In the kitchen, the leftover, not necessity, is the mother of invention. Last night while casting about for dinner ingredients I came up with: four mushrooms a bit past their prime, one frozen flounder filet, and a half dozen frozen shrimp. For reasons I cannot begin to explain risotto came to mind. What turned out was a thick creamy porridge-like dish reminiscent of a rich chowder, hence the whimsical name. Note that bay scallops would be a great substitute for, or addition to, the shrimp. You could, of course, eschew the bacon if you prefer a meat-free meal.
Accompanied by a green salad this recipe serves two generously.
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Ingredients |
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60 grams |
2 ounces |
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Shrimp or bay scallops |
170 grams |
6 ounces |
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White fish filet in small pieces |
85 grams |
3 ounces |
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Olive oil |
As needed |
As needed |
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Bacon, one rasher, chopped |
30 grams |
1 ounce |
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Onion, one medium, diced |
140 grams |
5 ounces |
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Arborio rice |
240 grams |
8 ounces (1 cup) |
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Dry white wine or vermouth |
60 milliliters |
¼ cup |
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Shellfish or fish stock |
750 milliliters |
3 cups |
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Heavy cream (36%) |
30 milliliters |
2 Tablespoons |
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Salt and pepper |
To taste |
To taste |
Bring the stock to a simmer and keep warm.
Film the bottom of a saucepan with olive oil and sauté the mushrooms over medium heat until they become fragrant and release their liquid. Set aside. If needed, add a bit more oil to the pan and sauté the shrimp until just done, about 2 minutes. Set aside with mushrooms. Do the same with the fish.
In the same pan cook the bacon, stirring often, until it is almost crispy. Add the onion and sauté until translucent but not browned. Add the rice and fry, stirring constantly until chalky, about 2 or 3 minutes. Stir in the wine or vermouth and allow to mostly evaporate.
Begin adding the stock 60 milliliters (2 ounces) at a time stirring after each addition until it is nearly absorbed. Continue until the rice is creamy and just al dente. Stir in the cream then fold in the mushrooms and seafood. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.
Stretching from Buzzards Bay to Narragansett Bay, roughly from Taunton past New Bedford to Fall River, the South Coast of Massachusetts is known for its diverse population and, especially, for its Portuguese fishermen. And it is famous for its Portuguese-style seafood soups and chowders. Unlike the creamy Irish-style “New England” chowders found farther north, these have a distinct Mediterranean flair. (Manhattan clam chowder actually originated here.) Besides a variety of fish and seafood, these chowders include spicy Portuguese chourico sausage. In fact, I would say that chourico and tomatoes are pretty much the essence of South Coast soups. So feel free to use whatever fish or shellfish you have on hand. You can hardly go wrong.
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Ingredients |
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1 tablespoon |
15 ml |
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Bay leaves |
2 |
2 |
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Chourico, sliced ¼ (6 mm) thick |
6 ounces |
170 grams |
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Onion, chopped |
6 ounces |
170 grams |
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Green bell pepper, chopped |
4 ounces |
110 grams |
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Tomatoes, coarsely chopped |
1 14½ ounce can |
1 411 gram can |
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Garlic, minced |
1 tablespoon |
15 ml |
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Allspice berries |
4 or 5 |
4 or 5 |
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Firm potatoes, cubed |
12 ounces |
340 grams |
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Fish stock or clam juice |
about 2 cups |
about 500 ml |
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Pimentón (optional) |
¼ teaspoon |
1 ml |
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Old Bay™ seasoning (optional) |
½ teaspoon |
2½ ml |
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Salt and pepper |
to taste |
to taste |
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Minced clams |
1 6½ ounce can |
1 184 gram can |
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Cod or haddock, cubed |
8 ounces |
225 grams |
Heat the oil in a heavy soup pot or Dutch oven over a medium flame. Brown the bay leaves in the hot oil for a minute or so then add the chourico. Cook, stirring often, until rendered and brown. In the same pot, sauté the onions and bell pepper until soft, about 8 minutes. Add the tomatoes, garlic, and allspice to the mix and cook for a further couple of minutes.
Add the potatoes to the pot along with enough stock to just cover them. Bring to a boil, cover, and simmer gently for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Stir in the pimentón and Old Bay™ seasoning, if using. Season with salt and pepper.
Gently fold the clams and fish into the broth. Simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes or until fish is cooked through.
In Spain and Portugal mussels are often prepared with sausage, either chorizo or chourico respectively. I have expanded the idea somewhat to create a tasty chowder that is a meal in itself. Note that I steam the mussels in a colander over the broth. If you do not have a colander that will fit over the pot you are using for the chowder, steam the mussels separately, reserving the liquid to use in place of the water. The cream is a Québécois fillip not usually found in the Mediterranean. Leave it out if you wish.
Ingredients |
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1½ pounds |
680 grams |
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Chourico or fresh chorizo |
½ pound |
250 grams |
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Saffron threads |
¼ teaspoon |
1 milliliter |
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Olive oil |
2 tablespoons |
30 milliliters |
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Onion, diced (1 medium) |
4 ounces |
120 grams |
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Garlic, minced (4 or 5 cloves) |
½ ounce |
15 grams |
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Pimentón (smoked paprika) |
1 teaspoon |
15 milliliters |
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Dry sherry |
2 tablespoons |
30 milliliters |
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Firm potatoes, diced |
1 pound |
450 grams |
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Water |
about 2 cups |
About 500 milliliters |
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Green beans, trimmed |
½ pound |
250 grams |
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Salt and pepper |
to taste |
to taste |
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Heavy cream (36%) |
½ cup |
125 milliliters |
Pick through the mussels and discard any with broken shells or that do not close when tapped. Rinse, debeard as needed, and set aside in a colander that will fit into the pot you are using for the chowder. Slice the chourico into ¼-inch (6 mm) discs. In a small bowl, pour boiling water over the saffron threads and set aside to bloom.
Place the pot over medium heat and add the oil. When warm add the chourio and cook until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add the onion and sauté until translucent, another 5 minutes or so. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute or until fragrant. Sprinkle on the pimentón, add the saffron and its soaking water, then pour in the sherry using a bit of it to rinse the bowl the saffron was in. Cook down for a couple of minutes. Add the potatoes and water to just cover them. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
Place the colander of mussels into the pot and cover. Steam for about 15 minutes or until all the mussels have opened. Remove the colander from the pot and set aside over a large bowl to cool. Add the green beans to the pot, return to a boil, and let the chowder continue simmering uncovered.
When the mussels are cool enough to handle, remove the meats from their shells and add to the chowder along with any broth that has collected in the bowl. Stir in the cream and heat through. Check the seasoning again and serve hot.
When I was growing up Friday was a meatless day. Today not even devout Catholics, of whom I am not one, are still bound by that rule. My father—very much a devout Catholic—was quite disappointed when meatless Fridays were eliminated because, unlike my mother, he loved seafood and those were the only days he could be sure to see it on the dinner table. I like to observe the custom for much the same reason. Sadly, as a result of overfishing and pollution, good fish is becoming hard to find and expensive, making it rather a luxury. But farm-raised shellfish, while not as good a wild-caught, are now a sustainable alternative. I usually keep a couple sizes of frozen shrimp on hand—large, 16 to 20 per pound, and medium, 21 to 26 per pound. The ones I prefer are uncooked but shelled and deveined making them very convenient to prepare. What I particularly like about shrimp is that they work very well with bold flavors. This recipe that I adapted from Rick Bayless, Mexican Everyday (New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2005) 251-253 is similar to camarones enchipotlados, chipotle shrimp, but because it has achiote paste in place of chipotles it is much less spicy.
If you have a well-stocked Mexican market you can probably find commercially prepared achiote paste there. If not, I have incorporated a recipe for it that I adapted from Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen (New York: Scribner, 1996) 66-67. Since I had no fish stock on hand I made a quick shrimp stock with the shrimp tails and a bit of Thai fish sauce. That recipe is also below. If you already have fish stock just use it instead.
Traditionally this paste would be made using a mortar and pestle which is still a good approach if rather time consuming. I have opted for a simpler method using the mini-chopper that came with my stick blender. Or you can split the difference; grind the spices in a spice grinder then combine with the cider and garlic in a mortar.
Put the achiote seeds, allspice, pepper, and oregano in the mini-chopper and pulverize finely. Add the vinegar, garlic, and salt if using. Pulse a few times to break down the garlic then run continually, stopping now and then to scrape down the sides of the chopper, until you have a smooth paste, adding water a bit at a time as needed. Store in a small jar or plastic container in the refrigerator for up to several months.
Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan, bring to a boil, the simmer slowly, covered for 30 minutes or so. Strain and discard the shells.
Puree the tomatoes and achiote paste in a food processor. Add the lime juice and pulse to blend in.
Warm the oil in a 10-inch non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant and golden brown, about 1 minute. Pour in the tomato mixture and cook, stirring often, until somewhat thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the stock a quarter cup at a time to bring the sauce to a light consistency. Season to taste with salt.
Add the shrimp to the pan and cook, stirring and turning, until done, about 4 minutes. Serve immediately over Mexican-style white rice.
These chipotle shrimp are not for the timid of palate. But if you enjoy spicy food they are superb. Farm-raised frozen raw shrimp from your local shopper’s club are a great value and taste great in this recipe. Serve them with Mexican white rice and lima beans.
For 2 servings
If necessary, peel and devein the shrimp leaving the tails on.
Heat a small cast iron skillet over medium heat, add the garlic, and roast, turning occasionally, until soft and blackened, about 10 minutes. Remove, allow to cool, and peel. Add the onions and roast for about 5 minutes, turning halfway through. Place the onion, garlic, and tomato into a food processor and puree.
Heat the oil in a skillet, not non-stick, and when quite hot add the puree all at once. Chop the chipotles in the food processor. Cook the puree, stirring regularly until thick, about 5 minutes. Add the chipotles and stir to combine. Cook for another couple of minutes. Set aside until all the rest of the meal is ready.
Reheat the sauce over medium heat and add the shrimp. Cook for about 4 minutes turning halfway through. Serve over Mexican rice.
For 2 servings
Heat the oil in a heavy-bottomed sauce pan with a tightly-fitting lid. When hot add the rice and onion. Cook, stirring constantly, for 4 or 5 minutes until the onion is softened and the rice is chalky. Stir in the stock, bring to a boil, and simmer over very low heat for 15 to 20 minutes.
This afternoon our local Wegman’s had a really nice selection of wild mushrooms. Really cultivated exotics, these mushrooms have a wonderful subtle range of flavors from woodsy to funky. The price per pound may seem high but a little goes a long ways. I like to buy several varieties and mix them. They are a great accompaniment for sea scallops which I sear quickly in a bit of butter and serve simply with deglazed pan juices and a bit of butter.
Rinse and pat dry the scallops. Season with salt and pepper.
Heat the butter in a skillet over high heat until it starts to brown. Put in the scallops in one layer. Cook for 2 minutes then turn over for another 2 minutes. Remove and keep warm.
Deglaze the pan with the wine then, off heat, stir in the butter, and serve over the scallops.
Give the mushrooms a quick rinse—contrary to what you may have heard it will not hurt them—and cut or tear them into coarse pieces. Heat ½ Tbsp. olive oil and ½ Tbsp. butter in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and the salt which will help them give up their moisture. Sauté, tossing or stirring regularly, until the mushrooms give up their moisture, about 8 minutes. Set aside to cool.
Quarter the leek lengthwise and slice thinly. Bring the chicken stock and water to a simmer. Heat 1 tsp. of olive oil and 1 tsp. of butter in a deep saucepan and sweat the leek for about 4 or 5 minutes until soft but not browned. Add the rice and stir for two minutes until well coated with the oil and slightly chalky. Pour in the vermouth and let the alcohol boil off. Using a 2 ounce ladle add about 1 cup of stock. Stir constantly until it is nearly absorbed. Continue to add stock 3 ounces at a time, stirring until nearly dry, until all the stock has been added and the rice is creamy and done but with a bit of “tooth.”
Stir in the mushrooms, taste, and adjust seasonings. When the mushrooms are warmed through, remove from heat and stir in 1 Tbsp. of butter.
Large, dry-pack sea scallops are simply superb. This Spanish recipe combines all the elements that bring out the best in them: smoky bacon, nutty sherry, and incomparable saffron. Be sure to have all the rest of the meal ready to plate before you start to cook the scallops; they wait for no man, or woman. I served these with stewed leeks with mint and steamed potatoes with chives.
Rinse the scallops and remove the tendons if still attached (do not discard them but freeze for making scallop butter). Dry them well on paper towels.Render the bacon in a skillet (not non-stick) until the bits are crispy and the fat begins to smoke. Remove the bacon and set aside.If needed as a bit of olive oil to the pan to make sure the bottom has about ⅛ inch of fat in it. When very hot put in the scallops and sear on one side for 2 minutes without moving them. Carefully turn them over—they may stick a bit—and cook on the second side for about one minute. Remove from the pan and pour off the excess fat.Turn the heat down to medium and pour in the sherry. Add the saffron and deglaze the pan scrapping up any browned bits. When the sherry is nearly evaporated turn the heat off then return the bacon and scallops to the pan. Toss a couple of times to coat the scallops and warm them up. Serve immediately topping the scallops with the bacon bits and sauce.
Peel the potatoes and cut them into ¼-inch slices using a mandolin if you have one. Put the potatoes in a sauté pan with a lid and add the chicken stock. Cover and steam gently until a small knife pierces the potatoes easily. Uncover, raise the heat, and let most of the liquid evaporate. Add the chives, butter, and seasonings.
This dish, loosely based on a recipe by Rick Bayless, is flavored with an achiote seasoning paste typical of the Yucatan. Quick and easy to assemble, it also can be made with shrimp or sea scallops. Serve it simply over plain white Mexican-style rice or achiote rice (recipe below) as I have done.
½ pound bay scallops
1 Tbsp. achiote seasoning paste (recipe follows)
2 Tbsp. lime juice
1 medium red or green bell pepper (I used half of each)
2 whole canned Roma tomatoes
Olive oil
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp. parsley leaves, chopped
Water
Salt and pepper to taste
Dissolve the achiote paste in the lime juice and marinate the scallops while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
Char the skin of the pepper under the broiler or with a plumber’s torch, the latter being much faster. Wrap in kitchen towel for 5 to 10 minutes then rub off the charred skin. Cut into ½-inch squares. Coarsely chop the tomatoes and set aside with the peppers.
Film with oil a non-stick frying pan set over medium-high heat. When quite hot lift the scallops from the marinade with a slotted spoon and put them in the hot pan, reserving the marinade. Toss for about 2 minutes or until done. Remove the scallops from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Empty any liquid remaining in the pan into the reserved marinade.
Reduce the heat to medium and, if needed, add a bit more oil to the pan. Sauté the onions until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the peppers, tomatoes, bay leaves, parsley, the reserved marinade, and water as needed. Simmer until the peppers are nearly done, another 5 minutes then add the scallops and toss to combine. Cook for a couple more minutes to thicken the sauce a bit. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve over rice.
Achiote, or annatto, is sometimes called the saffron of Mexico for its rich yellow color when dissolved in oil. This paste, typical of the Yucatan, contains no oil so it is red rather than yellow. This is my simplified version of a recipe I got from Rick Bayless’s Mexican Kitchen.
1 Tbsp. achiote seeds
1 tsp. allspice berries
½ tsp. black peppercorns
1 tsp. dried oregano
2 Tbsp. cider vinegar
4 cloves garlic, peeled
Pinch of salt
Water as needed
Grind the achiote as finely as possible in a spice grinder of coffee grinder that you use for spices, not coffee. Place in a small bowl or, if you have one a micro chopper like the ones that work with a hand blender. Grind the rest of the spices together and add to the achiote along with the vinegar and salt. If working in a bowl, mash in the garlic with a fork to form a paste, adding a bit of water as needed. If using a micro chopper, just pulse until the garlic is chopped, add a bit of water and process to a paste. Store in the refrigerator.
¾ cup medium grain rice
Oil
1 Tbsp. achiote seasoning paste
1½ cup water or stock
Salt to taste
Heat a bit of oil in pan with a tightly-fitting lid. Fry the rice, stirring constantly until chalky, about 2 minutes. Stir the achiote paste into the water or stock and add to the rice. Season with salt, bring to a boil, cover, and cook over very low heat until done, about 20 minutes.
There are three main influences on Louisiana cuisine: French, Spanish, and African. Jambalaya seems to have a bit of all three. Some say that the word jambalaya comes from the French for ham, jambon, combined with an African word for rice, yaya. Whether or not that is indeed true, the dish is of Creole, i.e. Louisiana Spanish, origin and is a variation on the traditional Spanish paella. A Creole, or red, jambalaya always contains tomatoes while the similar Cajun, or French, jambalaya does not. As with paella, the only essential ingredient, besides the tomato in red jambalaya, is the rice. There is one more difference between jambalaya and paella: while paella is made with short grain rice, jambalaya uses the long grain rice commonly grown in Louisiana.
½ pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
½ pound smoked sausage, preferably Andouille or chourico, cut into ¼-inch slices
½ cup chopped onion
¼ cup chopped celery
¼ cup chopped bell pepper
Oil
1Tbsp. chopped garlic, or to taste
2 small hot red peppers or to taste (I used Tobago Seasoning Peppers instead of the traditional cayenne)
2 bay leaves
½ tsp. dried thyme
1 cup rice
1 14-ounce can diced tomatoes, preferably salt-free
2 cups chicken stock or water, see method
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat and cook the onion, celery, and bell pepper until soft and light golden, about 5 or 6 minutes. Add the sausage and render until browned, another 5 minutes. Stir in the garlic and hot peppers then the shrimp. Cook until shrimp turn pink. Add the rice and cook, stirring constantly for 2 two minutes. Drain the tomatoes into a measuring cup and make up with stock to 2 cups. Pour over the rice mixture and stir to combine. Add the bay leaves, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil then turn the heat to very low, cover tightly, and cook for 25 to 30 minutes.
Traditionally these are bay or sea scallops and mushrooms sautéed in butter and served gratinée with gruyère and cream on scallop shells, sometimes rimmed with pureed potatoes. My version is a bit lighter because I omit the heavy cream and adds a Québécois twist with substitution of sharp Canadian cheddar for the gruyère.
1 pound potatoes
2 slices bacon
½ pound bay scallops
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. minced shallot or onion
1 clove garlic, minced
4 ounces white mushrooms, cleaned then halved or quartered to roughly the size of the scallops
1 Tbsp. flour, I use rice flour to make the dish gluten-free
½ cup dry white wine, dry hard cider or apple wine would also be nice
2 ounces finely shredded extra sharp Canadian-style cheddar, about ¾ cups
Dice the potatoes and place in salted cold water. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, about 10 minutes after the water comes to a boil. Drain reserving about ½ cup of the cook water and mash until smooth. Set aside.
Note: this recipe works best if you use a plain aluminum or stainless steel skillet rather than non-stick.
Cook the bacon in a 10-inch fry pan over medium high heat until it is crispy and the fat has rendered out, about 10 minutes. Turn the heat down a bit toward the end so that the bacon cooks thoroughly but does not burn. Remove the bacon to a small bowl with a slotted spoon. When cool chop finely.
Turn the heat up a bit and when the bacon just begins to smoke add the scallops and sauté until done, about 2 or 3 minutes. Remove the scallops with a slotted spoon and set aside.
In the same pan you cooked the scallops in add the butter. When melted put in the shallots and garlic and cook for a minute until fragrant. Add the mushrooms, turn the heat to medium, and sauté, stirring regularly until the mushrooms are done and start to give up their liquid. Sprinkle the flour over the mushrooms and stir for a minute or two. Add the white wine and stir, deglazing the pan, until thickened. Put in the scallops and stir to combine.
Set a rack about 6 inches below your broiler and preheat. Put half of the mashed potatoes on each of two broiler-proof plates. Form into a neat mound then make a well in the center of it. Spoon the scallop and mushroom mixture into the wells. Top with cheese then chopped bacon. Place under the broiler for about 10 minutes, rotating the two plates half way through to make sure they are done evenly.
