Arroz con Camerones
Fresh jumbo gulf shrimp are briefly boiled in a stock containing sea salt, cracked cumin and coriander and fresh lime juice, then plunged into ice water to stop the cooking process. Half of the shrimp are coarsely chopped and set aside along with the remaining whole pieces. Next, a sofrito of garlic, onions and tomatoes is sauteed in a mixture of bacon fat and butter along with a couple of sliced Anaheim peppers. Bomba rice is added and stirred to coat each grain in the flavored fat, then the cooking stock is added along with a spoonful of achiote paste. Stirred continuously until most of the stock has been absorbed, the chopped shrimp is added along with a little more stock and heated through. Seasoned to taste with freshly-ground black pepper and a handful of chopped fresh cilantro, then turned out into pre-warmed dishes and topped with the reserved whole shrimp and a little more hot stock..
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Gulf Snapper on the Half Shell
Fresh Red Snapper filets from the Texas Gulf are grilled and basted over an open fire until crisp and a little charred on the underside..
Gulf Snapper on the Half Shell
To prepare, filet fresh red snapper (or redfish), leaving the skin and scales in place to form a protective “half shell” that protects the flesh from the fire.
Lightly coat the grill grates with olive oil, then lay on the filets skin-side down. Without moving the fish, grill until the underside is crisp and a little charred, basting all the while with a compound butter. The fish is done when it flakes easily with a fork.
Example Compound Butter for Grilled Snapper
4 ounces pastured butter at room temperature
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 scant teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon chipotle powder
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon rosemary
1-1/2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1 teaspoon freshly-squeezed lemon juice
Combine all ingredients together in a heat-proof bowl and keep near enough to the fire to keep it soft during use.
The single most sought-after offshore fish, Red Snapper are caught from reefs, rigs and banks along the entire Texas coast. Hand line, manual reels and electric reels are used, all equipped with heavy weights and multiple hooks. Bait with fresh squid or cigar minnows; live pinfish or pigifsh will catch larger snapper.
After years under protection due to overfishing, Gulf Red Snapper has made a welcome recovery. The NOAA Fisheries Service opened a 48-day recreational season this past summer, with an estimated catch of some three million pounds (adults average from 2 to 5 pounds, but can be much larger).
Like this:
Butter-Poached Lobster on a Salt-Crusted Bolillo
Imagine the iconic New England lobster roll on a late summer evening. Delicious, right? Now re-imagine that as a Texican creation with homemade Key lime-ancho mayonnaise, fresh avocado and heirloom tomatoes served on a top-split, oven-toasted bolillo..
Butter-Poached Lobster on a Salt-Crusted Bolillo
For the Aioli (adapted from multiple recipes by Michael Ruhlman)
1 large, pastured egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon filtered water
2 teaspoons freshly-squeezed lemon juice
1 cup avocado oil
2 teaspooons cumin seeds, toasted and ground
1 teaspoon coriander seeds, toasted and ground
1/2 teaspoon ancho chili powder
1 clove garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed Key lime juice
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh red chili pepper, seeded and chopped
sea salt and freshly-ground black pepper to taste
Whisk the yolk, salt and lemon juice together in a large, non-reactive bowl. While whisking, drizzle in a few drops of oil, then a few more to establish the emulsion. Whisking continuously, add the remaining oil in a thin stream. The mixture should be thick enough to cling to your whisk (i.e., not pourable).
Whisk in the remaining ingredients (except the salt & pepper), then season to taste with the salt and pepper. Cover tightly and refrigerate 1 hour before using. If the avocado oil has begun to solidify, simple allow the mayonnaise to come to room temperature and give it a quick whisk.
To Prepare the Lobster 
1/2 pound Canadian or Maine lobster knuckle and claw meat
6 oz pastured butter
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 fresh bay leaves
Put the wine and bay leaves into a heavy-bottomed sauce pan and bring to a quick boil. Lower the heat and simmer until the wine has reduced in volume by half. Add the butter and cook until you hear the milk solids begin to sizzle on the bottom of the pan. Skim and discard the foam from the top, then regulate the heat until bubbles are barely breaking the surface.
Add the lobster and poach until just done, maybe 10 minutes. Don’t let the butter boil and don’t let the lobster cook too long or it will be rubbery. Transfer the lobster to a side dish to cool, reserving the butter for another recipe.
To make the Lobster Salad
1/2 pound poached lobster meat, coarsley chopped
1/4 cup key lime-ancho mayonnaise (more or less)
1/2 cup ripe, red heirloom tomato, coarsley chopped
1/2 cup fresh avocado, coarsley chopped
Lightly fold all ingredients together in a bowl, taking care not to let things get mashed up. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
For the Bolillos
Use a bread knife to split fresh bolillos from the top, taking care not to cut all the way through. Brush the split bolillos all over with lots of the leftover lobster poaching butter, then sprinkle with coarse sea salt. Place in a 400 degree oven until nicely toasted, then remove from oven and allow to cool enough to handle.
To Serve
Mound the still warm, split bolillos with the chilled lobster salad. Dress with a squeeze of lime and garnish with a grind of chili and a little fresh cilantro and serve immediately.
Like this:
Blackened Gulf Grouper with Creole Sauce
Wild-caught grouper from the Gulf of Mexico is dipped in melted butter mixed with herbs and spices (smoked paprika, sea salt, freshly-ground black pepper, red pepper flakes, caraway, dill, fresh bay, mace and cardamom), then seared in a white ash-hot cast iron skillet until opaque in the middle and slightly charred on the edges (about 2 minutes per side). Served over a creole sauce of celery, onions, green peppers, garlic, fresh tomatoes and fresh basil, oregano and thyme..
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“The word ‘grouper’ comes from the word for the fish, most widely believed to be from the Portuguese name, garoupa. The origin of this name in Portuguese is believed to be from an indigenous South American language.
The grouper’s mouth and gills form a powerful system that sucks their prey in from a distance. They also use their mouth to dig into sand to form their shelters under big rocks, jetting it out through their gills. Their gill muscles are so powerful that it is nearly impossible to pull them out of a cave if they feel attacked and extend those muscles to lock themselves in.
There is some research indicating that roving coral groupers (Plectropomus pessuliferus) sometimes cooperate with giant morays in hunting.” –Wikipedia
Dill Pollen Gravad Lax
Dating to the Middle Ages when Nordic fishermen salted and lightly fermented fresh-caught salmon by burying it in the sand above the high-tide line, Gravad Lax (gravlax) is prized to this day for its delicate, briny flavor. Quite expensive to purchase at retail, but dead simple to make at home using only 5 ingredients..
Dill Pollen Gravad Lax
Sustainable and among the safest remaining species in terms of mercury and PCBs, wild Alaskan salmon is a good source of Thiamin, Riboflavin and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Protein, Niacin, Vitamin B12 and Selenium. Think of it as gourmet grizzly bear food!
Gravad Lax
1 pound fresh, wild Alaskan salmon (skin on or off, pinbones removed)
2 tablespoons fine sea salt
2 tablespoons organic, pure cane sugar
1 tablespoon dill pollen (more flavorful than the traditionally-used fresh dill)
1 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
Combine the salt, sugar, dill and pepper together in a bowl. Lay out a sheet of plastic wrap on a flat surface, then place enough salt mixture down to match the size of the salmon at a depth of about 3/8 inch. Position the salmon on top, then spread the remainder of the salt on the exposed surfaces to a similar depth.
Tightly wrap the package as it is, then wrap the entire bundle one more time. Place the wrapped salmon on a dish or inside of a plastic bag to catch the juices, then refrigerate for 48-72 hours, turning once half way through.
Unwrap the salmon, rinse away the salt under cold, running water and blot lightly. To use, simply slice the salmon thinly on a bias and serve on top of a bagel with cream cheese, or in a French omelet, perhaps.
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Related articles
- Preserving Salmon Three Ways (lostartskitchen.wordpress.com)
Like this:
Watermelon Curry with Pan-Seared Shrimp
The warm heat of Kashmiri chili with fresh ginger, garlic, toasted spices and cooling, fresh watermelon, served with pan-seared, wild Gulf shrimp and aged Basmati rice..
Watermelon Curry with Pan-Seared Shrimp
1/2 pound fresh shrimp, peeled & deveined
2-1/2 cups fresh watermelon, cut into 3/4-inch cubes, divided
1/3 cup diced onion
3 garlic cloves
1-1/2 tablespoons ghee or clarified butter
1-inch piece true cinnamon
1 tablespoon Kashmiri chili powder
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled
1 tablespoon whole coriander seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon whole cumin seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon nigella sativa (charnushka)
1/2 teaspoon turmeric
pinch of sugar
sea salt and black pepper to taste
1 fresh lemon
Combine garlic, coriander, cumin, nigella, turmeric, ginger and sugar in a large Molcajete (a mortar made of volcanic stone), using a pestle to grind into a pulp. Add half of the watermelon and grind into a thin paste. Scrape contents into a clean bowl, season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.
Heat ghee in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-low heat. Place cinnamon in hot ghee and cook until it begins to unfurl, about 5 minutes. Don’t let the butter burn.
Remove cinnamon and discard; increase heat to medium high. Once the ghee is shimmering, add the onions and shrimp and sear quickly until very lightly-browned, about 2 minutes. Add watermelon and spice mixture, and let sizzle and fry until thickened, about 3 minutes.
Add remaining chunks of watermelon, stir to combine and heat another 2 minutes. Squeeze a fresh lemon over the top and serve hot with aged basmati or naan, if you like.
