Doug Cooks
Doug Cooks
My life as a cook

Seafood

My collection of creative, quick, and easy, Seafood recipes.


Seared Salmon, Cherry Tomatoes, Garlic, & Capers finished with a White Wine Butter Sauce


 


Ingredients:

  • Two 4 to 6 ounce salmon fillets

Sauce Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 cup of dry white wine

  • 2 tbsp capers (nonpareil) small or more

  • 2 small shallots thinly sliced

  • 2 cloves of garlic thinly sliced

  • 2-3 tbsp (or more) of unsalted butter

Execution:

  • Preheat oven to 375

  • Rub olive oil on salmon then liberally season salmon with salt and pepper

  • On the stove top, (on medium high) heat a cast iron skillet or large saute pan.

  • Sear salmon: Place flesh side down in pan and press fillets with fingertips, reduce heat to medium. Do not move fillets. Allow to cook for about three to five minutes, until well browned.

  • With a fish spatula, turn fillets and and place in preheated oven for about 5 - 6 more minutes, or until 145 degrees internally

  • Once your salmon is fully cooked, place on warmed plates, ready for service.

  • Now moving quickly….

Sauce Execution:

  • Move quickly!

  • In a saucepan on medium high, add a little olive oil

  • Add, shallots and garlic, saute briefly

  • Add capers and stir

  • Add white wine, and let reduce by half

  • Take off the heat and add COLD butter slowly and stir to emulsify to build the sauce.

  • Taste the sauce, does it need anything?? More wine?More capers? More butter? You be the judge.

  • Once everything is incorporated and tastes good, pour over the salmon fillets and serve…hot!

If you want to see how the dish is made,

check out the video below!

 
 

Red Curry Seafood Bowl



Ingredients:

Aromatics:

  • 4 to 6 tablespoons, Thai Red curry paste

  • 4 green onions, finely chopped

  • a handful of chopped fresh cilantro

  • 2 Kaffir lime leaves

  • Juice of 1 lime (only if you can't find Kaffir lime leaves)

  • 1 small piece of lemongrass (the white end only) is bashed to allow essential oils to flavor the sauce.

  • 4 garlic cloves, minced

  • 2 tbsp grated ginger

  • 8 whole Thai basil leaves

  • Small fresh jalapeño chile, sliced (with seeds and ribs) if you like heat)

  • 1 green bell pepper (thinly sliced)

  • 1 half of a small sweet onion (thinly sliced)

  • 2 tablespoons oil (vegetable, peanut, or olive)

  • 1 1/4 cup of water (or chicken broth)

  • 1 14-ounce can coconut milk (unsweetened)

  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce

Fish:

  • 8.5 ounces uncooked medium shrimp, peeled, deveined

  • 8.5 ounces bay scallops

  • 1 pound mussels, cleaned

Execution:

  • Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat.

  • Add onion, garlic; and ginger sauté (about 2 minutes) or until softened.

  • Stir in curry paste; cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.

  • Add mussels

  • Stir in, 1 1/4 cups of water or broth, coconut milk, lime leaves, and lemongrass. Bring to simmer.

  • Add jalapeno and bell pepper

  • Add fish sauce

  • Add shrimp and scallops to the pan. Cover and simmer until mussels are opened, (toss mussels that do not open), about 5 minutes.

  • Stir in green onions, and a littl of the cilantro

  • Add basil and stir in

  • Garnish on top with fresh cilantro

  • Serve over steamed rice


Crab cakes, salmon & shrimp


Frutti di mare

Crab shrimp cake


Crab shrimp cake


Ingredients

Cakes:

  • 4 tablespoons of good olive oil

  • 2 shallots minced

  • 4 cloves of garlic

  • 1 lb crabmeat...lump, special, or jumbo lump (depending on what you wanna spend)

  • 1/2 lb of cooked shrimp, (shelled, deveined and cooled) rough chopped

  • 1 1/2 cup of panko bread crumbs

  • 2-4 tablespoons of mayo....maybe more, add more if too dry.

  • 1 large egg white

  • 1/2 lime juiced

  • 1/4 cup of fresh cilantro-chopped


Directions:

  • Make sure you make these a bit ahead so they can chill in the fridge and set up.

  • Preheat oven to 325 degrees, as to finish the cakes.

  • Add oil to a saute pan on medium heat then saute shallots and garlic till translucent. 5-6 minutes...then cool

  • In a mixing bowl: Onions, garlic, breadcrumbs, mayo, lime juice, cilantro add crabmeat/shrimp and fold in.

  • Season with salt and pepper.

  • Shape into 6 fat crab cakes. Put on a plate, cover with wrap and then into the fridge to chill.

Execution:

  • In a large saute pan add 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil, heat to medium, make sure the pan is hot enough to put some color on the crab cakes. Cook for 4 minutes per side and finish in the oven till heated through and crispy.

  • Serve with whatever you like: Tartar sauce, cocktail sauce, remoulade sauce or if feel ambitious sauce romesco




Seared salmon and sauteed shrimp with a spicy honey dijon mustard baste


Ingredients:

Seafood rub:

  • 1 tbsp paprika

  • 1 tbsp brown sugar

  • 1 tbsp granulated garlic

  • 1/2 tbsp granulated onion

  • 1 1/2 tbsp dried thyme

  • 1 tbsp sea salt

  • 1 tbsp cracked black pepper

  • 1/4 tbsp nutmeg

Mix together in a bowl and put aside.

Honey dijon mustard baste:

  • 1 cup dijon mustard

  • 1/4 cup honey

  • 1/4 cup brown sugar

  • 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

  • 1/2 cup cider vinegar

  • 1/2 tbsp cracked black pepper

  • 1 tbsp Tabasco sauce

  • 4 splashes Worcestershire

Whisk together in a stainless bowl and hold.

Protein:

Serves 2

Salmon: Two, 4 to 6 ounce fillets

Shrimp: 12, (21/25 count shrimp) about a half pound.

Execution:

  • Preheat oven to 400

  • Rub olive oil on salmon then liberally season salmon and rub mix. Do the same to the shrimp.

  • On the stove top, (on high) heat a cast iron skillet or large saute pan.

  • Sear salmon: Place flesh side down in pan and press fillets with fingertips, reduce heat to medium. Do not move fillets. Allow to cook for about three to five minutes, until well browned. With a fish spatula, turn fillets and and place in preheated oven for about 5 - 6 more minutes, or until 145 degrees internally.

  • While the salmon cooks. On the stove top, (in another saute pan) heat medium high, add oiled and seasoned shrimp to the pan. Saute 4 to 5 minutes or until shrimp have turned pink and opaque white. No grey bits.

  • Take the salmon out of the oven and baste with the mustard sauce.

  • Do the same to the shrimp.

  • Assemble

  • Serve on top of rice, mashed potatoes or quinoa.

Cioppino


Cioppino


Ingredients:

  • 3 Tbs. olive oil

  • 2 chorizo sausages sliced or diced, doesn’t matter. For fresh chorizo (ground), pull out of casing.

  • 1 large sweet onion diced

  • 1-2 stalks celery diced

  • 1-2 carrots diced

  • 1 green bell pepper diced

  • 6 cloves of garlic minced

  • 1 large fennel bulb, thinly sliced

  • 1 tsp, dried oregano

  • 4-5 sprigs of fresh thyme

  • ½ tsp. crushed red pepper

  • 3/4 cup white wine

  • 3-4 cups tomato sauce (your favorite or homemade)

  • 24-36 little neck clams or mussels

  • 1 lb. large raw shrimp, peeled

  • 3/4 lb. of small bay scallops

  • Salt and pepper to taste

  • Crusty baguette

Execution:

  • In a large deep pan placed over medium heat add: Olive oil and Chorizo to brown. Next add bell pepper, celery, carrots, onions, garlic and fennel, cook down to become softened.

  • Next: add crushed red pepper, thyme, oregano, to infuse with the vegetables and chorizo.

  • Deglaze with white wine, reduce by half.

  • Add tomato sauce stir all ingredients and taste, adjust seasoning if necessary. Bring to a boil and then to a medium simmer.

  • Add in this order: Clams cook till they just start to open, add shrimp and then scallops, turn down heat then put the lid on and wait a few minutes. Pour a glass of wine.

  • Now is the time to check to see if all clams have opened (discard any unopened ones), the shrimp should be cooked pink and the scallops opaque. Do not overcook!!! The seafood will become tough!

  • Taste sauce and adjust seasoning, garnish with sliced green onions or chopped parsley.

  • Serve with grilled bread.

  • These are approximate measurements; you can add more or less of what you want.

  • This should feed 4 hungry people.