A Day of Shellfish
I would have posted this yesterday after class, but I was honestly out celebrating a good friend's birthday and my youth. And, to answer that question that's burning in your head, I did indeed smell like shellfish when I went out. I thought it'd help me at least a little bit in finding a man! No luck.
Moving on. Shellfish Day was shellfishy and tasty. To be absolutely honest, I'm not the hugest fan of shellfish, but even I enjoyed the recipes. During the class, I did and saw things that I didn't know I could endure: I took apart a squid, shucked oysters, and watched our lobster Pinchy die a clean and quick death. It was yet another day of unexpected firsts. All in all, the class was fun and informative.
Here's a bit of random knowledge:
-Zinc is the aphrodisiac in oysters. They gave Casanova his virility (hint, hint)
-Scallops and oysters change sex during their maturation from male to female
-The largest clam is called the Maxima clam and can grow to be up to 6 ft.
-The scallop shell is a symbol of fertility
-Lobsters are actually in the same scientific family as spiders
-A female shrimp can lay between 50,000 and 1 million eggs per year
Alrighty then. Time for what you have all been waiting for. The good stuff-recipes. Drum roll please...
Mussels in a Curried Tomato and White Wine Broth: Serves 3
14oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp curry powder (or more to taste)
20-25 fresh live mussels, cleaned
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 small red onion, minced
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup minced parsley
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Crusty toasted bread for serving
1. Combine tomatoes and curry powder in a small saucepan and smash slightly. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the mixture has reduced in volume by half, about 5 minutes.
2. In a medium pot, heat oil. Add in wine, onion, garlic, parsley, bay leaf and curry tomato mixture. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add mussels, cover, and cook 3 to 5 minutes over high heat, or until mussels open. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with crusty bread for dipping.
Also delicious was a really simple Seared Scallop Salad. We lightly tossed musclum greens with an orange miso dressing (you could use any citrus vinaigrette) and topped it with fresh grapefruit and avocado slices and a seared scallop. To sear the scallop, heat a small amount of canola oil in a cast iron pan until really hot. Season scallop on both sides with salt and pepper and place in pan. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. If you are tentative about consuming undercooked seafood, you could finish cooking the scallop in the pan over lower heat, or finish it in the oven.
Hope you enjoy these tasty recipes. If you play your cards right, you just might get another one tomorrow!
Moving on. Shellfish Day was shellfishy and tasty. To be absolutely honest, I'm not the hugest fan of shellfish, but even I enjoyed the recipes. During the class, I did and saw things that I didn't know I could endure: I took apart a squid, shucked oysters, and watched our lobster Pinchy die a clean and quick death. It was yet another day of unexpected firsts. All in all, the class was fun and informative.Here's a bit of random knowledge:
-Zinc is the aphrodisiac in oysters. They gave Casanova his virility (hint, hint)
-Scallops and oysters change sex during their maturation from male to female
-The largest clam is called the Maxima clam and can grow to be up to 6 ft.
-The scallop shell is a symbol of fertility
-Lobsters are actually in the same scientific family as spiders
-A female shrimp can lay between 50,000 and 1 million eggs per year
Alrighty then. Time for what you have all been waiting for. The good stuff-recipes. Drum roll please...
Mussels in a Curried Tomato and White Wine Broth: Serves 314oz can crushed tomatoes
1 tsp curry powder (or more to taste)
20-25 fresh live mussels, cleaned
1 cup dry white wine
1/2 small red onion, minced
2 cloves garlic
1/4 cup minced parsley
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
Crusty toasted bread for serving
1. Combine tomatoes and curry powder in a small saucepan and smash slightly. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until the mixture has reduced in volume by half, about 5 minutes.
2. In a medium pot, heat oil. Add in wine, onion, garlic, parsley, bay leaf and curry tomato mixture. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add mussels, cover, and cook 3 to 5 minutes over high heat, or until mussels open. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately with crusty bread for dipping.
Also delicious was a really simple Seared Scallop Salad. We lightly tossed musclum greens with an orange miso dressing (you could use any citrus vinaigrette) and topped it with fresh grapefruit and avocado slices and a seared scallop. To sear the scallop, heat a small amount of canola oil in a cast iron pan until really hot. Season scallop on both sides with salt and pepper and place in pan. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. If you are tentative about consuming undercooked seafood, you could finish cooking the scallop in the pan over lower heat, or finish it in the oven.Hope you enjoy these tasty recipes. If you play your cards right, you just might get another one tomorrow!
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