Fortunately I am not Rachael Ray, and do not ever embarrass myself by using the phrase "YUM-O!". However, if I were to sip a glass or two of Pinot Gris with the following meal, only to forget my prideful promise, perhaps I would slip and utter an enthusiastic "YUM-O" followed by an even more humiliating "TASTIC!" about the simple seafood salad I tossed together for my Friday afternoon lunch.
Mixed Seafood Salad
For two entree servings or four side servings:
3/4 pound mixed seafood (mussels, clams, calamari rings, shrimp, scallops, etc.*
1 fat garlic clove, squished and chopped finely
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/4 small, sweet onion or 1 shallot, minced
1 large red bell pepper, minced
1 fat stalk of celery (or 2 skinny stalks), finely chopped
Few celery leaves, chopped
1 1/2 small lemons, juiced
Dash of hot sauce (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
*I feel fortunate that not only does our favorite fish monger carry all natural mussels on the half shell in their freezer section, Trader Joe's has a one pound bag of mixed shrimp, baby scallops, and calamari rings (preservative-free) in their freezer section. Wahoo! All I have to do is sauté or simmer the goods, thawing optional. Go with what you find in your local grocery store or fish monger if you're fortunate to have one nearby.
Scrub and de-beard clams and mussels as needed before continuing.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil a large skillet or pot with a lid over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for one minute stirring constantly. Add mussels and clams to the skillet. Cover, and let their juices accumulate adding a touch of white wine or water if necessary. Steam until clams and mussels open, 5-10 minutes, removing each one as they open. (Yes this will require the daunting task of standing over the skillet and raising the lid up and down up and down. You can handle it.) Discard any clams or mussels that don't open after this period of time and keep the juices in the pot. Let clams and mussels cool a touch, remove from shells, and chop. Set aside.
Add shrimp, calamari, and scallops to the juices, cover, and bring to a simmer. If juices are low, add a splash more of wine or water. Simmer until seafood is just cooked through, which shouldn't be more than a few minutes (depending on the size of your seafood and if it was frozen first). Figure about a maximum of 5 minutes, but if the shrimp is not yet opaque after that time, give it a touch longer. Just don't overcook as you'll wind up with a tough salad. Once the remainder of the seafood is cooked, remove from heat, drain the juices, and let the seafood cool slightly.
If you happen to have some already-prepared seafood hanging around, skip my painstakingly written paragraphs above and just move on to the next part.
In a medium bowl, combine chopped onion, red pepper, celery, and celery leaves. Add the seafood, and squeeze the juice of the lemons over the mixture. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the mixture, squeeze a dash or two of hot sauce if desired, salt and pepper to taste (watch the salt if you use the hot sauce), and toss everything together. Serve with crusty bread (and a crisp Pinot Gris) and a simple "WOW!".
Mixed Seafood Salad
For two entree servings or four side servings:
3/4 pound mixed seafood (mussels, clams, calamari rings, shrimp, scallops, etc.*
1 fat garlic clove, squished and chopped finely
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
1/4 small, sweet onion or 1 shallot, minced
1 large red bell pepper, minced
1 fat stalk of celery (or 2 skinny stalks), finely chopped
Few celery leaves, chopped
1 1/2 small lemons, juiced
Dash of hot sauce (optional)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
*I feel fortunate that not only does our favorite fish monger carry all natural mussels on the half shell in their freezer section, Trader Joe's has a one pound bag of mixed shrimp, baby scallops, and calamari rings (preservative-free) in their freezer section. Wahoo! All I have to do is sauté or simmer the goods, thawing optional. Go with what you find in your local grocery store or fish monger if you're fortunate to have one nearby.
Scrub and de-beard clams and mussels as needed before continuing.
Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil a large skillet or pot with a lid over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for one minute stirring constantly. Add mussels and clams to the skillet. Cover, and let their juices accumulate adding a touch of white wine or water if necessary. Steam until clams and mussels open, 5-10 minutes, removing each one as they open. (Yes this will require the daunting task of standing over the skillet and raising the lid up and down up and down. You can handle it.) Discard any clams or mussels that don't open after this period of time and keep the juices in the pot. Let clams and mussels cool a touch, remove from shells, and chop. Set aside.
Add shrimp, calamari, and scallops to the juices, cover, and bring to a simmer. If juices are low, add a splash more of wine or water. Simmer until seafood is just cooked through, which shouldn't be more than a few minutes (depending on the size of your seafood and if it was frozen first). Figure about a maximum of 5 minutes, but if the shrimp is not yet opaque after that time, give it a touch longer. Just don't overcook as you'll wind up with a tough salad. Once the remainder of the seafood is cooked, remove from heat, drain the juices, and let the seafood cool slightly.
If you happen to have some already-prepared seafood hanging around, skip my painstakingly written paragraphs above and just move on to the next part.
In a medium bowl, combine chopped onion, red pepper, celery, and celery leaves. Add the seafood, and squeeze the juice of the lemons over the mixture. Drizzle the remaining tablespoon of olive oil over the mixture, squeeze a dash or two of hot sauce if desired, salt and pepper to taste (watch the salt if you use the hot sauce), and toss everything together. Serve with crusty bread (and a crisp Pinot Gris) and a simple "WOW!".
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1 comments:
This makes me wish Matt liked sea food. May have to try it for myself. So there.
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