You Say Shrimp, I Say Ceviche!

So it's no longer the season of hot summer days.  But that doesn't mean the shrimp aren't still running!  My fresh-off-the-boat shrimp the other day were so delicious that all I could think was: I want to eat these raw!  But I'm a scaredy-cat (and I've never seen raw shrimp sashimi!--although I'm sure it's out there).  Needless to say, I decided I would make ceviche.  It has taken three days for me to catch another boat coming in with shrimp available, but ten pounds of shrimp later, my ceviche is a reality.  You may need to adjust the quantity of shrimp and lime juice, but this is roughly what I used.  Make sure you have extremely fresh shrimp as shrimp are quickly contaminated with bacteria that lime juice won't kill.  This is a very tasty, light meal.  Enjoy!

Ingredients
1 1/4 cup fresh squeezed lime and lemon juice (I used 8 limes, 1 lemon)
4 lbs. shrimp, peeled, deveined and chopped into 1/4 inch pieces
1 Jalepeno, finely minced
4 Shallots, minced
1 Tomato, chopped
1/2 cup Cilantro leaves, chopped
2 Cloves garlic
Worcesthershire Sauce
Olive oil
Crystal Hot Sauce (optional)
Salt & Pepper

Putting It Together
In a glass bowl mix shrimp and lime juice.  You should have enough lime juice to completely cover the shrimp,  if you don' t, squeeze more juice.  The shrimp and juice will turn pink almost immediately.  (When I first mixed the shrimp in I had a lot of extra juice, so I added more shrimp!) Let chill in the refrigerator at least 3 hours.  Remove and add solid ingredients.  Mix.  Return to refrigerator.  One hour before ready to serve, add a  couple dashes of Worcestershire Sauce, a drizzle of olive oil, and salt & pepper to taste.

Serving It Up
Pour into a chalice (or a bowl, if you don't happen to own a chalice!).  Garnish with radishes, lime wedges  and slices of avocado.  Serve with organic (or non-GMO) tortilla chips.

Pairing Suggestions:  How about a Negra Modelo?  Or else try a crisp Vinho Verde or Sauvignon Blanc.

Open- faced Leftover Barbecue Shrimp Sandwich

After having more shrimp than I could eat last night, I came up with this dish for lunch.  It is every bit as tasty as the barbecued shrimp; maybe more so! This also would make a nice dinner appetizer.  I ate it with a knife and fork, but certainly you could just pick it up and put it in your mouth.  But make sure you've got a napkin handy! (The salad is optional, but makes for a more complete, healthy meal)

Ingredients
Leftover Easy Nola-style Barbecued Shrimp, peeled, with sauce
Semolina bread (or rustic wheat)--the important part is that it is an artisan loaf, with a nice crust.
Spinach or Mache, cleaned, and dressed lightly with olive oil, salt & pepper

Preparing the Sandwich
Preheat oven to 375.  Slice bread and put in a baking dish (with sides!).  Place shrimp flatly on top of the bread (I was able to do three shrimp per slice of bread).  Pour the remaining sauce over the shrimp and bread.  Bake until hot. 

Eating the Sandwich
Serve on a bed of lightly dressed spinach or mache.  Make sure to pour the oil left in the dish back onto the shrimp and toast. 

Pairing Suggestion:  Enjoy with the leftover wine (?!) that went with the barbecued shrimp...

Eggplant Caviar

This is one of the easiest crowd pleasers you will come across.  The garlic and olive oil added to the eggplant make this one irresistible dip.  And fyi: it freezes well too.  So if you have access to great local eggplant and herbs in the summer months I highly recommend making batches of this and freezing it to help get you through the winter--just make sure to freeze it in the size batches you will you want thawed.  


Ingredients
2-3 Large globe eggplants (the big round purple kind--these work the best for this recipe; Asian eggplants don't have enough flesh and the paler Italian varieties don't puree the same once they are cooked)
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (use a good quality first-cold pressing oil)
5 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
juice of 1/2-1 lemon (depending on its juiciness!)
1/2 cup fresh herbs, finely chopped after measuring (My preference is generally for a basil and parsley mixture, but I have also used oregano, chives, and tarragon in the mix before--depending on what I have had in the garden.)
Salt to taste (maybe just less than one tablespoon)


Putting It Together
Cut the stem end off of each eggplant .  Stab each eggplant a couple of times with a knife.  Bake in a 375 degree oven until they are tender (maybe 45ish minutes).  I generally leave them in the oven over night, but that is really just out of laziness--you can make this as soon as the eggplant are cool enough to handle.  Cut them in half, and scoop out the flesh. Toss the skins.  Mince the flesh as fine as you can get it and put it into a bowl.  Add the remaining ingredients, mix and adjust the seasoning.  This will keep in the refrigerator for up to a week. 


Serve with bread or toast.  (It also goes really well with scallops--just cook your scallops and then place them on a bed of eggplant caviar. A mache salad with a lemon mustard dressing would make a nice side.)


Pairing Suggestions:  Any kind of dry rose will go well with this dish! As will a negroni or pastis... 

Wild Mushroom Tart

It is that time of year again!  Wild mushrooms abound, at least in some parts of the world!  Unfortunately I am here in New Orleans and have yet to venture north or east in search of the bounty.  But luckily I still have some dehydrated mushrooms from last year's abundant mountain-top harvest!  This was my first time making this tart and it turned out remarkably well.  I paired it with the tart green salad with anchovy dressing to help balance the rich creaminess of the tart.  There was also the added bonus of using the leftover tart crust for an impromptu apple tart!  The earthiness of wild mushrooms is truly divine.  We ate it as a main course but if you cut it into smaller pieces you could serve it with an aperitivo.  But no matter how you slice it, it is so good you'll wish you had more!

Tart Crust
See recipe from the (Easy) Onion Parsley Tart
Once the tart crust is rolled out as thin as you can get it place your tart pan on it and, adding an inch to circumference of the pan, cut out your shell.  Place the shell in the tart pan and press on all sides so that it fits snugly.  If excess dough hangs over the edges roll your rolling pin over the top to remove them.  Place in freezer for 30 minutes to rest and chill.
Preheat oven to 350.
Butter one side of aluminum foil and place inside the tart.  Fill with dried beans (I keep a bag reserved just for this use).  Bake the tart for 20 minutes.  Take the tart out, remove the foil and beans, prick the crust bottom all over with a fork. Put it back in the oven and cook for another ten minutes.  Remove from oven and let cool.

Filling
1 & 1/2 cups of mixed dehydrated wild mushrooms, re-hydrated, squeezed of excess liquid and cut to bite sized pieces*
3 shallots, diced
1/2 cup loosely packed parsley leaves, diced after measuring
3 medium cloves garlic
1 teaspoon Piment d'Espelette (or medium-heat paprika)
1 tablespoon flour
2 tablespoons buttermilk
1/2 pint table cream (do not use whip cream)
4 tablespoons butter
5 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano
3 dashes of high quality vinagre de Jerez (sherry vinegar)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Salt and Pepper to taste


Heat a large saute pan on medium-high.  Add the oil and saute the shallot with some salt until it just starts to color.  Add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes.  Add the butter and stir to melt.  Add the garlic and saute for one minute more.  Add the flour and mix.  Add cream and buttermilk and cook to mix, it should thicken a bit.  Add the cheese, vinegar, and parsley, mix and remove from heat.

Putting It All Together
Brush Dijon mustard and a drizzle of olive oil over the bottom of the tart crust.  Pour the filling into the tart. Grate a bit more Parmigiano over the top.  Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes until the crust and filling are golden brown.

Pairing Suggestions:  Serve with a Chianti Classico or Vino Nobile di Montepulciano


*Note: To re-hydrate mushrooms soak them in hot water for 20 minutes. Once the mushrooms are done soaking I freeze the liquid to use at a later date for mushroom risotto. If you have fresh wild mushrooms use them instead! I would use about two cups of fresh mushrooms, maybe even more!  Any mix will work with this. In fact if you are looking to save money or don't want to use wild mushrooms any variety of (edible!) mushroom will work...  For this tart I used 3/4 cup morels and 3/4 cup chanterelles.  I couldn't find my porcini (maybe I already ate them all!) or I would have added those as well. 

Grilled Shrimp

Vacationing on the Gulf Coast in Mississippi where you can walk down to the dock and pick up fresh jumbo shrimp right off the boat is a treat in and of itself.  I am discovering a multitude of recipes for shrimp and the following is my favorite so far. And it doesn't hurt that this recipe is so simple and quick.  Make sure you think ahead to marinate the shrimp a few hours before you are ready to eat!

Ingredients
1 lb. fresh jumbo Gulf shrimp
1/4 cup pastis (I have been using Henri Bardouin which has a lot more botanicals in it than the more ubiquitous Ricard, but Ricard should work almost as well)
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons of salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon fennel seeds (optional)
wooden skewers soaked for at least 30 minutes before grilling

Mix all of the ingredients but shrimp in a bowl.  Dehead the shrimp.  Rinse the shrimp then devein (using kitchen scissors cut the backs of the shrimp open and remove the digestive tract with a knife).  In either a tupperware container or a flat baking dish put the shrimp and pour the marinade over them tossing to cover.  Refrigerate at least two hours, mixing the shrimp in the marinade at one hour.

Prep the grill to medium-high.

Make yourself a pastis! 
In a tall glass pour one and a half ounces of pastis, add one to two ice cubes, add enough water to dilute into a cloudy haze, roughly 4 ounces.  Cheers!

Grilling the Shrimp
Remove shrimp from the fridge.  Skewer the shrimp, but don't crowd them together.

Grill approximately two minutes on each side or until cooked through.

Alternatively you can broil them instead of grilling.  Just preheat your broiler and follow the same instructions.

I have served these on my classic salad as well as on a sandwich with sriracha mayo, tomato, basil and bibb lettuce. You can also peel them leaving the tails on and serve as an hors d'oevre with the sriracha mayo.

Pairing suggestions: Enjoy with sparkling water mixed with a splash of Italian limonata or that pastis if you haven't finished it!  This could also easily pair with a crisp Italian white such as a Gavi di Gavi .

Marinated Blue Crab Claws

This is an easy dish that will have everyone licking their fingers!  Blue crab claws can be purchased already cooked with the shells removed, in a one pound container.  They may be a bit harder to find outside of the Gulf South!


Ingredients

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• Juice from 1/2 large lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (I prefer Maille)
• 2 chopped green onions
• 2 minced shallots
• 1 minced celery stalk
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon salt (or more to taste)
• Fresh ground black pepper to taste
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
• 1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon organic lemon zest
• 1 pound cooked blue crab claws, outer shells removed from claw meat

Putting It All Together

In a medium glass bowl mix all liquids.  Add the rest of the ingredients except the crab claws and mix.  Using your hands gently fold in the crab claws and mix to cover.  Cover the bowl and refrigerate overnight.

Serve on a plate with claws assembled in concentric circles radiating outward.  Don't forget the napkins!

Pairing Suggestions:  Rose, of course!  Or you could make yourself and your guests Negronis. 

Quick Patatas Bravas

This is an easy dish once you have all the components made!

1. Make home-made spicy tomato sauce (Saute in olive oil onions with salt, pepper and cayenne. Add canned, pealed tomatoes, garlic, tomato paste, Italian herbs. Puree. Best if let sit over night for flavors to infuse. )

2. Make home-made mayonnaise (All ingredients must be at room temperature. Whisk together one egg yolk, dash of dijon or creole mustard, small squeeze of lemon juice, dash of salt, dash of Worcestershire, dash of Tabasco. While whisking add olive oil until the mixture becomes thick, creamy and tasty. Adjust seasoning as desired.)

Mix equal parts mayo with spicy tomato sauce. Adjust seasoning.

Roast cubed potatoes in a 375 degree oven until crispy on the outside (tender inside). I use a variety of potatoes: Red McClure, La Ratte, Charlotte, and French Fingerling.

Just before serving pour the sauce onto the potatoes. Add chopped fresh parsley as a garnish.

Enjoy!

Drink with a full bodied Spanish rose! Or a rustic Ribera del Duero red.

Fried Squash Blossoms!

Yum!! Squash Blossoms!

I just discovered this super easy, very tasty recipe from a great Tuscan cookbook, Piano Piano Pieno. These delicately fried flowers make a scrumptious aperitivo. Unfortunately my garden has already suffered from a number of frosts and the zucchini season is coming to an end. But I'm still picking every flower those plants offer!

Pick the male flowers from any squash plant (the flowers attached to stems as opposed to those on the end of the squash), remove the pistil, wash and check for bugs. Leave a 1/4 inch of stem attached to use as a handle. Gently towel dry.

Batter
3/4 cup organic all-purpose flour
1 cup water
1/4 tsp. salt
pinch of grated nutmeg

Whisk all ingredients together and let sit for at least 30 minutes.

Heat olive oil up in a pot suitable for frying (you should have about 1 inch of oil in the pot).
When the oil is hot, dip squash blossoms in the batter and put into oil. Fry each side until golden brown. Do not crowd blossoms in the pot, they will stick together. When done place on towel to absorb excess oil. Keep warm in a 200 degree oven until all blossoms are fried. Sprinkle with salt and serve!!


Unfortunately this is not a recipe which can be made ahead. Best to fry and eat. When done I filter the oil and save it for the next time--but don't let it go rancid!

You can also stuff your squash blossoms if you pick them early in the morning when they are fully open. I stuff them with a sauteed zucchini tomato mix, with a bit of almost burnt onions and some Parmigiano.

Wine Suggestions: A white Italian of course! Try a Friuli white or other crisp light white. Save your chardonnay for something else!

Summer

Ok, so I have been slacking in my posts and am feeling the shame of abandoning the Gourmande site. But not for a lack of cooking. So I will offer you all a few fun, easy, speedy recipes of summer!

Caprese Salad

Vine Ripened Tomatoes
Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella
Fresh Basil
High Quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil
High Quality Balsamic Vinegar
Salt and Pepper

Slice tomatoes into slices. Slice mozzarella into slices. Place tomatoes and mozzarella on a plate alternating each slice of tomato with a slice of mozzarella. Overlap slices. Place a basil leaf on each piece of mozzarella. Place more basil in the center of the plate. Sprinkle everything with salt and pepper then drizzle with olive oil and balsamic.

Yum!!


Panzanella

Tomatoes
Cucumber (Waxless)
Red Onion
Basil
Chives
Olive Oil
Red Wine Vinegar
Salt and Pepper
Day-old Country Loaf of Wheat Bread

Make croutons: Cut bread into one inch cubes. Toss in olive oil and bake in a 350 oven for about 15 minutes.

Cut tomatoes into bite size pieces, peel cucumber leaving alternating strips of skin present. Cut into 1/4 inch thick quarters. Slice red onion into thin slices, halve. Chop basil and chives. Mix all ingredients into bowl. Let sit so the bread absorbs the juices and becomes soft.
Serve!!

Wine Suggestions (for both dishes): Sauvignon Blanc, dry rose, or Tocai Friulano from north-east Italy.

(Easy) Onion Parsley Tart

The easy is an aside because the tart is so good regardless of its ease to make. I cooked this tart as an appetizer for the first time last night and it turned out quite well. The trick is getting the crust down, but once you do you can use it for anything (split it in two and you can have a pizza appetizer and an apple tart dessert, or you can use it to make crawfish pies!). The flavors all come together nicely and make it an irresistible, mouth-watering meal opener.

Crust
1 1/2 cups flour
7 tbs. unsalted butter (at room temperature)
1 tbs. olive oil
5-9 tbs. ice water

Cut the butter into small squares. In a medium size bowl, using your hands, mix the butter in with the flour until the butter is flattened into small pieces about the size of dimes. Add the olive oil and mix. Make a well in the middle and add the ice water. Mix until the dough forms a ball. You should use just enough water for the mixture to hold together (at high altitude I am using almost 9 tbs. of water). Form into a ball and wrap in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour.

Topping
Olive oil
2 large yellow onions, halved lengthwise and sliced thinly
5 tbs. parsley
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
Salt and pepper

In a skillet put a couple of table spoons of olive oil and add the onions, salt and cayenne pepper, saute over medium heat until onions are soft and translucent, add pepper and parsley and saute for one or two additional minutes.

Putting It Together
Creole Mustard (or Dijon Mustard)
Olive Oil
Crust
Topping
Parmigiano Reggiano

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Roll out the crust on a lightly floured surface. Fold in half and roll out again. Repeat two or three additional times (the more times you fold it and roll it out the flakier your crust will be, so adjust according to desired flakiness!). Put finished crust onto a flat, very lightly floured baking sheet. Put a dollop of mustard onto the center of the crust and drizzle olive oil over the mustard. Mix the oil and mustard with a brush and brush over the surface of the crust, covering the entire surface (add more mustard if necessary). Distribute the onion mixture evenly over the crust (there should be enough onion mixture to cover the entire crust without leaving much open crust; cut off excess crust if you have too much and use for something else (like that apple tart!)). Grate enough Parmigiano over the onion so that you can barely make out the onions.

Cook for thirty-five minutes or until the smell is too tempting to resist.

Wine Suggestion
Equally versatile with a light, fruity red such as a beaujolais or a more peppery Cotes-du-Rhone.

Enjoy!