Carolyn's Shrimp Salad

If you’re a loyal reader of this blog you may remember a couple of recipes I’ve gleaned from the files of my dear friends Lewis and Carolynn Clark. One of the most popular was the gumbo recipe from Lewis’ mother a couple of years ago.

We were invited to a post-holiday gathering at their home and one of the appetizers was the best shrimp salad I’ve ever had. Carolynn said it was a Clark family favorite, but with a little cajoling, I got the recipe. If you’re a shrimp lover, I predict this will be one of your favorites.

ROYALE SHRIMP SALAD

3 lb raw shell-on shrimp
2 tbsp. Old Bay Seasoning
5 eggs, hard-cooked and peeled
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 ribs celery, minced
1/4 cup onion, chopped
2 small shallots, peeled and minced
¼ cup sweet pickle, chopped
1 tbsp. juice from pickle jar
Juice and zest of half a lemon
Salt and pepper to taste

In a Dutch oven, bring enough water to boil to cover the shrimp. Add the Old Bay seasoning. Drop in the shrimp and cook for 3 to 5 minutes (depending on the size) until just cooked through. Drain and let cool. Peel the shrimp and put into a food processor. Pulse two or three times. (Or chop finely by hand.)

In a large bowl, mash the egg yolks with the mayonnaise. Dice the egg whites and add with the shrimp and remaining ingredients and mix well. Add more mayonnaise if you like a looser shrimp salad. Cover and chill well.

For an appetizer, serve in tablespoons on crisp crackers or endive leaves. For a lovely luncheon dish or first course salad, serve scoops on a bed of lettuce, garnished with tomato slices and lemon wedges.  Makes appetizers for about 10, or salads for 6 to 8.

NOTE: With a considerable sacrifice of flavor you could use frozen pre-cooked shrimp. However, many supermarket seafood departments will steam shrimp for you now, in the seasoning of your choice. This would make this a really quick fix!

A Nostalgic Recipe...

 

My sister is a hopeless addict to garage sales. A few weeks ago we were both at home in Louisville at the same time, and she convinced me to go along with her to several. At one of them, there was a stack of old menus. Among them was one from the Fig Tree Restaurant, one of my favorite places to eat in the 70's in Louisville. Long gone now, it was an early innovator in both menu style and individual dishes. It had a set menu that changed each night. You could substitute a steak for the main course, but otherwise, you got what they were serving that night. Knowing what I know now about the food business, it was an incredibly ambitious undertaking.

One of my favorite dishes at the Fig Tree was a shrimp dish. I don't recall their name for it, and it wasn't on the menu I brought home, but I've made my version of this many times over the years. Recently I made it again for friends, who all pronounced it a worthy recipe to share with you.

The reduction is similar to that for béarnaise sauce, and includes chervil. This isn't the most common of herbs. In my opinion, it is under-rated and under-used. It makes a good addition to salad dressings, and is particularly nice in almost any potato salad recipe. Added to butter with lemon, it can be drizzled over grilled fish or chicken.

A suggestion: for herbs and spices you're not sure you're going to want to use over and over, go to Penzey's, on Poplar near Kirby Parkway. They sell almost everything in small packages. If you don't have chervil, you can leave it out of this recipe and it will still be very good.

I make it in individual baking dishes, but you can just as easily make it in one shallow casserole. I like to serve it on a bed of rice with mushrooms, with tomatoes topped with garlic breadcrumbs and baked. If you serve it with rice, you might want to double the sauce ingredients so you will have some to pass at the table.

FIG TREE SHRIMP

To start:
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dried tarragon
1 teaspoon dried chervil
2 cloves garlic, very finely minced
1 shallot, very finely minced
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

To finish:
1/4 cup butter
1 clove garlic, smashed
2 pounds raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
Minced parsley for garnish

Combine all the "to start" ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer until reduced by about half. In another pan, melt the butter with the clove of garlic in it. Remove the smashed garlic clove and add the wine reduction.

Preheat the oven to 350. Place the shrimp in one layer in a shallow baking dish. Pour the butter-herb mixture over the top and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the shrimp is just done.

A really good, tasty and economical soup!

When someone says "bouillabaisse," what come to most folks’ minds is the traditional fish soup of Marseilles with lots of fish and shellfish involved. But in traditional Provençal (Southern French) cooking, there are several varieties: eel, cod, snail, even chicken, or as in today’s recipe, poached egg.

This is a delicious, fast, easy and economical recipe. This is often known as "poor man’s bouillabaisse." According to Cuisine et Vins de France, a French culinary magazine, it is also known familiarly as "one-eyed bouillabaisse."

You shouldn’t be afraid of poaching the eggs in the soup as long as they are very fresh and you've kept the liquid to a bare simmer. If you are, use oven-proof bowls, put the hot soup in them on a baking sheet. Heat in a 350-degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until the soup has tiny bubbles around the edges. Break the eggs in the soup and by the time you get it to the table, the eggs will be poached to a soft-yolk stage. If you like your egg yolks firm, just leave the bowls in the oven until they’re done to your liking.

In the summer, you would use red-ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced. But this time of year, I use a can of diced tomatoes, well drained, for an excellent result. Keep the juices and add to another soup or to pasta sauce

You can make the soup ahead of time and reheat before adding the eggs, so it would be a perfect dish for a winter brunch or supper.

POACHED EGG BOUILLABAISSE

2 leeks (or one small onion)
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp. olive oil
1 bulb fennel, quartered, cored and very thinly sliced
1 can (14-ounce) diced tomatoes, well drained
6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
½ tsp. (loosely packed) saffron (optional)
1 lb waxy potatoes, preferable Yukon gold, peeled and diced
Finely grated zest and juice of one small orange
6 eggs
Fennel fronds, for garnish

Cut off the upper dark green leaves of the leeks and discard. Cut the bulb (including the light green) in half lengthwise, then slice about ¼" thick. (Or peel and dice the onion). Cook with the garlic in the olive oil, in a heavy Dutch oven over medium heat, about 5 minutes. Add the fennel and cook until the onion is soft and translucent, but not browned.
Add the tomatoes, stock, saffron, potatoes, and orange zest and juice. Simmer about 15 minutes, or until the potatoes are done. Reduce the heat so the soup is just barely simmering. One by one, break an egg into a cup and slide into the soup. Cook another 4-5 minutes, or until yolks are done to your liking. Serve immediately, garnished with some of the fennel fronda. Serves 6.

Un-Stuffy Cabbage

A few weeks ago in the Commercial Appeal Food Section, there was a recipe for stuffed cabbage leaves. I was thinking "Boy! I love stuffed cabbage." But then I thought about all the work in blanching and peeling off whole cabbage leaves a few at a time, and then stuffing them all, and if they don't fit just right in the pan they fall apart. So I just knew I wasn't going to make them anytime soon.

But why not cook the cabbage and pour the stuffing part over it? I tried it. I cooked wedges of cabbage and put a tomato sauce with ground turkey in it over the top. The results were not felicitous--I wasn't all that crazy about it, and neither was my husband.

But now I had a challenge. I wanted all the flavor without so much work. Here's what I did: I used a package of pre-chopped mirepoix mix (carrot, celery and onion) from the freezer section of the supermarket. I made turkey meatballs, baked them briefly then simmered them in a sort of sweet-savory tomato sauce. I bought a bag of cole slaw mix from the produce section. I sautéed the slaw mix in some bacon fat (olive oil would work, too). I cooked chunky pasta shapes, drained them and mixed the cabbage in with it. With the sauce and meatballs over the top, I don't think it could have been any better.

I tossed greens with a light vinaigrette and I had a very good dinner. And all together, it didn't take much longer to make than it might to just get the cabbage leaves ready to stuff. Best of all, my husband pronounced this version quite tasty.

Unstuffy Cabbage Pasta

Spice blend:
2 tbsp kosher salt
2 tsp ground black pepper
1 tsp dried oregano, crumbled finely
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

To finish:
1 bag frozen mirepoix mix, divided (12-14 ounces)
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 lb ground turkey (see note)
1/2 cup fine dry bread crumbs
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated (or 1 tsp ground ginger)
1 can (14-16 oz) diced tomatoes
1 tbsp hoisin sauce or soy sauce
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp (packed) dark brown sugar
1 bag cole slaw mix
2 tbsp bacon fat or olive oil
1 lb chunky pasta shapes (e.g. fusilli, rigatoni)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Blend the spices in a small bowl. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add about one-third of the bag of mirepoix mix. Cook, stirring occasionally, until soft. Remove into a medium bowl and let cool for a few minutes. Add the ground turkey and one-third of the spice blend. Mix lightly to combine and form meatballs a little smaller than a golf ball. Place on a baking sheet and bake for about 10 minutes, until set but not browned. Remove from the oven and reserve.

In the same skillet heat the remaining 2 tbsp olive oil. Add the garlic and ginger and stir a couple of times. Add the remaining mirepoix mix. Cook, stirring, until soft. Add the remaining spice mix and stir briefly. Add the tomatoes and their juices, hoisin or soy sauce, wine vinegar and sugar. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the meatballs and continue to simmer while cooking the pasta.

In a large pot, heat the bacon fat (or olive oil). Add the cole slaw mix and cook, stirring frequently, until just barely soft. Remove to a serving bowl. Don't rinse the pan, but add 3 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, add the pasta and cook until just al dente. Drain and add to the bowl with the cabbage. Toss to combine, top with the meatballs and sauce and serve. Serves 6.

NOTE: I used ground turkey with light and dark meat because I find it stays moister. All white turkey meat is lower in fat and calories, but you must be very careful not to overcook the meatballs if you use it.

Spiced Cider Pork Chops

Over the holidays, I like to do hot spiced apple cider on chilly evenings. I did just that one evening when we had a friend of our daughter joining us for dinner. I put it in one of those air pots that will keep it hot for hours. I just used a mulling spice mix I picked up at the supermarket.

I had a good bit left over and stuck it in the refrigerator for another time. Then the "big chill" came. We had a week of temperatures that never went higher than the 20's. And in Memphis, that's COLD! I had a day off. Rather than bundling up to go to the grocery for dinner makings, I dug around in freezer and fridge, and found a package of butterflied pork chops, and some frozen skinny green beans, and one giant sweet potato. And then there was the spiced cider.

I braised the pork chops and sweet potatoes in the cider. I blanched the green beans and then tossed them in good French butter with a little garlic simmered in it. We had a great meal, and I got to stay warm and cozy in the house.

If you happen to have spiced cider on hand, that’s all well and good. But I’m guessing that you don’t, so I’ve given you a way to replicate the flavor without it. This seems to me to be definitely chilly weather food, but I’m pretty sure we’ll have some more coming before the warm spring winds blow.

SPICED CIDER PORK CHOPS

1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper
4 pork chops, about ¾" thick (boneless or not, your choice)
2 tbsp. vegetable oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 large pinch each ground nutmeg and cloves
1 1/2 lb. sweet potato, cut into largish chunks
1 1/2 cups apple cider or apple juice
1/2 cup orange juice (optional)

In a plastic bag, mix the flour, salt and pepper. Add the chops one at a time and shake to coat evenly.

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Brown the chops well on both sides and remove to a platter. Add the onion and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is translucent. Add the spices and stir for another minute or two.

Place the sweet potato in one layer over the onion mixture. Lay the pork shops on top. Pour the apple and orange juice (if using) over it all, cover and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until chops are done and potatoes are tender, 20-25 minutes. Remove the cover and let the juices reduce for about 5 minutes. Serves 4.

NOTE: If you have leftover potatoes, but not pork chops, which was my case, whirl them with the pan juices in a food processor. Add chicken or vegetable stock to thin if necessary and serve it as soup the next day. You might stir in a spoonful or two of sour or heavy cream if you have it, but it’ll be good without it.

Fancy Mushroom Soup

Ginger is a wonderful flavor. Grown in warmer climates (Australia, India, China, Jamaica), it isn't actually a root; it's a rhizome. We won't get into the difference here.

Available in many forms, we tend to associate it with savory Asian foods. Used fresh, we like it either grated or minced in a marinade or seasoning, or in chutneys. The powdered form is more likely to be used in sweets, such as ginger snaps or spice cakes. The candied form makes a great garnish for fresh fruits or tarts, and, as a bonus, is widely used as an antidote to nausea and morning sickness.

But I like to combine ginger with more "Western" flavors. In the winter, I like to start meals with soup. This particular recipe makes a wonderful first course. It could even be served in mugs to guests as they arrive on a chilly winter evening. Smooth and easy to sip, the zip of the ginger flavor gives a whole new dimension to cream of mushroom soup!

MUSHROOM-GINGER CAPPUCCINO

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
8 ounces portobello mushrooms, chopped
8 ounces white button mushrooms, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, peeled and grated
3 cups chicken or vegetables stock
1/2 cup crème fraîche (see note)
1/4 cup whipping cream
Salt and pepper to taste
Powdered ginger for garnish

In a Dutch oven, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Add the ginger and the stock, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.

Puree in a blender, food processor, or with a hand blender. Stir in the creme fraiche. Season to taste with salt and fresh ground black pepper.

When ready to serve, beat the heavy cream with a pinch of salt until soft peaks form. Bring the soup back to a simmer and pour into soup cups or cappuccino cups. Top with dollops of the whipped cream and dust with powdered ginger. Serves 6 as a first course.

NOTE: Crème fraîche is a cultured French style cream, available in specialty markets. Similar in thickness to sour cream, it is slightly tangier but not as sour. And it has the advantage that it will not curdle upon boiling. You may substitute sour cream for the crème fraîche, but be very careful not to let it come to a boil when reheating to serve.

An Embarassingly Simple Salad

Back a few months ago, in the heat of summer, I talked about New York Times’ Mark Bittman’s list of 101 easy summer salads. I shared one of my favorites, a tomato and peach salad. I’ve still got the list and some aren’t just for summer.

One I’ve used recently was easy enough to adapt to non-summer shopping. Instead of great summer tomatoes, I used a carton of grape tomatoes. I’ve been sort of addicted to them since my friend Reed Malkin turned me onto a great appetizer: drizzle them with lemon olive oil (or finely grated lemon zest and a good fruity olive oil) and sprinkle with a good flaked sea salts (Maldon is my sea salt of choice).

This salad is so easy that it’s almost embarrassing to talk about. I’ve made it several times, and I find that in spite of its definite oriental flavors, it goes with a wide variety of main dishes.

And as a bonus: after a recent dinner, I had a bit of the salad left. I also had one lone green bell pepper in the fridge. I cut the pepper in half from stem end down. I brushed the outside of the pepper halves with some of the dressing and filled them with the tomatoes and the rest of the dressing. I baked them in a hot oven for about 20 minutes, and they made a colorful and tasty side dish for a simple grilled pork chop.

EASY SESAME TOMATO SALAD

I carton grape (or cherry) tomatoes
1 very small onion, peeled and very thinly sliced
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. Oriental sesame oil
1 tbsp. minced parsley or cilantro (optional, if you don’t have them, it will still be a delicious salad)

Cut the grape or cherry tomaties in half. Toss with all the remaining ingredients. Let set at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving, tossing occasionally. Serve as it, or on a bed of greens. Serves 4 to 6 as a side salad.

A Great Chicken Roaster Pan!

For one of our wedding presents, we got an All Clad chicken roaster. I had seen this in a Williams-Sonoma catalog, and couldn't wait to try it out. Following instructions, I pushed the chicken over the rack (which, incidentally, has a little cup to hold flavoring liquids; I used white wine). After a few tries, I got it all properly trussed. Then I put chunks of potatoes to roast in the buttered pan below. I brushed it with butter, sprinkled with salt and pepper and set it to bake in the oven.

Then I blanched a handful of brussels sprouts and when the chicken was about halfway through its designated cooking time, tossed them with the potatoes to finish cooking. As you can see, I got a chicken with a very evenly browned and crispy skin all over. It was moist and tender, both in dark and white meat.

I can see this is going to get lots of use at my house!

Salmon Burgers for the Big Game

Well, the holidays are over but the football bowl games aren’t. That’s not something that really meant much to me in the past but now I have a new husband who first likes to watch football, and secondly loves as much as I do to have folks come and share various landmark experiences with us. Not that, in my mind, football is a landmark experience, but then I’m not a guy.

Some things are pretty well a given at these gatherings. Rotel-cheese dip with tortilla chips. Chicken wings. Little cocktail wienies in some sort of sauce. Finger sandwiches. Celery stuffed with pimiento cheese. You know what I mean.

But at some point the host has to come up with some real food. Usually it’s burgers on the grill, or something bought from the BBQ joint down the road.

Here’s what we’re going to have for the big game on New Year’s Day: salmon burgers. Easy, tasty and good for you (don’t tell the guys about that part). I do them with fresh salmon from the supermarket but it’s easy enough to substitute canned if you pick through and toss skin and bones. You’ll need one large can of salmon.

And you know how I am about doing things ahead. So make them completely ahead, stash covered in the fridge, and reheat on a baking sheet in the oven when you’re ready to serve.
I will use bell peppers and arugula as the garnish, but there’s no reason you can’t use lettuce and tomato, and you’ll still have a great burger.

How cute would these be if you made them into mini-burgers and used Sister Shubert rolls from the supermarket freezer. Salmon sliders!

FOOTBALL PARTY SALMON BURGERS

1 lb fresh salmon, skin, bones removed, finely chopped
1 egg, lightly beathen
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
½ cup mayonnaise
½ cup onion, finely minced
¼ cup white raisins, finely minced
1 tbsp dried dill weed
Finely grated zest and juice of one lemon
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/4 c Vegetable oil
SAUCE:
½ cup mayonnaise
Finely grated zest and juice of one lemon
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tbsp finely minced cilantro
TO FINISH:
6 Kaiser rolls
One each red and yellow bell peppers, cut into rings
Arugula or fresh spinach

Combine the salmon, egg, 3/4 of bread crumbs, mayonnaise, onion, raisins, dill, lemon zest and juice, and cumin. Form into 6 patties and coat in the remaining crumbs. Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Fry the burgers, turning once, until golden, about 8 minutes total. Drain on paper towels and serve hot.
Meanwhile, combine all sauce ingredients. At serving time, place a layer of greens on the bottom of the roll. Top with the warm salmon burger, then with the pepper rings and drizzle generously with the sauce. Serve at once.

The Italians are big on Christmas traditions. There are several traditional sweets for the holiday season. One is panettone, a yeast-raised cake with raisins and citron in it. It might be served toasted with breakfast tea or coffee, or slathered with mascarpone cheese and served with Marsala wine in the afternoon, or after dinner, with a glass of spumante wine.

There are many legends about the origin of panettone (as, it seems, there are about many Italian traditional foods). The most common cites a baker named Toni, who had a beautiful daughter. A young man who worked for Toni wanted to marry her. In an attempt to impress the father, the young man created a special sweet bread filled with fruits. The bread made Toni's bakery famous. People began to call the bread "pan ad Toni" or Toni's bread. Of course, he allowed the young man to marry his daughter.

Although they are usually available in specialty food markets only around the holiday season, I buy a few extra to keep, because a panettone makes the best bread pudding you’ll ever have. I like to make it in individual ramekins, as you see in the picture. They come out of the oven puffed and brown and fragrant. But it can also be made in a 9-inch by 13-inch casserole. Either way, it’s a very moist dessert and needs no sauce.

I love it with either amaretto or Grand Marnier as the liqueur, but I have a friend who made it with hazelnut liqueur and loved it. If you’d rather not use the liqueur, substitute either a teaspoon of almond extract, or the finely grated zest of an orange. It will still be a wonderful ending to your holiday meal, and any leftovers will be great warmed over for brunch the next day.

PANETTONE BREAD PUDDING

1 panettone (17.5 oz.)
8 eggs
½ cup sugar
3 cups half-and-half
1 large pinch kosher or sea salt
2 tbsp. amaretto or Grand Marnier
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Peel the paper off the panettone and trim off the darkest outsides. Cut the remaining cake into ½" cubes.
In a large bowl, with a wire whisk, beat the eggs with the sugar and salt until light and fluffy. Beat in the half-and-half until the sugar is dissolved. Whisk in the liqueur and vanilla.
Butter ten to twelve 6-ounce ramekins and add the panettone cubes. Divide the egg mixture among them and let set for at least a half hour at room temperature, or up to two hours.
Bake for 30-45 minutes, or until a thin knife inserted near the center comes out clean. For the souffle effect, serve immediately from the ramekins. If you prefer, let them rest until time for dessert (they will deflate a bit) and unmold onto serving plates.
If you prefer to make it in one casserole, baking time will be about 45 to 50 minutes, but it will need to set at least ten minutes before you cut it.