Poached

Keep cool this summer with this delightful salad with fresh salsa, herbs and fennel Number of Servings:  3 Ingredients:  1 lb. shrimp, 7-10 per lb., peeled and deveined, tails left on 1 head fennel 1 lemon ½ bunch flat leaf Italian parsley 7 sprigs mint 2 sprigs tarragon 2 sprigs dill 1 tablespoon capers, rinsed in water 2 cloves garlic 2 flat anchovies extra virgin olive oil salt and pepper for seasoning Instructions:  Begin by filling a large bowl with cold water and lots of ice cubes. Then sprinkle a generous amount of salt onto the floating ice. This will be for dropping the hot poached shrimp into immediately after cooking. For poaching liquid:

In a pot add two quarts water, 1/2 cup salt (preferably Kosher), and four sprigs of mint. Squeeze half of a lemon into the water and drop the squeezed half into the pot. Bring to a boil, drop all shrimp into the pot and turn heat down to medium. Let shrimp cook for three to four minutes, until just cooked through. You do not want the shrimp to cook so much that they curl up tightly and turn rubbery. Immediately remove shrimp from water and plunge into ice water bowl. This will shock the shrimp, and prevent any further cooking. For salsa verde:
Make sure herbs are washed of all grit and dried thoroughly. Pick all herbs from stems, and finely chop them. Add them to a mixing bowl. Mince the garlic and anchovy as much as possible, turning it into a paste. Finely chop the capers. Add everything into the bowl with the herbs. Crack a generous amount of black pepper into the bowl. Begin to stir everything together with a spoon while pouring about 1/2 a cup of extra virgin olive oil into the mix. The sauce is meant to be a bit oily. Almost like the consistency of a loose pesto sauce. Add salt to taste. Allow sauce to sit and get to know itself at room temperature for a few hours before serving.

 For the salad:

Pick the frawns, (the delicate green dill like looking ferns), from the fennel stalks, rough chop them, and save. Discard the stalks. Cut the fennel in half the long way and cut out the tough stem from the bottom of both halves. Slice the fennel as thin as possible; a French or Japanese mandolin comes in very handy for this part. In a bowl toss the fennel, the remaining frawns, a healthy squeeze of lemon juice, a healthy tablespoon or two of the olive oil, and season with salt. On a salad plate add a pile of the fennel salad. place the cooled and dried shrimp around the border off the salad. Spoon on generous amounts of the salsa verde directly onto the shrimp, and serve. Serves two to three. Created by Chef Sam Filloramo, Courtesy of Tropical Aquaculture Products, Inc.

Number of Servings:  6 Ingredients:  12 Ounces egg noodles 1 Pound pan-ready skate fillets, cut into 1 1/2 inch squares 1 1/2 Cup low-fat milk 1 Can (12-ounces) evaporated skim milk 1 Cup chopped onion 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce 1 Pound fresh mushrooms, sliced 1/4 Cup butter or margarine, divided 2 Tablespoons olive oil 1/3 Cup flour 1/3 Cup sherry 1 Cup fresh bread crumbs or crushed buttery crackers Finely snipped fresh parsley for garnish Instructions:  Cook noodles in boiling salted water; drain and set aside while preparing sauce. In three-quart saucepan, combine milk, evaporated milk, onions, hot pepper sauce, salt and pepper. Simmer for 10 minutes; remove pan from heat; set aside. In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons butter and oil, then sauté mushrooms until lightly browned. Stir in flour and remove pan from heat. Using strainer, add the poaching liquid used to cook the skate. Stir thoroughly, return skillet to heat and cook until sauce is thickened. Stir in sherry. In large bowl, combine mushroom sauce with noodles, skate and onions. Place in large open casserole dish or in individual oven proof au gratin dishes. Combine 1 tablespoon softened or melted butter with crumbs; sprinkle over casserole. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees F for 15-20 minutes or until topping is golden brown and sauce is bubbly. Garnish with parsley and serve.

Seafood has a long tradition on holiday tables! Put a new twist on your Thanksgiving stuffing and add oysters. Not only are Oysters wonderful on the half-shell but also as a mild addition to this sweet traditional stuffing recipe. Number of Servings:  10 Ingredients:  2 pints Gold Band oysters 1 cup vegetable oil 20 chicken gizzards 3 cups Italian bread crumbs 5 chopped chicken livers 2 medium onions 1 bunch celery 1 sweet pepper 15 sprigs parsley 1 small loaf stale Frenchbread 15 green onions 1 turkey gizzard and liver Salt and pepper Instructions:  Boil livers and gizzards in 3 cups of water and retain broth. Soak French bread and breadcrumbs for 10 minutes. Drain excess liquid. Chop celery, onions, green onions, sweet pepper in food processor or blender. Chop all gizzards and livers in food processor or blender. Poach oysters for 4 minutes. Chop the poached oysters and save oyster liquer. Simmer, in oil, all chopped vegetables on medium low heat for 5 minutes. Add drained bread ingredients. Add chopped oysters and oyster liqueur. Add butter, parsley and broth as well as salt and pepper to taste. Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes or until dressing is dry enough for your taste. Source: ThePerfectOyster.com Photo courtsey of Taylor Shellfish Company, Inc.

Number of Servings:  4 Ingredients:  1 1/4 pounds sea scallops 1 clove garlic, minced 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1/4 cup water 1/4 cup lime juice 1/4 cup green onions, finely chopped 1 teaspoon grated lime zest* 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper, freshly ground 1/8-1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped 1 ripe avocado, diced Bibb or Boston lettuce Instructions:  In a covered saucepan, gently poach scallops with garlic, vegetable oil and water for 3 to 4 minutes, turning once. Using a slotted spoon, remove scallops to a ceramic or glass bowl. Rapidly boil down liquid in a pan to about 1/4 cup. Cool and combine this liquid with remaining ingredients, except avocada and lettuce. Pour over scallops in bowl. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. Just before serving, peel and dice avocado. Toss gently with the scallops. Serve on the lettuce garnished with additional mint sprigs. Nutrition Information:  Calories: 369 Protein: 32% Saturated Fat: 8% Fat: 56% Carbohydrates: 10%

Number of Servings:  4 Ingredients:  20 Lobster Chunks - deep fried 4 tortilla skins 1 cup lettuce shredded Caribbean Salsa 1/4 cup tomato - small diced 1 tablespoon green pepper diced 1 tablespoon onion minced 1 tablespoon papaya - small dice 1 tablespoon cantaloupe - small dice 1 tablespoon mango 1/2 cup pineapple - small dice 1 tablespoon fresh cilantro - chopped 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1/2 lemon - juice 1/2 lime juice Salt and pepper to taste Tabasco to taste Instructions:  Caribbean Salsa Combine all Salsa ingredients and let sit. Bread frozen lobster chinks and deep fry or poach (unbreaded). Place in wrap, lettuce, 5 lobster chinks and add salsa. Source: Ambassador Seafoods

Number of Servings:  4 Ingredients:  12 Ounces cape shark (four 3 oz. portions) 1 Fresh fennel bulb (with green leaves and stems attached) 2 Cups homemade chicken broth (or 1, 14-1/2 oz. can) 1 Large clove fresh garlic 1 Tablespoon olive oil 1 Cup heavy cream Carrot for garnish Instructions:  Divide cape shark into serving size portions, discarding a remaining bony-looking cartilage. For appearance sake, thin red edges (which are edible) may also be trimmed. Rinse fennel; cut off leaves and stem near top of bulb. Slice bulb into 1/2 inch thick cross sections; set aside. Reserving leaves for garnish, coarsely chop remaining bulb, leaves and stems to yield approximately 1/2 cup. In 2 quart saucepan, heat broth, chopped fennel and garlic until boiling. Reduce heat to simmer, add fish, cover and poach gently (liquid should just "quiver") for 10 minutes or until flesh is white. Using tongs or slotted metal spatula, carefully transfer cape shark from hot liquid to heatproof dish; keep warm. Stir cream into poaching liquid, raise heat to medium and cook, uncovered for 20-25 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until sauce is reduced by one half (should have consistency of syrup). While liquid is reducing, heat oil in large skillet. Saute fennel slices, turning once, until tender-crisp (15-20 minutes). Divide fennel slices among four dinner plates; top with cape shark. When sauce is reduced, strain and pour over fish. Garnish each plate with finely chopped fennel leaves and decorative circles or festive "flowers" crafted from fresh carrot.