingly contented, their neighbor’s peacocks interjected their jungle screeches and Bruce howled his beagle howl at intruders, real or imaginary, only he could sense prowling the perimeter of his territory.
While still dreaming of lobsters dancing in my head and deciding on another evening of decadent dining, I decided to butter-poach lobster tails after I got back.
BUTTER-POACHED MAINE LOBSTER TAILS WITH MUSSELS AND COUSCOUS
Serves two
Frozen Maine or cold-water lobster tails are available online and from some local stores, such as Guido’s. After butter-poaching lobster tails a time or two, I think you’ll find the process is not difficult at all.
A cautionary note: Raw lobster meat decomposes quickly, so it’s best to thaw overnight in the refrigerator the night before using.
INGREDIENTS:
2 defrosted, raw cold-water lobster tails 5 to 6 ounces apiece (the equivalent of a tail from a 1 1/2-pound lobster)
12 mussels, soaked in cold water for a few minutes and debearded. Toss any mussels with broken shells or which don’t close after soaking.
For the sauce:
1 sprig of fresh tarragon
1 medium shallot, sliced (about 1 tablespoon)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon heavy cream
1/4 pound, plus 2 tablespoons, cold unsalted butter, cut into about tablespoon pieces.
Approximately 1 tablespoon finely chopped chives.
Approximately 1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon.
Salt and pepper to taste.
For the couscous:
1/2 cup Moroccan-style couscous
1/2 cup water
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 teaspoon salt
DIRECTIONS:
Using heavy-duty kitchen shears, cut the end of the lobster tails off, then cut down the back of the lobster tails. Turn each lobster tail on its side, cover with a kitchen towel and push down with the heel of you hand firmly until you hear the shell crack. Using your thumbs, separate the meat from the sides of the shells until you’re able to extract the meat. Reserve the shells. Rinse the meat under cold water and extract the digestive tract from the back of the tail. Skewer each tail lengthwise to avoid having it curl while cooking and use toothpicks to seal the back of the tail.
In a small saucepan, place the sprig of tarragon, the sliced shallots, white wine, mussels and reserved lobster shells and cook over medium heat, stirring the lobster shells and mussels occasionally until the liquid is almost gone. Remove the mussels and lobster shells, remove each mussel from its shell and replace it on the half shell. Discard the remaining mussel and lobster shells. Cover the mussels on the half shell with a warm damp paper towel on a small plate.
Begin cooking the couscous by bringing the water to a boil in a small saucepan with the butter and salt. Add the couscous, stir and remove from the heat.
Add the heavy cream to the saucepan with the shallots and tarragon sprig and reduce by half over low heat. This will only take a minute or two. Lower the heat so that the heavy cream is just barely simmering and begin whisking in the 1/4 pound of butter two pieces at a time waiting for the pieces to become fully emulsified before adding more. Once the butter has become fully emulsified into the sauce, strain the sauce with a fine sieve into a medium sauté pan with a cover.
Add the lobster tails to the sauté pan, bring the sauce back to a very low simmer and cover. Swirl the pan somewhat consistently to avoid having the sauce break and to incorporate the lobster juices into the sauce for about 3 minutes. Turn the lobster tails over and continue cooking and swirling the pan for about 3 minutes longer until the lobster tails reach an internal temperature of 140 degrees F using an instant read thermometer.
Pack the cooked couscous into a 1/2-cup dry measuring cup and tap firmly on the bottom of the measuring cup while holding it bottom side up on each warmed dinner plate until it comes out in one mound. Remove the lobster tails from the pan and remove their skewers and toothpicks. Microwave the mussels for 10 seconds to warm. Arrange the mussels and lobster around the couscous while finishing the sauce.
Add the chopped chives and tarragon to the sauce and whisk in the additional butter and heavy cream to fully emulsify the sauce. Even a salt hound like me didn’t need any additional salt and just added some grindings of pepper. Using a rubber spatula transfer the sauce to a 2-cup liquid measure and drizzle over all. Garnish with chive and tarragon sprigs.