Boiler Room

Is there anything on this planet that’s as good as shrimp? Shrimp is one of the easiest things on the earth to cook but unfortunately so many people are afraid to mess it up.  Shrimp can be fried, sauteed, grilled, blackened, boiled and made just about anyway you like it.  The only real way to ruin shrimp is to overcook it when it then becomes tough and rubbery.  This happens to be the case with many varieties of sea foods by the way.  One of the easiest fool proof shrimp recipe I have found was a shrimp boil.  Potatoes, corn, sausage and shrimp, a perfect combination.
The only special equipment you need for a boil is a large stock pot.  Depending on the servings you will be making the larger the better.  Some people use a frying or boiling basket for ease of removing all your edibles but it’s not necessary if you have a colander.
After inviting four of our friends over we gathered the necessary equipment to feed a small army.  The amount of food can be multiplied easily to feed as many as needed.
Ingredients:

• 3 lbs 14-16 shrimp (royal reds are preferred)
• 5 lbs small fancy or fingerling potatoes (unpeeled, whole)
• 6 ears of corn (husked and halved)
• 2-3 lbs sausage (andouille, brats or any preference)
• 1 seasoning bag ( 4 bay leaves,1 tbsp. black peppercorns or coarse pepper,1 tbsp. salt,2 tsp. cayenne pepper, 1 tsp. celery seed, 1 tsp. whole cloves, 1 tsp. mustard seed, 1 tbsp. allspice,1 tsp. dry thyme leaves)
• 1 Lemon quartered

• Salt if desired

Directions;
Fill stockpot about a third of the way with water and bring to a boil.  When boiling add the seasoning bag, potatoes, corn and lemons.  Cover and let boil for 15 minutes then add the shrimp and sausage.  Continue to boil for 5 minutes then remove from the heat.  You will want to let the boil rest for about 20-30 minutes.  There is a lot of water so don’t be worried about cooling.  This resting period is crucial as the seasoning needs time to soak into the food.  Without letting the boil soak you will get bland shrimp.  That’s it, you are ready to serve.  Drain and put contents into a large bowl for everyone to share. This is a very hard recipe to mess up.  Boil, add food, boil, rest.  It’s really that easy.
I love making this for a large number of people because it is delicious and the ingredients really make the recipe.  You can get creative and look up many boil recipes online.  The next one I’d like to try is the Cajun boil.
A few tips, get quality ingredients.  I like to use fingerling potatoes as they have a good taste and you don’t have to chop or peel.  Another thing is to buy good shrimp.  I really like Royal Reds as they hold up to peeling better and they are a little sweeter and denser than regular gulf shrimp.  They are a colder water shrimp and many liken their taste to lobster although I find that a bit of a stretch but I do notice a difference.  I hope you all try this and let me know what you think.

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Seared Tuna – Chicken of the sea my @%*

So tonight we had some tuna left over from our sushi from last night.  Never letting good food go to waste we decided to have seared tuna. In selecting your tuna, you want to look for sushi grade tuna.  We got a 1 lb steak of part Maguro and part Toro Tuna.  Toro refers to the fattier underbelly of the tuna which is fattier (relatively) and much more tender and tasty. To kill parasites in any meats you either have to use heat or extreme cold.  Sushi grade tuna always will have been flash frozen to kill parasites thus making the meat uninhabitable.  If the tuna or any fish for that matter is labeled as sushi grade it is supposed to be suitable for raw consumption making sushi or seared tuna steaks perfectly harmless (just in case you were afraid of a little raw fish).  The majority of the harmful parasites comes from freshwater fish which is why you should never see a spicy bass roll at your reputable sushi place.  Now with all the messy parts out the way I’m sure you’re still hungry..

I started out with two steaks that were about a half-inch thick.  Cayenne pepper and coarse sea salt were sprinkled on both sides of the tuna, no measurements, just enough to get around the whole tuna not drenching it.  I splashed a bit of Worcestershire sauce on both sides, you could also use soy sauce, and I sprinkled it with a dash of sugar.  This could have been added to the sauce but it’s all going to the same place.  Next you will get a cast iron nice and hot, medium high heat will do just fine.  Combine about 2 tablespoons of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of warmed butter in a bowl and mix.  Add to the cast iron.  Next you want to add about a half of a tablespoon of whole peppercorns to the oil butter mixture and cook for about five minutes.  The peppercorns will soften and start to pop almost like popcorn.  With a wooden spoon help crack all the remaining peppercorns that didn’t pop on you.  Turn the heat up to high and place the tuna steaks in the pan.  You will cook for one minute on each side for a half-inch steaks or a minute an a half if slightly thicker.  Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes.  Serve with your favorite sides.

To me this is a great red meat steak alternative.  It has a great meaty flavor and is break apart in your mouth tender.  The cayenne pepper doesn’t add a spicy flavor but more of an earthy one.  The peppercorns are not nearly as strong as when they are freshly crushed so this helps give a great earthy peppery taste without turning up the heat.  If you’re a rare steak fan then I implore you to try this, you won’t be disappointed.  

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How to blacken anything

Blackening is a modern cooking style invented by the chef Paul Prudhomme.  This technique was an answer to the problem about how to make fish cooked inside taste more like fish grilled outside.  This process gives the fish or seafood a distinct charred appearance and a spicy and smoky flavor.  This technique is easy and only requires three ingredients and a cast iron skillet; seafood, butter, blackening spice.  To make your own blackening spices just follow this simple recipe;

Ingredients:

• 2 teaspoons ground paprika
• 4 teaspoons dried leaf thyme
• 2 teaspoons onion powder
• 2 teaspoons garlic powder
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 teaspoons black pepper (fresh ground peppercorns if you have them)
• 1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper (you can add more but the heat increases quickly)
• 1 teaspoon dried leaf oregano
• 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions:  Mix and store in a cool dry place. 

Now you’re ready to blacken anything.  Here goes.  The first thing you’ll want to do is get your cast iron skillet good and hot.  Now melt about 2-3 tbs of butter per two fish filets or 12 jumbo shrimp.  You’ll want the fish to be about ½ of an inch thick or it won’t cook all the way through (we can finish it off in the oven if your fish is larger than this).  You’ll want to add about 1 tbs of spice to 3-4 tbs of the melted butter and mix.   

When the cast iron is hot dip your fish or seafood into the butter and immediately place on skillet (pat down seafood before placing it in the butter mixture as it will stick better when completely dry). 

Flip when you see the nice dark crust form on the underside.  This should only take 1-2 minutes depending on your heat.  If your fish is not cooked entirely through don’t leave it on the cast iron as it will burn and taste not so pleasant.  If needed place fish on a cookie sheet and bake the rest of the way at 350 for a few minutes on each side until done.  There you have it; you’re ready to blacken anything!

Just a few tips:

This works best on more delicate fish like redfish or even tilapia (probably the only way to eat tilapia).

This will cause a lot of smoke in the house so be prepared for the fire alarms to sound.  A great oven hood is recommended or at least some box fans. 

There is a fine line between blackening and burnening (just made that up).  Test your heat and blackening skills on a less expensive fish before you potentially burn twenty dollars worth of redfish.  Shrimp are much more forgiving. Enjoy.

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Steamed Clams and Mussels

One New England treat enjoyed as a youngster was steamed clams and drawn butter.  For this recipe we took that idea and ran with it a bit.  This is an easy 30 minute or less meal that you’ll want to make again and again.  This recipe uses clams, mussels and shrimp and surprisingly but happily welcomed, andouille sausage.
First we’ll start by choosing what kind of clams to choose.  Typically the smaller the clam the more tender and sweeter the meat will be.  I use Cedar Key Clams as there some of the best you can buy at your local fishmonger.  You’ll want to find clams that are fully closed when on ice and smell fresh with no hints of ammonia. You’ll want to scrub the clams and rinse with water.  To store clams put in a bowl and cover with a damp cloth in the fridge until you are ready to cook.

The mussels will be picked out the same way but your choices will be limited to typically black or green mussels with the green mussels being much larger and much more expensive.  The black mussels come from Canada and can be found live almost all year round where the green mussels are imported from New Zealand and are usually found frozen.  You need to de-beard the clams and purge the saltier water out of them.  Here’s a link to prepare your mussels.

For this recipe you’ll want to get at least 16-20 count shrimp.  The larger shrimp take longer to cook and won’t overcook when steamed with the rest of the ingredients.
Now lets get to cooking.  Here’s what you’ll need;
Ingredients:

• 5 tbs butter
• 1 small onion chopped
• Parsley – handful
• 5 cloves garlic
• 1/2 bottle dry white wine
• 1/2 tsp red pepper flake
• 2 cups vegetable stock
• 2 lbs Cedar Key clams
• 2 lbs Live mussels
• 1 lb shrimp
• 2 lbs Andouille sausage

Directions:
In a large stock pot melt butter and saute the garlic and onion until they brown slightly.

Add  white wine, vegetable stock and red pepper flake and bring to a boil.  Add clams, mussels, shrimp and sausage and cover.

Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 5-6 minutes until all the clams and mussels have opened up. Take pot off heat as you don’t want to overcook your clams or mussels or they may become tough.  Transfer all meat and shellfish to soup bowls.  Strain the broth through a cheesecloth to get rid of any purged sand.  Transfer broth to the soup bowls over your clams and mussels and add parsley.  The clams and mussels are best enjoyed with a little broth or you could also draw some butter but try the broth first, you won’t be sorry.  Enjoy.

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Recipe request – Red and White Shrimp

For my first recipe request here’s my Red and White Shrimp dish.  Granted it’s not “mine” as I got it from Chinese the essence of Asian cooking by Linda Doeser (now on Amazon for only $5).
This is an easy recipe for the most part but preparedness is of the most importance as the cooking process goes extremely fast.  I like to have all my ingredients measured out and put in some prep bowls (thanks Colleen).  So lets start.

What you need:
1 lb shrimp
1/2 egg white
1 tbs cornstarch paste (1/2 tbs cornstarch 1/2 tbs water)
1/2 lb snow peas or sugar snap peas
1 tsp light brown sugar
1 cup vegetable or peanut oil
1 tbs scallion
salt
1 tsp fresh ginger
1 tbs light soy sauce
1 tbs Rice wine
1 tsp chili bean sauce (recipe to make your own-add half a fresh jalapeno to recipe if you want some heat )
1 tbs tomato paste (recipe to make your own)

Directions:
Peel and devein the shrimp and mix with cornstarch paste and egg white and add a pinch of salt.  Trim snow peas if needed.
Heat a tablespoon of oil in a preheated wok or fry pan and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes.  Add the brown sugar and a little salt and stir for 1 more minute. Remove and place on a warmed serving platter.
Add a tablespoon of oil to the wok/fry pan and cook shrimp for only a minute on high.  Remove and drain. Add scallion and ginger to the wok/ fry pan.  Return shrimp to the wok/ fry pan and stir-fry for 1 minute then add soy sauce and rice wine.  Blend the mixture and cook until the shrimp are all cooked through.  Transfer half of the shrimp to the warmed plate with the peas.  Add the chili bean sauce and tomato paste to the remaining shrimp in the wok/ fry pan.  Blend well and place the red shrimp on the opposite side of the platter.  Enjoy.

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Day 8 – Shrimp and grits

There are few things better on this planet than great grilled shrimp.  Tonight we made grilled shrimp, grilled asparagus and cheese grits.  I think I found the best way to grill shrimp so far. I have a large barrel grill (1,000 square inches).  What I do is use a heat gradient with my coals.  I place the hottest or most dense quantity of coals on one end and spread them out unevenly until there is a few coals on the other end.  This pretty much gives me a nice range of heat which I can move my food around and be able to find whatever desired heat I’d like.  I also put some hickory chunks on the hottest side right before I cook my shrimp so that there is some intense flame and smoke from the wood.  Before you start you’ll want to make sure the hottest end is at a very high temp, 300-400 F.  An easy way to check this is to hold your hand about 2 inches from the grate.  You should only be able to hold your hand there for about 3 seconds before it becoming uncomfortable.  This is your desired heat.  It’s time to start.

Place a few hickory chunks on the hottest end of the grill and let them catch fire and start to burn down a bit.  We want fire and smoke so we don’t want to start cooking right as the wood catches fire. Place marinated shrimp (recipe below) directly above the fire and let sit for 1 minute before turning, you should see some grill marks and some slight charring on the smaller pieces on the shrimp.  Turn and let cook for 1 minute on the opposite side.  We now want to move the shrimp to a place of medium-high to high heat but only over coals.  Cook on each side for about 2-3 minutes until the shrimp are no longer translucent.  Of course as you are the chef you are required to eat at least one for quality control.  Enjoy.

I cook the asparagus in almost the same way although they take a little longer on the grill than the shrimp and should be turned with a good 2-3 minute frequency.

Shrimp marinade

Ingredients:

1-2 lbs 12-16 count shrimp cleaned and shelled

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tsp apple cider vinagerette

1 oz whiskey

1 tbs Italian seasoning

1 tsp paprika

dash cayenne (add more if you like spicy)

1 tsp Sea salt

1 tsp cracked pepper

Directions:

Peel and devein shrimp.  Mix all other ingredients and whisk or blend thoroughly.  Place shrimp in marinate and let sit in fridge for 1-3 hours.  Skewer Shrimp. Grill. Left over marinade can be coated on asparagus before grilling.

Fontina Cheese Grits

Ingredients:

1/2 cup grits

2 cups water

dash salt

3/4 cup fontina cheese shredded

salt and pepper

Directions:

Bring water to boil. Stir in dash of salt and grits.  Reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes.  When grits are completely done cooking slowly add and stir in fontina cheese.  Let sit for 10 minutes to firm.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Place shrimp on bed of grits and serve.

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Day 7 – Scallop Salad

Today I made scallop salad in the inspiration of Macaroni Grill.   This is my favorite salad recipe and I cut out about 850 calories from the restaurant style recipe. Seared sea scallops are extremely easy to make.  Instead of reinventing the wheel and making my own video I found a great video on how to sear the perfect scallop (link here).  The only difference when I sear my scallops I use garlic and scallions in the pan before I add the scallops.  These are used only to infuse the flavor into scallops.  Once the scallops are done they can be added to any type of salad you’d like.  Here’s my favorite to feed two;

Ingredients:

1/2 head romaine lettuce

1/2 white onion

1/4 cup chopped walnuts (we like whole walnuts chopped as needed)

handful of dried cranberries

1/4 cup feta cheese

1/2 cup grape or cherry tomatoes

Any mild homemade dressing, we prefer a balsamic vinaigrette

Directions:

Toss all salad ingredients in a large bowl with salad dressing.  Plate the salad in a bowl or small plate.  Place seared scallops on top of salad and serve.

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Day 5 – Grilled Fish

It’s seafood bonanza day.  Today I get to go to the local fish monger and pick out what we will be eating for dinner.  If you like seafood this is a quick and easy way to make a home cooked meal all fresh.  Fish is good grilled, baked, blackened or pan-fried.  When you get fresh fish there’s not much you have to do to make it taste good except not to over cook it.  After dinner I will post the recipe to whatever I make. 

As far as yesterday’s project I found a large amount of cloned recipes.  These are recipes that are created to taste like the condiments or dishes your used to.  I will post a few links that have many recipes on them and then maybe post individual recipes that I use and review.  So here are a few sites with some cloned recipes;

RecipeZaar- copycat recipes

Recipe goldmine- cloned recipes

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