Baked Shrimp Scampi – The Barefoot Contessa

February 25th, 2010

This was such an easy dish to prepare and it is perfect for company because you can do all the prep work ahead of time and then just put it in the oven when you are ready. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t love a good shrimp scampi and I want to thank Jill of Insanely Good Food for picking this as the Barefoot Bloggers recipe for this Thursday.

The Shrimp scampi was rich and garlicy and paired beautifully with pasta. For some reason my crumbs did not brown as much as Ina’s as pictured in her Back to Basics cookbook, but the flavor was outstanding. Give this a try the next time you have company.

BAKED SHRIMP SCAMPI

2 pounds (12 to 15 per pound) shrimp in the shell
3 tablespoons good olive oil
2 tablespoons dry white wine
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks ) unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 teaspoons minced garlic (4 cloves)
1/4 cup minced shallots
3 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 extra large egg yolk
2/3 cup panko crumbs
Lemon wedges, for serving

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.

Peel, devein, and butterfly the shrimp, leaving the tails on. To butterfly shrimp, cut around the outer curve and open like a book. Cut each shrimp deeply enough to open but not to cut in half. Place the shrimp in a mixing bowl and toss gently with the olive oil, wine, 2 teaspoons salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Allow to sit at room temperature while you make the butter and garlic mixture.

In a small bowl, mash the softened butter with the garlic, shallots, parsley, rosemary, red pepper flakes, lemon zest, lemon juice, egg yolk, panko, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper until combined.

Starting from the outer edge of a 14-inch oval gratin dish, arrange the shrimp in a single layer cut side down with the tails curling up and toward the center of the dish. Pour the remaining marinade over the shrimp. Spread the butter mixture evenly over the shrimp. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until hot and bubbly. If you like the top browned, place under a broiler for 1 minute. Serve with lemon wedges.


As of this moment we are heading down to Key West. I will be posting pictures and a travelogue sometime on Sunday.

Salmon Wellington for a Quick Meal

December 1st, 2009

When you get home from a vacation and want something that feels healthy, but kind of eases you back into your normal routine, this is a good choice. We have just returned from a wonderful four days at Disney World with our Granddaughter and our extended family. There was lots of good food to eat and many quick snacks that were not so good, but they all kept us going while we navigated the complex acres that comprise Disney World.

On our way home we made a quick stop at the grocery store and picked up salmon, puff pastry, leeks, and green beans. The recipe for the Salmon Wellington came from one of my favorite magazines, Coastal Living. Whenever we feel we have overindulged, a fish dish always figures into our meal plans. My husband thought the puff pastry was a little rich for a week night meal until he tasted it with the salmon and decided that maybe even a Tuesday night was worthy of being celebrated.

The whole meal can be prepared in 40 minutes according to Coastal Living. The Salmon is served with roasted green beans which are cooked at the same time. With a meal like this, who needs takeout.

SALMON WELLINGTON

2 large leeks, white part only, thinly sliced and cleaned
2 tablespoons butter
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 package frozen puff pastry (2 sheets), thawed
4 (5 to 6 ounce) skinless salmon fillets

Saute leeks in butter in a medium skillet over medium heat about 5 minutes or until softened. Stir in garlic, and cook 1 minute. Add wine; cook 5 minutes or until liquid evaporates. Remove from heat, and stir in lemon zest, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 tsp pepper.

Roll out each pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface into a 12 inch square. Cut each in half, forming 4 (12-x6-inch) rectangles. Spoon 1/4 cup leek mixture lengthwise down the center of each rectangle. Sprinkle fillets evenly with remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper; place fillets lenghtwise on top of leek mixture. Fold short sides of pastry over fillets. pinch togethet long sides of each pastry to seal. Place Wellingtons, seam side down, on an ungreased baking sheet.

Bake at 425 degrees for 18 to 20 minutes or until pastry is golden brown. Let stand 5 minutes. Cut each pastry diagonally in half using a serrated knife. Makes 4 servings.

Roasted Green Beans

Toss 1 pound trimmed green beans with 2 teaspoons olive oil. Arrange in a single layer in a shallow pan. Bake at 425 degrees, stirring once, 18 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned and crisp-tender. Sprinkle with salt and pepper; toss to combine.

Whitefish with Lemon Vinaigrette

April 6th, 2009

This is the last post from Florida and it is appropriate because David caught sheepshead fish today. The fish dinner was inspired by Giada’s whitefish with lemon vinaigrette. This is such a satisfying combination. Radicchio and shallots are sauteed until wilted and then cannellini beans are added to fortify the mixture. The lemon and parsley vinaigrette lighten and intensify the sauteed fish. We have made this many times with tilapia and other mild fish, so it was a treat to actually make it with fresh caught fish. There is much to do before we leave tomorrow, so this is short and to the point. Here is Giada’s recipe.
WHITEFISH WITH LEMON VINAIGRETTE
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 shallots, thinly sliced
1 large head radicchio (about 12 ounces), coarsely chopped
1 15 ounce can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup fish broth ( I used chicken stock )
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
6 (5 to 6 ounce) whitefish fillets, such as tilapia
All-purpose flour, for dredging
Lemon Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the radicchio and saute until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the beans and broth, and cook until the beans are heated through, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Season the radicchio mixture, to taste, with salt and pepper.
Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a 14-inch ( or 2 smaller ) nonstick frying pan over medium high heat. Sprinkle the fillets with salt and pepper. Dredge the fillets in flour to coat completely. Shake off the excess flour and fry 3 fillets in each pan until they are golden brown and just cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.
Spoon the radicchio mixture over the center of the plates. Top with the fillets. Drizzle the vinaigrette over and serve immediately.
LEMON VINAIGRETTE
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup lightly packed fresh Italian parsley leaves
2 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspon freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Blend the lemon juice, parsley, garlic, lemon zest, salt and pepper in a blender. With the machine running, gradually blend in the oil. Season the vinaigrette, to taste, with more salt and pepper.

Salmon with Brown Sugar and Mustard Glaze

March 29th, 2009

This has been my recipe of choice for grilled salmon for years. It came from Hot off the Grill by Bobby Flay. Bobby Flay has a way of combining ingredients that sing with flavor. We were fortunate to eat at Mesa Grill when we were in New York and I have to say, we had one of the best meals ever. For the two of us, I bought a 1 1/2 pound piece of center cut salmon and we had leftovers which I used to make the Barefoot Contessa’s Salmon Salad served on a bed of lettuce. I will include that recipe also.
SALMON WITH BROWN SUGAR AND MUSTARD GLAZE
8 salmon fillets, 6 ounce each
3 Tbls brown sugar
1 Tbls honey
2 Tbls butter
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
2 Tbls soy sauce
2 Tbls olive oil
1 Tbls ginger, finely chopped
2 Tbls oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
Melt the brown sugar, honey and butter in a small saute pan over medium high heat. Remove from the heat and whisk in the mustard, soy sauce, olive oil and ginger. Let cool. Preheat grill to medium heat. Brush salmon with vegetable oil and season with salt and pepper to taste. Place the salmon skin side down ( I had the butcher remove the skin ) on the grill. Coat the flesh of the salmon with the brown sugar mixture. Grill for 8 to 10 minutes, turning once after 5 to 6 minutes. ( We cooked it a little longer )
If you grill a whole fillet of salmon, you will have enough to make the full salmon salad recipe. I halved all of the ingredients and used what salmon I had left.
BAREFOOT CONTESSA’S SALMON SALAD
2 pounds cooked salmon, chilled
1 cup small-diced celery ( 3 stalks)
1/2 cup small-diced red onion
2 Tbls minced fresh dill
2 Tbls capers, drained
2 Tbls raspberry vinegar
2 Tbls good olive oil
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
Break the salmon into very large flakes, removing any skin and bones, and place the salmon in a bowl. Add the celery, red onion, dill, capers, raspberry vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper. Season to taste. Mix well and serve cold or at room temperature.

Sauteed Tangerine Shrimp

March 4th, 2009

“Sara Foster has remained true to her beliefs and convictions that good, honest food can be deliciously simple.” – Martha Stewart

North Carolina is fortunate to have many fine cooks and chefs. And we are fortunate that Sara Foster chose to move here in 1990. Her career in cooking took her from her roots in rural Tennessee to New York City where she attended culinary school, worked in restaurants, and became a part of Martha Stewart’s catering team. She eventually branched out on her own and opened her own catering business in Greenwich, Connecticut. One of her dreams had always been to open a gourmet food market and cafe and she found the perfect location for it in Durham, North Carolina. Foster’s Market became so successful that she opened a second store in Chapel Hill in 1998.

I have visited the Durham Foster’s Market on several occasions and was impressed with the array of food available for take-out and wished that I lived close enough to pop in after work to pick up chicken and dumplings or slow roasted pork shoulder with Foster’s applesauce. As it was I had to settle (by no means a hardship) for lunch ordered at the counter and eaten in the funky, but charming dining room.

Sara Foster has written three cookbooks and I own two of them, one signed by Sara herself. Her first cookbook is The Foster’s Market Cookbook which features recipes from the kitchen of Foster’s Market. I especially like the variety of sandwiches and salads that are included. The second cookbook is Fresh Every Day which is geared more to the home cook and includes food that Sara cooks in her own kitchen. She believes in “simple honest food prepared with fresh local and seasonal ingredients”.

To illustrate this philosophy she offers four sauteed shrimp recipes. For Winter, the recipe is the one I cooked today – Sauteed Tangerine Shrimp. For Spring, the recipe is Garlic Sauteed Shrimp with Spinach. For Summer, the recipe is Sauteed Shrimp with Corn and Tomatoes and for Fall, the recipe is Curry Coconut Shrimp.
I can honestly say that the sauteed tangerine shrimp were simple and flavorful and I am looking forward to the other seasonal shrimp recipes. I served the shrimp with jasmine rice and peas.
SAUTEED TANGERINE SHRIMP

The warmed sections of tangerine in this dish are a sweet surprise with the shrimp. If you can find them, use clementines, a Mandarin orange variety that comes from Spain. Not only do they have extra flavorful tangy-sweet flesh, clementines are a breeze to peel – and they have no seeds!

Serves 4 to 6

Juice of 4 tangerines or clementines
2 tangerines peeled, sectioned, and seeds removed
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger (1-inch piece)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 1/2 pounds large shrimp (21 to 25 per pound), peeled and deveined
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1. Combine the tangerine juice and sections, ginger, garlic and shrimp in a bowl and toss to coat the shrimp. Cover and refrigerate to marinate for 2 to 3 hours.

2. Heat half of the oil and half of butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat until the butter melts. Remove half the shrimp from the marinade, reserving the marinade, season with salt and pepper, and place in the skillet to saute for 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side, until they turn pink. Place the shrimp on a platter covered loosely with foil to keep warm. Add the remaining butter and oil and cook the remaining shrimp.

3. When all the shrimp are cooked, pour the marinade and tangerine sections into the skillet, increase the heat to high, and boil the marinade until it has reduced by half, about 30 seconds. Turn off the heat and stir in the cilantro. Season with additional salt and pepper if needed and serve the shrimp warm with the tangerine sauce and sections spooned over them.


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