Shrimp Carbonara, Venice Style

Shrimp Carbonara the very words are enough to make you swoon. Rich bacon laden sauce covering cream and egg slicked noodles and mixed with softly sauteed shrimp. It's an Italian seafood lovers fantasy.

Sadly all too often this dish is badly represented in the US. as it is a favorite at many Italian chain restaurants. which overcook everything in this dish and smother it in a poorly done Alfredo-like sauce with bits of bacon and rubbery shrimp. Home cooked recipes as well can make the mistake of making this dish into a version of shrimp scampi with cream and bacon. I saw another version. Composed and flavor ridden unlike any I had seen before.

This version comes from my trip to Europe to do recipe and food research and is from our stop in Venice.

First off Venice is an incredible feast for the eyes let alone the stomach. It's dizzying beauty is theatrical and fanciful. It's watery by ways and canals make for a romantic and sumptuous ever changing color palette for the winding streets and slowly fading piazzas with towering roofs and drooping balconies. Casting watery moving shadows and reflected sunlight on the walls and ceilings of buildings and rooms at different times of the day. It is as charming a place as one hoped for and more inviting a place than one could dream.

It is said that you can't get a bad meal in Italy except in Venice. Well, thanks to having great guides that was not the case for me and my fellow travelers. We enjoyed many a good meal. Mostly seafood centric and found the flavors of the cuisine in Venice different for the rest of Italy. The reason for this is historical. Many many different cultures found their way to the kitchens of Venice. And being the first city on the spice route from the east also gave it a slight oriental undertone. Italian but not afraid of mixing new flavors together.

One dish that demonstrated this was the Shrimp Carbonara that I had on the second evening of our time there. My friend Ken found the most charming old school Venetian restaurant. Laid out along a canal it's windows opened on one side to the water and the rooms were furnished with dark wood and gold, marble busts and old paintings of Venice, her history and seacoast. It had a giant fireplace and a huge table in the middle with platters of antipasti draped over them, cascading down in piles of sliced and marinated vegetables and meats cheeses and smoked and brined fish. It was spectacular. Our waiters were senior and very well versed in serving up Americans a true Venetian experience. And when they offered the menu to us we all took advantage of the tasting menu. It was multiple courses of all old Venetian dishes. This version of Shrimp Carbonara on the menu was very unexpected. Unlike most versions of this this dish it was a carefully composed dish comprised of three parts. Each part was a separate flavor profile but played wonderfully off each other. No sloppy mixture of pasta, cream sauce and shrimp. No it was composed and when eaten together made so much sense. It was amazing. So here's my version of this dish. It's not hard to make but is time consuming and yo have to plan out your timing so that each part comes together at the about the same time.


Ingredients:

2 pounds large shrimp butterflied
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup vermouth
1/4 cup bread crumbs
2 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1 tablespoon lemon zest
3 tablespoons lemon juice
salt and pepper
1/4 cup melted butter
Olive oil
chopped parsley

1 pound Spaghetti
2 cups cubed or chopped bacon
1/4 teaspoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic minced
1/4 cup vermouth
4 large eggs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated (plus more for serving)
black pepper (lots)
1/4 cup heavy cream
chopped parsley
grated nutmeg

1 cup tomato sauce
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon dried Italian seasoning
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper to taste

Method:

For the Tomato Sauce

For the tomato sauce add all the ingredients to a pot and slowly bring to a boil
Reduce heat and simmer for about 30 mins to an hour. Hold warm.

For the Shrimp: (place in the oven when you start cooking your pasta)

Place the shrimp in a bowl and mix in the oil, vermouth and salt and pepper and let sit in fridge for 30 minutes.
Mix the breadcrumbs, seasoning, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt and pepper and then mix with the melted butter.
Place the shrimp on oiled baking dish place shrimp cut side up and flat
Divide the bread mixture and spoon over the shrimp then pour remaining marinade over them.
Sprinkle with the parsley
Bake in a 375 degree oven for about 10 to 12 mins or until golden and the shrimp are pink
Hold warm

For the Pasta:

Boil large pot of salted water for the pasta.
In a large pan that will fit the cooked pasta later heat oil.
Cook garlic till it blooms then add the bacon anc cook till crisp but not overdone.
Add the vermouth and deglaze the pan reducing till you have a syrup of bacon fat and wine left.
Take the pan off the heat.
In a bowl beat the eggs, cream , cheese and some pepper together
Now at this point cook the pasta till just al dente about 2 mins before the package timing skim off 1/2 of pasta water
Place the bacon pan on heat again
Drain the pasta and add immediately to the bacon mixture add 1/2 the water
Add the egg mixture and the fresh parsely to the pasta quickly tossing everything to coat.

To serve twist the pasta with tongs and pile in the center of a large pasta bowl trying to keep a space at the edge of the bowl.
When all four plates are done top with the shrimp and divide the tomato sauce between the bowl pouring it around the base of the pasta like a ring but not over it.

Enjoy the flavor combinations mix and mingle in the most unexpected ways!!

Low Country Shrimp Rolls

The lobster roll gets a lot of attention when it comes to seafood sandwiches. I mean who doesn't love a lobster roll. But to be honest lobster meat isn't cheap. And I feel sometimes like I am just not willing to splurge on lobster. So I think shrimp makes an awesome substitute and are really tasty as well.

Any good roll sandwich lobster or otherwise is really only as good as the bun. To take that bun to another level butter is really the key.

So get some soft buns New England style rolls with open sides and melt some butter, chop some shrimp and have some deliciousness.   

Low Country Shrimp Rolls

Ingredients:

1 pound cooked cocktail shrimp

1/4 cup and an extra Tablespoon of Mayonnaise

2 Tablespoons of lemon juice

3 tablespoons chopped chives (2 held in reserve for garnish) 

1/4 cup very finely chopped red onion

1/4 cup very finely chopped celery

2 teaspoons jarred horseradish

2 teaspoons dried tarragon

1 Tablespoon Safflower oil

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

salt to taste

1/2 stick melted butter

12 new england style hot dog buns

Method:

Mix all the ingredients for the sauce together

Chop shrimp into small pieces

Mix with the sauce

Let sit in the fridge for at least and hour

Place some butter in a hot pan or grill top and toast each side of the buns nice and buttery

To assemble fill the rolls with the chilled shrimp salad mixture. Garnish with the remaining chives 

Scallops Picatta with a Potato Cake a Northeastern Twist on an Italian Classic

Provincetown is the embodiment of the North Eastern shore town. It's quaint. Streets lined with flowers and white picket fences are everywhere. Wood shingles cover the houses with a blanket of texture while trees and grass seem to embrace them as if they grew out of the ground instead of being built. The water is everywhere and the color of the sky if a blue that I have never seen anywhere else before. Artists have come here for over 100 years for that light and after experiencing it myself I can see why. After arriving in Ptown, as it's affectionately known, I find myself relaxing and slowing down. Quiet morning walks are to be had as well as the bustling crowds on Commercial Street of tourists and their families making it a diverse place to visit. This mix of people from all over and from all sorts of backgrounds make it a melting pot and it is in a word fabulous.

The nice thing about Ptown is that there are lots of things to do compared to many other beach communities. Art galleries, unique shops and a diverse mix of food options are all there making a day trip both fun and interesting.

Now food is everywhere in Provincetown.  It's amazing. There is every level of every dinning experience possible from Lobster Roll shacks to full on sit down dinner establishments. In short you won't go hungry.

Now the other thing I love to do while in Provincetown is to cook up some dinners at home. So every Summer I put together at least 2 nights of meals. This Summer I am cooking up a seaside meal which will be both gourmet and delicious. Combining my love of scallops and my love of the Picatta preparation from the Italian cooking school. Picatta is normally used for white meats like veal or chicken. The meat pounded thin sometimes dredged in flour then cooked lightly with a caper and white wine butter sauce. It is delicious. But this year I thought I would change it up by substituting fresh sea scallops for the veal. And I thought while I am at it I would substitute a potato cake for the pasta that normally comes with the dish. It will be on the menu next week at the Ptown house and I will report back as to how it was received. Till then enjoy the recipe Ya'll. See you in a week.

Forrest's Scallop Picatta with Gratin Potato Cake

For the Scallops

You need 3 to 4 sea scallops per person depending of the size

This makes 4 servings

12 large sea scallops
2 Tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning or favorite seafood rub.
2 Tablespoons Olive oil
1/4 cup vermouth or dry white wine
1/4 cup stock can be chicken or seafood
Zest of one lemon
2 to 3 Tablespoons Capers
1 Tablespoon chopped flat leaf parsely
1 Tablespoon Basil leaved chiffonade
dash of red chili flakes per your taste
pinch of sea salt
pinch of pepper
Maldon Salt for finishing
1/2 stick unsalted butter

Method:

Pat Scallops dry and then rub with the seafood seasoning

In a med hot pan heat olive oil then sear the scallops on both sides work in batches to not over crowd the pan you want the scallops to sear not steam and do not over cook. A rule of thumb is the scallops should pull away from the pan easily when done.
Remove from the pan and reserve on a plate.
To the same pan add the wine, the stock, lemon zest, capers, red pepper and a half of the herbs. Add Salt and pepper. Cook till the liquid had reduced by about a third. Add the butter and whisk to incorporate.
Return scallops to pan and heat through
Serve over the potato cake, garnish the scallops with the extra herbs and the Maldon salt and accompany with some sauted spinach.
Enjoy Ya'll!

Gratin Potato Cakes ( takes some work but oh so worth it)

4 to 6 white fleshed potatoes
1 small white onion very finely diced
1 clove garlic
1/2 stick butter melted
dash of nutmeg
1/2 cup swiss cheese
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper
butter for lining tins


Using a Madoline slice potatoes very thinly and place in a bowl of salted water before using drain and pour onto a dish towel to dry.
Add butter to skillet and cook diced onions will translucent add garlic and cook a few minutes till it blooms.
Take off the heat.
Butter a large muffin tin or individual foil muffin cups
Place one layer of potato in each cup season with salt and pepper add small layer very super thin of the butter onion sauce, then add a very little bit of cheese
Layer the remaining potatoes with the sauce and cheese into each cup like lasagna.
Divide evenly between the cups and press down to secure
Preheat oven to 400 degrees
Bake the potato cakes for about 35 to 45 mins of until tops are browned well and bubbling.
Remove from the oven and cool about 10 to 15 mins this allows the cakes to set up.
To serve place the cakes turn out onto a plate
Serve with the scallops and spinach.

Clam Chowder Fall's First Soup from Summer's Inspiration

Not that anyone would be surprised that I am writing about a rich creamy seafood soup, but there really is more than meets the eye to my love of this soup. It's just like many dishes I have shared on this blog that have a place in my personal history or the history of my friends and family.

Clam Chowder has long been one of my favorite things since I can remember. I  just love it's texture and silken goodness, lingering on the spoon and gently cooling until it can be eaten when served up properly hot and fresh. My grandma ( Maternal)  who lived with us growing up made it sometimes at home and I loved it. When I was in college my friend Chris Schaffer introduced me to the Fish Market a chowder House in Alexandria Virginia where one paired steaming bowls of chowder with large flagons of beer. And of course it was on the menu at the D Hall (Dinning Hall) at JMU where I went to school. Later in life I attended a wedding in New England where the rehearsal dinner centered around a "Chowder and Salad Bar", which was actually really awesome.

All of these previous encounters pale when placed next to my exposure to this and various other seafood dishes during my first and subsequent stays on the Cape in Provincetown. As those of you know who read this blog I am a big fan of Provincetown in my culinary life as well as regular life adventures there. I go to Ptown every year for at least a week and no Summer would be complete for me without a trip to it's iconic shores. For me, Ptown is home to classic New England seafood dishes and what is more classic than Clam Chowder.

Now waxing poetical about Ptown is one of those things that I have done before on this blog. I think it's such iconic a place in terms of it's statuesque New England beauty, that it defies description a little. In fact for me it is really a very magical place. A place where the light and the sea and the sky all come together as one. Every year I buy a piece of art to remember my summer by. And then in the deep Winter I can gaze up at my walls and remember the glory of those magical Summer days in Ptown. When all is right with the world and there is no problem that can't be solved by spending time in the Sun doing something fun, a great happy hour at Tea Dance and an evening of cooking or dining out and going out on the town till the early hours. All around just fun.

There are many many recipes for clam chowder that vary in their ingredients and their subsequent taste and texture. Some people like a thick chowder and some like a thin chowder. Either way it equals delicious. It's all a matter of personal preference but I prefer a little body to my chowder. Thin chowder just seems sad to me. So here is my recipe for bringing the  essence of Summer seafood and Summer memories back into your kitchen and onto your table even if the Winter is raging outside. Enjoy Ya'll.

Forrest's Clam Chowder ( makes 9 cups)

For the roux 1 cup flour and 3/4 cups butter
5 bottles 8 oz of clam juice for a total of 5 cups
5 medium potatoes peeled and diced medium
2 large onions diced medium
2 stalks celery finely diced
3 tablespoons butter
6 strips of bacon diced
1 1/2 pound diced clams
1 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup light cream
2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Dash of sherry vinegar

Method

In a pan saute the bacon till done remove and drain discard the grease
Saute onions and celery in the butter till soft and translucent but not brown
To this pot add the potatoes and clam juice and pepper
Bring to boil  and cook till potatoes are done then reduce heat to low
In another pot add the butter and flour and cook till slightly browned and the flour taste is cooked out
Slowly add the milk till the sauce thickens
Add the two pots together add the bacon and cream and the Worcestershire
Slowly simmer till thick and all combined. If too thick thin with milk.
Add clams just before serving then simmer a few minutes and serve.






  

Southern Crab, Avocado and Basil Green Goddess Rice Salad, Summer just got better.

OK I know I know stop posting about rice Forrest! First it's that risotto dish that from the hits is not doing well in the readership polls....sorry? But now a rice salad, I mean come on this is 2013 we don't eat rice salad in the hallowed halls of foodie America anymore or the carb conscious society we live in. Well then hold on my foodie friends cause I have a whole new twist on bringing back a little life to an overlooked starch. And carbs aren't bad they just need to be eaten in moderation.

Now when I was growing up in the USA we as a country ate a lot of white rice. Probably still do. But in my house it did not make major appearances on the dinner table unless we were having Chinese food or a specific dish that screamed for it. The reason was my father had eaten so much rice growing up he never wanted to eat it that often. So other starches graced our dinner table and rice was a reserved treat.

However, generally in the South rice is something that regionally is either very widely eaten or not really eaten at all. Coastal areas in the Carolinas and Virginia as well as the Gulf states and New Orleans in particular are bastions of rice culinary prowess. I mean Mondays are red beans and rice day in New Orleans and what Carolina seafood buffet would not be graced with some flavored or dirty rice. And of course tex-mex cuisine is full of red rice dishes.

But white rice as we eat it mostly in the USA is a buttered side dish best enjoyed with salt and pepper or smothered in some kind of gravy and served along with a protein. Chicken and rice comes to mind as does  Pork Chops and onions. ( Remember the Brady Bunch and Peter's "Pork chops....and Applesauce".  Well either way it's sort of a filling side with a rather bland flavor profile.

Another somewhat forgotten way of serving rice comes from the finest luncheon parties of the ladies of the American South. Yes in the 20's 30's and up through the 1970's rice salads were a major player on menus offered during ladies auxiliary meetings all over the South. In the low country of South Carolina rice salads featuring seafoods were very prevalent. Usually lightly flavored rice with a delicate flavor was mounded on a bed of tender lettuces and topped with a choice of seafoods or shellfish and finished off with something like canned or poached asparagus or fresh tomatoes and maybe a hard boiled egg.

Well I was entertaining a few ladies the other day and decided that I would take this idea and turn it around in a modern way. So to make my rice salad I thought about flavoring the rice more and adding the seafood ( I chose to use crab) directly into the mixture.

Now also in keeping with my love of green summery foods I thought I would try and flavor the rice with a herbal dressing. But I didn't stop there, I also added something I knew would add to the creaminess of the rice with out adding oil or mayonnaise, avocado! Yes avocado and rice actually go quite well together and it certainly goes with crab.

Then instead of serving it on a bed of lettuce I thought about turning it on it's head and topping it off with some greens, fancy tomatoes and a touch of goat cheese. All in all it turned out pretty darned good. And it looked like this.

Fancy huh? Well it's actually super easy and quick. It made for a delicious warm evening dinner and had everyone very happy. So give it a try and give your dinner time a little southern seafood magic. Enjoy ya'll.

Southern Crab and Avocado and Basil Green Goddess Rice Salad

1 1/2 cups jasmine rice
3 cups either water or seafood stock flavored with some garlic powder and salt
1 can of jumbo lump crab drained
2 med avocados
about 1 1/2 cup packed basil leaves
3 garlic cloves crushed
4 tablespoons lemon juice
snow peas cut both into small pieces and longwise in half
4 green onions sliced on the bias separate the whites and greens
1/4 cup good quality olive oil
1/4 cup of water
salt and pepper
small yellow or red tomatoes sliced in half
1 cup baby arugula
crumbled goat cheese such as Cherve
Note* ( you could add finely chopped red pepper as well that would bump up the color and goes well with the crab but I didn't have any)


Method

Rinse the rice a couple of times in a strainer under cold water to remove starch ( helps rice not stick)
Add the stock or water, the garlic powder and big pinch of salt and the rice to a pot
Bring to boil and let cook about 13 to 15 mins till done remove from heat and fluff with fork.
While the rice is cooking peel and chop the avocado and place it, the basil, the green onion whites, the garlic, lemon juice into a blender
Start to blend and slowly and add olive oil in a drizzle till it becomes rich and creamy and about the consistency of sour cream. If too thick thin using the water a little at a time until you get to where you want it to be. Taste and season with salt and pepper.
Add to the rice and combine. Stir in the greens of the green onion and the snow peas
Taste and season to taste
Stir in the crab gently
Check again for seasoning.

To serve use a mold and place in the center of the plate and carefully un-mold on the plate
Then top with the arugula, tomato pieces goat cheese crumbles season with maldon and drizzle a little olive and balsamic vinegar over the greens and around the plate as garnish.

Serve immediately. ( You could make the "timbals" ahead of time and using a spatula place them on the plate when ready to serve ), Enjoy Ya'll.

Summer Risotto with Shrimp, Asparagus, and Spinach and Summer Truffle

Now Risotto is one of my favorite things to make for a dinner party because it is so easy to prep, par cook, and then finish at the last minute before serving. It is a dish which conjours up rib sticking wintery foods for when the weather outside is cold and the body needs warming.

Risotto is far from a winter dish. It can be laden with earthy flavors like mushrooms and squash and meats and root vegetables.  It is however a delightful summery meal when paired with fresh seasonal ingredients like shellfish and fresh vegetables available from the farmers market during the summer months.

I chose to make this risotto in order to have something hearty to serve at a dinner party recently it was sort of a take on shrimp and rice salad which in Charleston is popular amongst my mother's set. Rice salads were an old school way of feeding a lot of people in the heat and could be served room temperature and be plated elegantly. I like a rice salad but today with air conditioning one can indulge in a little warm food in the Summertime heat.

Rice is a huge part of the low country's history. Rice was one of the first and the last crops which were farmed and traded. It was part of the famous triangle trade ( Molasses to Rum to Slaves, thank you "1776", the Musical ) however indigo and cotton and rice were in there too. And Charleston got very rich on it. The problem was that the agriculture in the low country was only possible due to cheap human labor ( aka. slavery). The topography was such that the very water which helped to grow the crops also made it almost impossible to use heavy machinery. So as soon as slavery ended the plantation owners were done in by the very land they had fought to protect. Tractors and such were impossible to use and rice farming and cotton farming in the low country all but disappeared.

Then in the 1980's a couple of guys got together and decided to try and retry planting a heritage rice in the soil of the Charleston low country. That rice known today as Carolina Gold rice is the heritage of the rice planters from bygone days. It is a nutty, rich and hearty rice with great flavor and texture and is now available for sale everywhere gourmet rice is sold. Sounds like an ad no? I should have done advertising!

So for my summer risotto I included many flavors I enjoy. Combined them all together and created a really nice summer dish that is both easy and elegant. I suppose you could eat this any time of year but Summer seemed to be the right time to make this. Give it a try. Enjoy Ya'll

Shrimp Risotto with Asparagus, Spinach and Summer Truffles

serves 4 to 6

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups Arborio Rice
butter
oilve oil
4 cups chicken stock
1 cup white wine
1 yellow onion diced
2 cloves garlic finely minced
1 pound shrimp deveined and tails removed cut into 3 pieces
1 bunch asparagus cut into small diced discs and cooked for 2 mins in microwave
2 cups packed baby spinach
1 cup parmesan cheese grated
1/4 cup milk
3 tablespoons butter
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon pepper
white truffle oil
chopped parsley about 1/4 cup

Method

Heat 4 tablespoons oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a large pan
add onion and saute to 1 minute add garlic saute one minute more
add rice and cook until a little toasted about 4 mins
Add salt and pepper
Add wine and slowly cook until absorbed
Then add the broth one cup at a time slowly stirring until each cup is absorbed them adding the next
This will take about 20 to 25 minutes
When still slightly wet add the asparagus and then the spinach
Once Spinach is wilted add the shrimp
Stir in Shrimp and cook till they turn pale pink
Immediately add the milk, butter, cheese and truffle oil to taste ( I'd use about 2 to 3 tablespoons )
Check for seasoning add salt if needed
Stir in together and add the parsley just before serving
Enjoy

The World Was My Oyster But Then I Used The Wrong Fork! A Decadent Duo: Oven Fried Oysters with Beef Tartar and Toast Soldiers

Oscar Wilde once said " The world was my oyster, but then I used the wrong fork!" Oh that Oscar!

Anyway, being home in South Carolina over the holidays and having had oyster stew again at Christmas I have to say my love for all things oyster was again rekindled. On my way back down to Charleston I stopped in at the Grand Central Station Oyster Bar, you know the one with all the surly waiters? Anyway, I decided upon my friend Fred Tessler, of the Denver Tessler's, advice that I should try and have an oyster pan roast for lunch on my way out of town. Well, I have to say...that was disappointing! Totally tasteless pot of creamy "something" with a few sadly shriveled oysters in it! In a word, Yuk!

However, I know that the idea of an oyster "pan roast" actually sounds kind of amazing. I mean it sort of conjures up visions of garlic and herbs and lots of butter. But I am not sure milky tasteless broth should be a part of it. But that's my opinion and who the hell am I. But given that things can be roasted in a pan and that oysters could be one of those things what would that look like? Well I think it should mirror that great classic Charlestonian Creamed Oysters. But let's talk about what other preparations might give you that decadent oyster goodness with out the complement of cream.

OK. Well the first thing you have to remember is that Oysters love rich surroundings much like themselves. I mean why do you think they have that shell around them to begin with? It' to protect them from the less succulent things in the world of course! So what if it were oysters roasted slightly breaded in a pan and then topped with some sort of amazing sauce? Or better yet fried with a amazing side!! What's more low country than that!

Now when I was living in Charleston one of my favorite things to eat were the fried oysters at a place called Vickery's. Vickery's was a restaurant downtown which had a sister restaurant in Atlanta. When the fellas that owed Vickery's in Atlanta decided that they wanted to live near the beach they just found a spot and opened up a branch of their business in Charleston. The spot they found was an old Goodyear tire store and the reconstruction architecture and subsequent design for the place won awards all over the southeast. The place was open and airy with lots of floor to ceiling window doors that opened onto a patio. Hard wood floors, comfy booths and a big rectangular bar and bar area with more booths finished the look and the main dining room  boasted a wall washed over with paint and yet through the paint you could see see the large Goodyear Tire logo which had been on the wall when the building was a tire shop. The food was casual yet different for Charleston at the time. We are talking the 90's. Charleston's food movement was just taking off and the variety that exists today was not present then.

One of my favorite things was the artichoke dip which I have mentioned on my blog. I also loved the fried oyster caesar salad with chopped tomatoes and onions. Vickery's was a local late night hang out and was an open and welcoming place. Amongst the late night crowd many of the city's food and beverage folks would come to unwind after work. You know a place is good when it's the F&B crowds destination.

So as you all know I love rich tasty foods. So when talking about pairing oysters with something I immediately went to that place of "oh a nice bitter greens salad with a sharp dressing would be nice". But then thought ,"wait no you want a dipping sauce that's nice a creamy and cool and sharp with that. So in lieu of putting them with a salad per say or in a cream sauce like the folks with the pan roast did, what if they were paired with another rich food that could complement and yet stand up to their overall decadent nature. In general if you were to fry something its best if you have a picante element or a tangy sauce like tartar or remoulade to complement it. However, it's interesting to note that both those sauces have a rich element to them as well.

It was then when I thought about beef tartare as a complement. I mean it's rich, it's got vinegar and mustard and tang, it's decadent, it's perfect! My love for the tartare of the beef began at another now gone by the wayside Charleston restaurant Marianne's! Known for their late night menu this gem of a place featured old school decor styled with oil paintings and guided mirrors. High ceilings and soft lighting and candle glow played with your eyes and the song stylings of a woman playing the piano and singing and eclelctic mix of Patsy Klein and Gershwin songs made it all somehow perfect. The menu was Franco based but with definite Americano touches. The late night menu featured egg dishes and steak frites as well as a beef tartare I loved.

So that is where the beef tartare with fried oysters came from. My love of decadent duos! So without further adieu I give you my home recipe for this. Mind you beef tartare is served raw so you must take extra care in preparing it. You should ask your butcher to pick the meat for you. Just let them know what you are using it for. And make sure everything is clean and sanitized. I have never had a problem making this at home. Oh and you will notice that this recipe does not include any frying, that's because it's really messy in a small apartment, so I "fry" mine in the oven. Don't worry, they are still really good! Enjoy Ya'll.

The Classic Beef Tartare

3 medium oil-packed anchovy fillets (optional, adjust salt if added), rinsed and mince
2 teaspoons brined capers, drained and slightly chopped
3 teaspoons really sharp Dijon mustard
2 large coddled egg yolks ( boil eggs for exactly 1 min then cool)
10 ounces USDA prime beef tenderloin, cut into small dice, covered, and refrigerated
2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion or shallots
2 tablespoons finely chopped flat parsley leaves
3 teaspoons really good olive oil
1 teaspoon good quality mayonaise ( I like Dukes)
3 dashes hot sauce of choice
4 dashes Worcestershire sauce
3/4 teaspoon crushed chile flakes

Combine the anchovies, capers, and mustard in a metal bowl. Using a fork mash ingredients until evenly combined; mix in egg yolks.

Use a wooden spoon and mix remaining ingredients into mustard mixture until thoroughly combined. Season well with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

The Best Oven Fried Oysters 
( based on a award winning recipe my roommate from Michigan gave me)

3/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 eggs

1 cup panko bread crumbs

2/3 cup grated Romano cheese

1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

1 pint shucked oysters or 2 cans (8 ounceseach) whole oysters, drained

3 to 4 Tablespoons cooking oil

In a bowl, combine the flour, salt and pepper and cayenne pepper. 

In another  bowl, whisk eggs. 

In a third bowl, combine the bread crumbs, cheese, parsley and garlic salt

Coat oysters with flour mixture, then dip in eggs, and coat with crumb mixture. Place on a greased  baking sheet

drizzle with oil.

Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until golden brown.


To serve mound the tartare on 4 to six plates depending on how large a portion you want.

Nestle in the oysters on one side and top with a "salad" of lightly dressed parsley and pickled red onion

(You can pickle red onion easily by slicing thin ringlets and soaking them in a little vinegar and hot water solution for about a half hour.)

Serve toasts soldiers ( long squared off toast points) on the side

Enjoy ya'll! 



 






  

'The Cooking" a recipe for living in the "NOW"

Sometimes you remember doing things that, at the time, when you were perhaps young and unexperienced, were life changing. Or were relevant to your relationship with a person, place or time. Marking it, as it were, with a stamp of memory. A mark so strong that even when it is pointed out to you later in life, that it was perhaps, "different than you remember it", you still hold onto the memory as truth. It has become your truth at least, and thus the will be way you remember a place a time a person or even a meal, forever.

Nostalgia is a funny thing in that way. It colors things with that rosy fuzzy hue and patina that makes the common and ordinary somehow sweet and magical. I think we do that as humans because we live so little in our present. Maybe because right now is scary, and real, and it demands we pay attention. We would rather bask in the glow of yester-year , or even dream about a magical tomorrow. Leaving today for dross and not realizing that the only time that is ever really ours and real to us is our Now. Not our yesterday or a tomorrow which may never come.

People who face life changing adversity, sickness or trauma know that "the Now" is real. It forces them to confront the Now and the HOW and the WHY in a way many of us thankfully may never have to until the end when all is done and life and time grow silent. But we live in the meanwhile. We often live in blissful ignorance of the beauty of our immediate NOW. It can be paralyzing a little, this looking back. I have oft thought that perhaps the story of Lot's wife in the Bible had another meaning. One which teaches us that life is meant to be lived looking forward, marching now. Not looking behind us at a yesterday which exists only in our memories and when focused on can stop our forward motion with it's soothing and yet paralyzing charm. Turning us into a pillar of salt as it were. Motionless and unable to go forward.

Am I saying that I think that Nostalgia is bad or silly. Absolutely not! Why what would life be without the basking in the afterglow of so many wonderful moments we have lived in and loved in. I am only saying that we should be careful not to let it get in the way of enjoying and being present in our NOW.

For the  Now can be a scary and difficult place to be even in the common life. That is one without high drama ( war, disease, pestilence). Just the everyday stresses of money, family, relationships, work etc. But even the common stresses of life and the everyday wear and tear can take a toll on our souls and with good measure push us into the space where dreaming or looking behind us is preferable to dealing with the problems of today. But we have to live in the NOW. no choice about it. Even if we long for tomorrow or yesterday the only way to get their is by going through the Now and the day upon us.

It's one of the reasons I like "The Cooking". Cooking can be an immersive experience which pushes us toward what will be another wonderful experience, "The Eating"! For it is done in the moment. And done with wonderful ingredients in the kitchen, and with people and fellowship around the table. The Cooking/Eating experience is one which we will repeat and enjoy and be present to all of our lives. I wish always to be able to prepare meals whether simple or complex and to enjoy them with people I love or whom I have just met and hope to love! That to me is living.

So if you find yourself overwhelmed in your life and there is too much on your plate. Resolve to find a way to take a moment and savor what life has brought you, bitter or sweet. And live in the moment. Live "it", whatever "it" is. If you have to rest do so fine. But don't "look Back" and get caught up on the yesterday, or get dreamy about tomorrow ignoring where you are.

My father had a great saying about those times when life was overwhelming and you thought you could go on, or move forward. He told a story about a Prince, who led his troops into battle. Struck down in the fray he was removed from the field by his men. When asked if he would withdraw from the battle he waved them off and declared, "I will lie here and bleed awhile, but then I will rise and fight again!". So let it be with us.

An Old School Charleston Seafood Dish

When I was younger, well about the of 1979 to be exact, my Mother took us on a beach trip to Florida. On our way back she decided that we were going to stop in Charleston  look around, have dinner, then drive on and visit our relatives in Columbia.

We found ourselves rolling into Charleston about 3 o'clock in the afternoon. We did some sight seeing and then, as my Mom wanted to go to dinner at an old established landmark restaurant called Perdita's, we drove down to where the place was located behind the old customs house on a narrow street.

It was very early. Probably 5pm and we saw from the sign that they were just about to open for dinner. We checked inside with the hostess and two things became clear. One, we were going to be the only people in the place that early. And Two, we would have to dress up to eat there as Coat and tie were required. So without any hesitation my Mom told us to dig out our shirts and ties and jackets from the luggage and we changed right there in the parking lot. My brother and I were not amused but got over it as soon as we entered the restaurant.

Now Perdita's was an old place. Dimly lit it had dark wood accents and dark wallpaper, velvet curtains and velvet seats. Crisp white table clothes greeted us as did a battalion of veteran ( aka. elderly) black servers in vests and starchy white shirts with bow ties. We ordered and had a full meal including appetizers, salads and delicious seafood dishes crafted in the old school Charleston style. I was resistant to the changing in the car, but was glad to have had the meal. It was good.

A few years later Perdita's closed it's doors a victim of time and changing tastes. Carolina's a new Charleston style reataurant opened several years later in the same space. They preserved the back dining room of the original restaurant calling it the "Perdita's Room". You can still get the dish that was most famous at Perdita's, the Fruit de Mer. And again it's a winner.

The chef there serves if up very nicely. ( seen here in a photo from Carolina's)

So I have collected information on how to make this dish which Chef Bacon at Carolina's describes as a Portuguese Bouillabaisse with seared seafood. The secret is in the sauce so once you have that just add in seafood you like. The recipe calls for Salmon and Scallops and Shrimp but you could vary that to your taste. It takes a little time but actually is very easy to prepare. The hardest thing is cleaning the mussels!  So enjoy cooking up a little SC. history Ya'll.

Seafood Fruit de Mer alla Perdita's of Charleston

For the Sauce

Start with  8 cups chicken stock held warm. Then saute in butter 4 car­rots, 2 large onions, 2 cups celery, 1 large bulb of fennel, add 1 star anise and 5 sprigs of thyme. When all the vegetables are cooked down and soft, deglaze the pan with 1/2 cup vermouth and 1/2 cup of white wine. Reduce this down by half and add all of the chicken stock and boil. Add 1/4 cup of whiskey and about ½ cup of tomato paste  and boil to reduce by 1/3. Then add 3 tablespoons grated garlic and 3 pounds of Prince Edward Island mussels which have been scrubbed and cook until they open up.

For the Dish

4 Salmon Filets

8 large scallops

8 large shrimp

After the thyme mussel broth is prepared hold warm, and just before serving stir in 1/4 cup chopped parsley. 

Heat a saute pan till very hot. Add a little vegetable oil and then sear scallops, shrimp and salmon separately. Hold warm. When ready to serve compile the dish with the pre-cooked finger­ling potatoes cut long ways in half. Garnish with the celery heart leaves and chopped chives.­ Serve it with warm buttery garlic bread for dipping. So good!

Shrimp and Grits and Greens or When Southern Foods Collide!!

Shrimp and Grits is apparently very popular. Not only is the recipe one which more people have searched out and read on my blog but it is one that attracts more hits from search engines on the web to my Blog! And I have also been told that folks want more grits recipes on here. So I thought why not, lets do it up right!

Now as most of you know when I started the On the Plate supper club with my business partner Stuart we held our first event and it was well attended by about 32 people. That is not bad for a first effort. And while it was not the most successful event it was a success and people really enjoyed the meal. It was a little too much food perhaps and it was way over our heads to produce at the time. But for a first effort it was really great and we learned a lot.
The Menu was a collection of very simple dishes all of which were southern themed. There was pimento cheese appetizer, a BLT,Green goddess salad, short ribs and of course a version of Shrimp and Grits with a dessert at the end.

Now this version of Shrimp and Grits which we served at our first salon was inspired by a recipe that came from a fellow student in undergrad school at James Madison University. It is slap your Mama good! My friend Kim was a slightly older woman who had been married and had divorced her husband and returned to school to make a better life for herself. She had me and some friends over for dinner one night and being that we were all poor students it was so nice to have someone cooking for you. She made this amazing dish which she called Grit's and Greens. It was basically something she had grown up with as a girl in rural southern Virginia. A collage of grits peppered with collard greens which would cook directly in the grits and some meat, usually a breakfast sausage roll crumbled up cooked and thrown in to add protein. It was a big plate of yummy mess.

Well later on I took the idea and said why not do this with shrimp and grits. It seemed a no brainer. So for our first dinner with On the Plate I decided to serve this as a second course. It was an easier version of the dish than trying to make a sauce and the grits separately and it seemed a perfect way to serve this dish but streamline it for service. I had recently visited The Redhead in NYC. and had the Shrimp and Grits which was very good, so I felt inspired to come up with something different.

It came out so well. I think it may be because I put so much butter and cream in it but ah..who cares. This is a really wonderful dish the kinda thing you want to serve only a small portion of because it is rich but very satisfiying! It makes a great first course to a meal or a main in colder weather! Enjoy ya'll!!

Shrimp and Grits and Greens

2 cups chicken stock
1 cups milk
1 cup of heavy cream
1 cup of grits
1 teaspoon jarred minced garlic
2 cups grated parmesan cheese
1 pound of cooked shrimp peeled no tails
2 1/2 cups finely chopped collard greens stems removed just the leaves
1/2 cup butter
salt and pepper to taste
2 tablespoon chopped parsley

Bring the stock and milk and cream to a boil and slowly add the grits in a steady stream whisking constantly.
Simmer and cook till creamy add more milk if too thick.
Add the cheese and the butter then stir in the greens.
Allow greens to cook in the grits on low heat for about 10 mins.
the taste and season if necessary.
Add the shrimp right before you serve and allow to heat through about 1 min. then divide between 4 to 6 portions depending on the desired serving size.
Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve, YUM!!!

Jonnycakes with Lobster,Corn and Savory Cream

Jonnycakes or Johnny Cakes are a forgotten or at least overlooked part of American Cuisine today. Claimed by the state of Rhode Island as an official state food, the humble Jonnycake is as much a part of New England's culinary history as Clam Chowder or Boston baked beans but somehow they have been relegated to the back burner ( no pun intended).

Jonnycakes are perhaps the precursor to the national obsession with Pancakes which are more widely know and celebrated. But the Jonnycake was one of the first things the Pilgrim's probably made in the new world with the ingredients they had on hand, namely the new vegetable corn. In their original form they were probably nothing more than corn meal, water, salt and fat for frying. They are still made almost that way by cooks in Rhode island, who continue the tradition of the Jonnycake today.

In researching this recipe I was struck by the simple nature and the structure of these cakes. And how today since we as a foodie nation and are seeking to eat foods in their most pure and simple fresh varieties, this dish was right on target. Thus I believe it is time for the humble Jonnycake to make a return to the food stages of the American Chef's table. And I want to be among the first to jump on that band wagon!

What also struck me how these cakes could be conjured up in various ways to be eaten. I think that they could indeed be dressed up in a variety of ways. Dressed up for dinner with components from the sea or from the farm. Dressed for breakfast with salty and sweet notes. Or dressed in a cute manner as to be a nibble for a cocktail party. But today I am feeling the Sea and I am feeling New England. And what is more New England than lobster!

Now I know that lobster for most of us is an indulgence. At $21 a 1/2 pound cooked for meat it can be very pricey. But this dish which is for four is $5.25 for the lobster and the rest makes it about $9 per person. So before you go on turning your nose up at lobster remember making things at home fancy is fun and special, but for $36 dollars you couldn't get one entree at a restaurant with Lobster in it!

Plus the star here is not the Lobster, it is a garnish if you will, the star is the Jonnycake. So with that i give you my version of a New England classic. Enjoy Ya'll!

New England Biscuit Style Jonnycakes with Lobster Corn and Savory Cream Sauce


For the Jonnycakes you will need:

1 1/4 cups flour
1 cup white corn flour ( not corn starch)
1/1/2 teaspoons baking powder
good pinch of salt
6 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dried tarragon leaves
2 cups whole milk
3 tablespoons melted butter

In a small pot melt the butter and add the tarragon and let the spice bloom for a few minutes over very low heat.

In a bowl add all dried ingredients
Add the butter
Add the milk
Stir gently until smooth with a spoon but don't beat or whisk.

On a hot greased griddle or pan slowly drop 4 tablespoons of the batter ( the idea here is to make a silver dollar sized pancake about 4 inches in diameter

Cook until the edges are browned and the middle shows bubbles

Flip and cook another 2 mins till done, then reserve in a low warm oven till ready to serve.

For the Lobster and Corn you will need:

1 pint lobster meat fully cooked and roughly chopped into 2 inch pieces
3/4 cup fresh ( or fresh frozen corn)
1 small onion diced
2 scallions diced
1 small red pepper diced
5 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoon sour cream

For the Lobster saute in 3 tablespoons of butter till just warmed

For the Corn:

Saute the onion and red pepper till soft add the corn and sour cream and hold warm.


For the lobster sauce you will need: ( makes 1 1/2 cups)

1/2 cup heavy Cream (at room temp)
2 tablespoons Lobster base
1 1/2 cup seafood stock warmed
1/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons tomato paste
3 tablespoons butter
1/4 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground mace
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 tablespoon brandy
pinch of cayenne

Place the flour, butter and lobster stock base in a pan and melt together
Add the tomato paste then the seafood stock whisking slowly in till thickened.
Add the seasonings
reduce temperature to a  low simmer
Add cream simmer slowly whisk till thickened add brandy and cook 10 mins stirring occasionally
Cool down and hold warm covered

For garnish:

fresh chives finely chopped for garnish


To Assemble dish:

Take three of the Jonnycakes
In a shallow bowl or pasta dish place one cake down
Place a little bit of the corn and pepper mixture on top
Then a spoonful of sauce
Place next cake on top and repeat till third cake is placed
Mound 1/4 of the lobster meat on top and around the stack
Make all four stacks quickly
Pour sauce to liking over the lobster cake stacks and serve at once garnished with the chopped chives
Enjoy!

Titanic the Musical and Lobster Thermidor

September 11th 2001 is a date that will live in the memories of all people who remember that terrible day. It really seemed like something had died, something beyond the poor souls who lost their lives that day. April 15 1912 was other such terrible day. It was the the day the Titanic went down with 1900 souls aboard her. I was doing Titanic the musical the day the attack on the day the world trade center happened. And I was caught by the powerful significance between the two events. One saw the end of the guilted Age and one saw the end to the "Era of American innocence ", which had flourished since the end of the second world war.

I was in Wisconsin at the Fireside Theater doing Titanic that September and had been there since July. It was a really wonderful production of the show and captured the human element of the characters very well and very powerfully I felt. It had been an emotional rehearsal process I remember. During rehearsal when we got to the life boat scene and the song "We'll meet tomorrow", I can recall all 26 of us started to lose it. Weeping and crying and overwelmed by the thought of the poor souls who we were representing in the show and what they must have experienced that cold and dark night in the middle of the Atlantic. Far from home and far from safety. 9/11 made us all feel the same way and to this day I am grateful to have been surrounded by such a fine group of folks as we weathered the emotional impact of that day.

Now the Fireside Theater was a machine. It was a very impressive operation indeed. Not only did they have a 400 seat theater in the round with amazing production values. But, they also had a 900 seat restaurant and a shopping arcade that was composed of about 20 small little shops and sold all kinds of things.  It was an amazing operation and sold out show after show because of the busses of tourists coming from all over to have dinner and see a show. The great thing about working at the Fireside was while it was a dinner theater, the theater was separate from the dinner.

The Restaurant was really impressive as well. It had a buffet menu certain days with at least 25 items including carved steamship round and turkey. And on other days had an ala carte menu that was extensive and well done. On Sundays they would have an awesome brunch! I for one loved it! Well during the Titanic Run they served many dishes which would have been served on the ship during it's maiden voyage. One of these dishes was Lobster Thermidor. A preparation famous during the day. It's a marvelous dish with so many elements. At the end of the day it's a creamy lobster dish with liquor in it! What could be bad about that! I had it for the first there and have had it since. But I have to admit that the Fireside gave it that Midwestern twist that I think made me love it! Over the past few years I have tried to recreate it. Whenever I am feeling flush with cash to attempt it. So I offer it up to you on tis the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. Lobster Thermidor ala the Fireside! Enjoy Ya'll.






Company Lobster Thermidor

I call this Company Lobster Thermidor but the truth I called it that because I use only 3 lobster tails instead of 4 for 4 people. Mostly because it's so damn pricey! But also because I wanted never to serve this dish in the manner it was originally served in. In a lobster shell. Why? Cause I hate chopping up lobster. I like to buy it done cooked and ready to go! So I serve it as a casserole ( shrieks of wailing pain from foodie purists and chefs everywhere, oh please Maria! ) Or serve it in individual ramekins. I kinda vote for casserole and a great toast raft. But that's up to you. This recipe rocks! Enjoy!

Ingredients

3 lobster tails meat cooked and chopped into bite sized pieces
2 tablespoons butter
1 pound of Mushrooms sliced ( white button)
1 tablespoon of flour
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1 tablespoon of Worchestershire
1/2 cup white wine
1/3 cup brandy
1 3/4 cups heavy cream
3 egg yolks
Salt and pepper to taste
a dash of hot sauce
1/2 cup parmesan cheese grated
1/2 cup  finely crushed ritz crackers

Method

Cook the mushrooms till soft in butter over med low heat
Add flour and cook till slightly brown
In a stock pot, Reduce wine to half  at a boil ,turn down heat then add the brandy and the
parsley, Heavy cream, worchestershire, and mushroom mixture
Cook but don't boil till very warm
Beat eggs in a bowl and add a few spoonfuls of the hot mixture to them
Add to the cream sauce the lobster meat, S&P and hot sauce
When heated through pour into a 9 inch baking dish
Sprinkle with crackers and cheese
Broil till the top is a little crusty and nicely browned.
Serve over toasted white bread with the crusts cut off or rice
Enjoy!!

Three Gourmet Taco Menu!! Taco number Three: Lowcountry Shrimp Tacos with dressed Red Cabbage and Green Goddess Cocktail Sauce

Lowcountry Shrimp Tacos with Dressed Red Cabbage and Green Goddess Cocktail Sauce

Ok this recipe is very easy to make and is sure to impress. It is the last in the trio of tacos from the previous post and it is the easiest to make and a quick dinner by themselves if you get into a bind and need a quick and easy dinner plan. So here they are, hope you try and enjoy Ya'll!


Ingredients

1 bag 26 30 count frozen cooked cocktail shrimp thawed.
12 flour tortillas
Fresh Salsa from the store in the fridge section

For dressed Cabbage:

3 cups shredded red cabbage
1/4  cup Apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon salad oil
1/4 cup chopped red onion
8 jarred or canned jalapenos finely diced
1 teaspoons garlic powder
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together, if not wet enough add some more vinegar and oil to taste.

For Cocktail sauce

1/2 cup Mayo
1/2 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons dried tarragon
1/4 cup picked parsley leaves
5 scallions rough chopped
1/4 cup of water ( you will not need all of this)

Combine in Blender and blend till smooth and green adding water a little at a time as you go to thin as necessary.

To make the tacos:

Place tortillas on a plate and micro wave for about 3 mins till warm and pliable.
Place about 2 tablespoons or so of slaw in a tortilla
top with the shrimp 3 pieces
dress with the cocktail sauce and garnish with salsa and  chopped chives or scallions if desired.

Shrimp and Grits Soup, well sort of...Roasted Corn Soup with Shrimp and Mushroom Fricassee, The Soup Diaries!

Corn Soup, Corn Chowder, Cream of Corn Veloute, Crab and Corn Bisque. These are just some of the the soups and soup like dishes created and cooked in American Kitchens celebrating one of our favorite vegetables, Corn!

Corn is a part of the American diet like no other food I can think if. Not only do we start our mornings with it in the form of cold or hot cereals, but we eat it in almost every kind of manner conceivable. Not to mention the High Fructose Corn Syrup thing!

Yes we Americans love our corn. Especially Southern Americans. We eat cornbread and grits and love it. So today I decided to look at creating a Corn soup. For me creating good soup is a mission. I have shared a few of my soup recipes so far and this one is no slouch either.

This recipe is actually a melding of three of my favorite things. Shrimp, Mushrooms and Corn. Growing up I loved creamed corn right out of the can. I mean hello...Cream...Corn....you know me what's not to like! However, as I got older I discovered that this lowly dish gets a bad rap from foodie's and chefs everywhere. It's plebian and pedestrian. It comes out of a CAN! Ok! Ok! I get it. but the concept of cream and corn is not lost on anyone. So using those two things to create a soup seemed like a no brainer to me.

Now there are about as many corn soup recipes out there as there are chefs and home cooks. So I wanted to step up my game a little. I have had roasted corn frozen right out of the freezer at Trader Joe's and loved it. So i decided to use that instead of regular corn. Well again, there are so many roasted corn soup recipes out there from Bobby Flay to some lady from Iowa with an online cooking video blog. Nothing original there! But what about taking that and making it a little more substantial. What about a meal that is a soup but isn't really just a soup???

In catering we often do soups with a garnish in the bowl which is set in front of the guests and then the soup is poured around it. It's a fancy french serving technique which is very visually impressive. So I was planning a friend's birthday dinner at my house and I wanted to get a little fancy. So I thought, why not do a soup as a first course and make it a little special. However, instead of a crouton or a pretty garnish and also instead of putting the protein element into the soup why not make it the garnish and add the soup pureed and silken to it as the flourish. Then let each diner mix and eat as they see fit. Sort of an elegant start.

So I thought about all the things people pair with corn soup. Crab being one of the most common. But I wanted to accomplish 2 things. Make this soup and use some of the items I had on hand. You know frugal when you gotta be!! So Shrimp I had, Mushrooms I had. So it hit me,I could I thought cook them in such a way that they were almost a main course. Sort of a liquid version of Shrimp and Grits! A hearty element if you will. So that the melange of shrimp and mushrooms would also be my in bowl garnish, as well as main substance element, and the corn soup would almost act as the sauce to tie it all together. But to do that the soup would have to really be silken. So I decided not only to cook the soup, but to puree it and then to make it really silken and to have naught but the elemental creamy essence, strain it! ( how did you like the usage of the food "naught", I bet very few food bloggers use that word!)

But Anyway....I had my plan, and this is what I came up with! Enjoy Ya'll!!

Roasted Corn Soup with Shrimp and Mushroom Fricassee
serves 4 


Ingredients:


1 lb bag Roasted Frozen Corn ( I find this at Trader Joe's)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 white onion diced
2 cloves garlic minced
1 large Shallot diced
1 1/2 cups heavy cream or half and half
3 cups chicken stock
1 teaspoon dried thyme
3 bay leaves ( turkish)
1 teaspoon black pepper
salt to taste

To make the soup part:

Heat oil in the bottom of a heavy pot
add onion and shallot and cook till translucent
add garlic and bloom in the pan
add all other ingredients except salt and bring to a boil
reduce heat to simmer cover and cook for 40 to 45 mins over low heat on simmer
Then turn off heat and let cool down
Puree the soup in batches in a blender till smooth
Add salt to taste
Strain soup through a mesh sieve pushing it through with the back of a spoon to get all te liquid out but leave behind the solids. Discard the solids.
Hold soup in the fridge if preparing ahead of time.
Then gently reheat when ready to use.

For the Mushrooms:

8 oz of shitake Mushrooms stems removed cut into slices
2 tablespoons of butter
pepper and salt

cook the mushrooms till golden brown and season with the salt and liberally with pepper.
about 6 mins over med high heat. Remove from pan and hold

For the Shrimp:

12 shrimp tail on (large) 3 per person more if you want.
1/3 cup shopped chives
3 tablespoons sherry

Add 3 more tablespoons of butter to pan that you used for the mushrooms
Bring to med high and saute shrimp till pink and just done add liberal dose of black pepper and a sprinkle of salt.

When shrimp are pink add the sherry and cook for a minute till reduced then add Mushrooms and chives turn off heat

To serve:

Place three shrimp in the bottom of each of the 4 serving bowls.
Divide the mushrooms and spoon any sauce over them and the shrimp.
Pour soup around them in equal portions garnish with a dollop of sour cream and more chopped chives.