Laurie’s Crabcakes

1 scallion, minced
4 T or so anaheim chili, diced
2 heaping T Hellmans mayo (lite)
1 egg
Heaping T Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
3 T (or so) key lime juice
zest of one lime
4-5 T cilantro, minced
tsp or so Marash red pepper flakes
1 cup breadcrumbs (half unseasoned dried crumbs and half fresh, torn into small pieces from crust of multi-grain bread)
1 lb. Can lump crabmeat


Gently mix in crabmeat, picked over for shells. Form 6 balls and place onto a cookie sheet covered with waxed paper. Flatten into patties. Top with another sheet of waxed paper, then press down again on patties. Put in fridge for at least 45 minutes. To cook, heat 2 T butter & 2 T canola oil in frying pan over medium heat. Add two crabcakes and turn down heat 1 notch. Cook 4 minutes on first side, flip, cook 5 minutes on second side., or until they are well browned. Use 2 large spatulas to flip, one under, one on top. Serve over arugula/lime salad (see below).

Arugula/lime salad

Baby arugula or other mixed greens, fresh blueberries, shaved parmesan
Dressing: key lime juice, rice vinegar, lime zest, pinch sugar, dash salt (proportions to taste) Or a basic olive oil, balsamic, mustard with a pinch sugar, Or, just deglaze the pan with some lime juice, take it off the heat, and very briefly toss the greens in the pan to lightly coat.

Kung Pao Shrimp for Two

12 oz. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 tablespoons dry sherry
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/3 cup chicken broth
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
4 teaspoons canola oil
1/3 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 red bell pepper, sliced
2 tablespoons minced scallion whites
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon fresh ginger
1/4 cup sliced scallion greens

Toss shrimp with 1 tablespoon sherry and 1 tablespoon soy sauce in a bowl; marinate about 10 minutes. Transfer shrimp to a plate; discard marinade. Combine broth, remaining 1 tablespoon sherry, remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and cornstarch in a bowl. 

Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a wok or large non-stick skillet over high heat. Add shrimp, peanuts, and pepper flakes; cook until shrimp are nearly opaque, 1-2 minutes. Transfer shrimp mixture to a plate. Cook bell pepper in remaining 2 teaspoons oil in the wok until they begin to soften, 1-2 minutes.

Add scallion whites, garlic, and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in broth mixture and shrimp mixture, and cook until sauce is thick and syrupy, about 1 minute. Stir in scallion greens and serve over baked rice.

Orange-Coconut Shrimp

Dave whipped this up last night and it was so tasty. I recommend doubling this so you have leftovers. Our house is going to smell amazing for days.

Similar to a stir-fry, this dish cooks up super fast, so be sure to have all your ingredients ready to go before you fire up the saute pan. Makes 4 servings (about 6 cups) and takes about thirty minutes from start to finish (not including rice, which I recommend you bake). Add more red pepper flakes if you like a really spicy dish.

1 pound large shrimp, peels, deveined, and seasoned with salt and black pepper
2 tablespoon canola oil
2 tablespoon minced scallion whites
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon minced orange zest
1 cup canned coconut milk
1/2 teaspoon corn starch
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion greens

Saute shrimp in one tablespoon oil in a saute pan over medium-high heat until pink and beginning to curl, 2-3 minutes; remove from pan. Heat remaining tablespoon of oil in pan. Add scallion whites and garlic and cook for one minute.

Stir in orange juice, ginger, and zest. Reduce mixture until it measures 1/2 cup when strained, 3-5 minutes; discard solids. Return juice to pan.

Whisk together coconut milk and cornstarch; stir into juice in pan, add pepper flakes, and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook sauce until slightly thickened. Season sauce with salt.

Toss shrimp in sauce, stir in scallion greens and cook 1-2 minutes more. Serve shrimp with baked rice or rice noodles.

Simpler Shrimp Bisque

I've never met a bisque I didn't like.

"To build a shrimp bisque with real shrimp flavor, we didn’t toss out the shrimp shells. Instead we sautéed them until bright pink, added mirepoix, and made a quick shrimp stock. This shrimp stock formed the base of our bisque. Heavy cream added richness, and a little sherry rounded out the flavor. Finally, to keep the shrimp from overcooking and becoming rubbery, we added them off the heat and let the residual heat of the bisque gently cook them though. Serves 6 to 8."

4 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 pounds medium-large (31-40) shrimp, peeled and shells reserved, shrimp deveined and chopped
2 onions, chopped
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
6 tablespoons tomato paste
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups dry white wine
6 cups water
2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon dry sherry
Salt and pepper

1. Melt butter in Dutch oven over medium heat. Cook shrimp shells until spotty brown, about 5 minutes. Add onions, carrots, and celery and cook until browned, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir in flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, about 2 minutes. Add tomato paste and garlic and cook until fragrant and paste begins to darken, about 2 minutes. Stir in wine and simmer, scraping up any browned bits, until thickened, 2 to 3 minutes. Add water and thyme and bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer until slightly thickened, about 30 minutes.

2. Strain contents of pot through fine-mesh strainer into large saucepan, pressing on solids to extract as much liquid as possible; discard solids. Stir in cream and sherry and bring to simmer. Off heat, add chopped shrimp, cover pot, and let sit until shrimp are cooked through, about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

Seared Scallops with Tarragon-Butter Sauce

Thought we'd try some "nice" seafood for our first blog entry. We've made Seared Scallops with Tarragon-Butter Sauce twice now. It's super easy and delish...