SHRIMP PASTA CASSEROLE

SHRIMP PASTA CASSEROLE
Makes 10-12 servings
6 tablespoons butter
1 onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, crushed
6 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 1/2 cups half-and-half
1 cup grated baby Swiss cheese
1 1/2 pounds blanched shrimp (blanch in hot water 1 minute) OR use3/4 pound blanched shrimp and 3/4 pound crab meat
Salt and red pepper to taste
16 ounces penne pasta
1 1/2 cups grated mozzarella

Melt butter; add onion and garlic and saute until soft. Stir in flour, combining well. Slowly add half-and-half, stirring until smooth. Discard crushed garlic. Add cheese and seafood. Season to taste and cook until cheese is melted.

Cook pasta until tender; drain thoroughly. Butter a 2-quart casserole and add half the pasta. Cover with half the cheese sauce. Repeat one more time, ending with cheese sauce. Cover. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes, until bubbly. Uncover and top with mozzarella. Bake about 25 to 30 minutes, until cheese is melted and top is very lightly browned.

Serve with a mixed green salad.

KRABBY SALAD

Krabby Salad

OK so it isn’t crab. It’s something to do with that packaged imitation crab, which is cheap, but it is fish, and it’s pretty good. You can use real crabmeat, which is expensive but better.

1 lb. Imitation Crabmeat, flake it finely with your fingers

1 bunch green onions, minced

Mayonnaise (preferably homemade) to taste, start with about half a cup. If you find that too much you can use less the next time. If you want more you can add it at will.

About half a head of iceberg lettuce...Yep, you heard me right, ICEBERG. Finer lettuce doesn’t give enough crunch and won’t hold up very well when mixed with everything else, it will wilt, badly.

Salt and pepper to taste

Juice of one lemon

Prep all your ingredients ahead of time. Toss them all together and mix well. Serve. Trust me, your guests will be delighted

POOR MAN'S CRAB CAKES

Poor Man’s Crab Cakes

3 cold baked potatoes

1/2 cup butter1/2 cup chopped bell pepper

1/2 cup chopped onion1/2 cup diced celery

1/2 cup milk

1 pound imitation crabmeat, flaked and chopped

1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1/4 cup chopped fresh dill

salt to taste (optional)2 eggs, beaten

1 tablespoon olive oil

Split and mash the potatoes in a mixing bowl; set aside. The potato skins may be left on if desired.

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat; cook and stir the bell pepper, onion, and celery in the melted butter until they begin to soften, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir the milk into the mixture; pour the mixture over the mashed potatoes and stir to combine. The consistency should not be too runny. Allow the mixture to cool completely.

Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 

Add the crabmeat, Cheddar cheese, and dill to the potato mixture; season with salt. Lightly mix. Pour the beaten eggs into the mixture and stir to combine. If the mixture is too thin, bread crumbs or flour can be added to make more firm. Form the mixture into 24 small patties.

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; cook the patties in small batches in the skillet until completely browned and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Do not flip until bottom is fully browned and crisp; this ensures the patties will not break. Transfer to a baking dish in the oven to keep hot until all are cooked. Serve hot.

　

SEAFOOD REMOULADE SAUCE

SEAFOOD REMOULADE SAUCE

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup salad oil

2 Tbsp. dry mustard

1 Tbsp. chopped green onion

1 Tbsp. chopped parsley

1 Tbsp. horseradish

2 Tbsp. tarragon vinegar

2 Tbsp. tomato catsup

2 Tbsp. paprika

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Dash of hot sauce

Freshly cooked, peeled shrimp or crabmeat

Shredded lettuce

Combine all ingredients except shrimp or crab meat and lettuce in a blender container.  Blend until smooth. Chill thoroughly.  Serve with peeled, cooked shrimp or crabmeat on a bed of lettuce. Yield 2 cups.

Some capers would serve as a welcome addition!

MUSSELS in TOMATO VINAIGRETTE

I particularly like these mussels with their astringent dressing - an ice-cold beer would be the perfect accompaniment.

Ingredients
750g/1lb 10oz large, rope-grown mussels
1 medium vine-ripened tomato, skinned, roughly chopped
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tbsp capers, roughly chopped
2 pickled cornichons (mini gherkins), finely chopped
1 tbsp finely chopped red onion
1 tbsp finely chopped green pepper
1 tbsp finely chopped red pepper
1 tbsp finely chopped flatleaf parsley

MUSSELS IN TOMATO VINAIGRETTE

Wash the mussels in cold water and scrape off any barnacles with a knife. Discard any that don`t show signs of closing when squeezed gently, then pull out the tough fibrous beards protruding from between the closed shells.

Heat a large, heavy-based pan over a high heat. Add the mussels and two tablespoons of water, cover and shake around for 2-3 minutes, or until the mussels have just opened. Drain into a colander and leave until cool enough to handle. (Discard any mussels that do not open.)

Break away the empty, top half-shell from each mussel. Release the meat in the other shell, but leave it in place. Place them side by side on a serving platter.

For the dressing, put the chopped tomato into a mini food processor and blend until smooth. Add the vinegar, oil and some salt and pepper to taste and blend briefly once more to combine.

Tip into a small bowl and stir in the capers, cornichons, red onion, green pepper, red pepper and parsley. Spoon some of the dressing over each mussel and serve at room temperature.

SIMPLE FRIED OYSTERS

Simple Fried Oysters

½ cup flour
½ cup cornmeal
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper

Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, salt and pepper. Heat 2 inches of oil in a dutch oven until it reaches 350 degrees. Toss the oysters in the seasoned flour, shake off the excess, and fry for 3 to 5 minutes, until slightly golden, then drain on paper towels. Don’t over-fry them or they will become dried out and a little chewy-you want them to be nice and plump.

BASIC FRIED SHRIMP & COCKTAIL SAUCE

Simple Fried Shrimp

2 dozen large shrimp, peeled
½ tsp. Plus 1 ½ Tbsp salt
1/4 tsp plus 1 Tablespoon black pepper
2 cups flour
2 tsp. Cayenne
oil for frying
1 cup well-shaken buttermilk
2 tsp. Creole mustard (if you want your shrimp tangier)

Place shrimp in a medium bowl and season with1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp black pepper:
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour with the remaining salt, pepper and the cayenne.
Heat 3-4 inches of oil in a large pot until very hot, about 350 degrees.

Pour the buttermilk (and mustard, if using) over the seasoned shrimp and combine. Working in batches, use a slotted spoon to remove the shrimp from the buttermilk and transfer to the seasoned flour. Use a separate dry spoon or your fingers, to toss and evenly coat. Carefully slip the battered shrimp in to the fryer and fry until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes; drain on paper towels. (Don’t over-crowd the fryer with too many shrimp, as this will lower the temperature of the oil and the shrimp won’t crisp up as quickly or as nicely as they should.

Cocktail Sauce:
1 cup ketchup, 3 Tbsp. horseradish, 2 Tbsp. Lemon juice, 2 Tbsp. Tabasco sauce, and 2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce.

PASTA CREAM SAUCE

Cream Pasta Sauce
1 serving.

½ cup heavy cream
1 Tbsp. green onions, chopped
2 Tbsp. onions, sliced
1/4 cup sliced mushrooms (optional)
2 tsp. Dill weed
salt and pepper to taste

1 Tbsp. White wine for chicken, Brandy for crawfish or Pernod or Herbsaint for shrimp
5 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined or 10 crawfish tails or one chicken breast half, sauteed and chopped
Combine the ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat. If using shrimp, saute them for 2 or 3 minutes first. You should bring the sauce to a boil and simmer until it thickens slightly so it will cling to the pasta. Put the pasta portion in the pan with the sauce, stir to coat with sauce and then pour into the bowl.