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Fritto Misto DF

Fritto Misto DF

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Yield: 6 to 8 as appetizer

Adapted from: ATK

Fritto misto is a traditional Italian antipasto. This version, typical of the peninsula’s coastal cuisine, stars a mélange of seafood and vegetables. We tossed shrimp, cod, and squid in flour to absorb their surface moisture, which in turn helped the batter cling. For the vegetables, we used low-moisture broccoli rabe and fennel, which fried up golden brown and retained their crispiness since they didn’t leach much moisture after cooking. Replacing some of the water in a traditional fritto misto batter with olive oil created a coating with a lacier, finer texture. After frying the components in separate batches from lowest to highest moisture content, we held them in a 200°F oven to keep the fritto misto warm. Cook: 90 Chilling: 45

Calabrian aioli:

  • 1cup mayonnaise
  • 2TBS minced fresh parsley
  • 1TBS grated lemon zest plus 3 TBS juice
  • 1TBS jarred crushed Calabrian chilis
  • 2garlic cloves, minced
  • 1tsp Dijon mustard
  • ¼tsp cayenne pepper

Batter:

  • 1½cups AP flour
  • ½cup cornstarch
  • 2¼tsp kosher salt
  • 2tsp baking powder
  • 1tsp paprika
  • ¼tsp cayenne pepper
  • 1⅔cups water
  • ½cup extra-virgin olive oil

Fritto misto:

  • 8oz large shrimp (26 to 30 per lb), peeled and deveined, tails left on
  • 8oz skinless cod fillets (½ inch thick), halved lengthwise and cut crosswise into ½-inch strips
  • 8oz squid, bodies sliced crosswise ¾ inch thick, extra-long tentacles trimmed to match length of shorter ones
  • 8oz sea scallops, (optional)
  • ½tsp kosher salt
  • ¾cup AP flour
  • 2quarts vegetable oil for frying
  • 12oz broccoli rabe, trimmed (8 pieces)
  • 1large fennel bulb, fronds minced, stalks discarded, bulb halved lengthwise and sliced ¼ inch thick
  • 1lemon, halved lengthwise and sliced ¼ inch thick (optional), plus lemon wedges for serving
  • 20large basil leaves (optional)


For the Calabrian aioli:

Combine all ingredients in bowl. Season with salt to taste and refrigerate until needed.

For the batter:

Whisk flour, cornstarch, salt, baking powder, paprika, and cayenne together in large bowl. Add water and oil and whisk until smooth (batter will be thin). Cover and refrigerate for at least 45 minutes or up to 1 hour.

For the fritto misto:

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 200°F. Set wire rack in rimmed baking sheet and place in oven. Set wire racks in 2 more rimmed baking sheets and line one with triple layer of paper towels.

Pat seafood dry with paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Place flour in medium bowl. Add shrimp and toss to coat evenly. Gently shake off excess flour and place shrimp in single layer on unlined rack. Repeat with remaining seafood. Refrigerate until needed.

Heat oil in large Dutch oven over medium heat to 350°F. Remove batter from refrigerator. Holding half of broccoli rabe by stems, dip into batter. Shake gently to let any excess batter drip back in bowl, then carefully add to oil 1 piece at a time. Cook until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes, flipping pieces halfway through cooking. Using tongs or spider skimmer, transfer broccoli rabe to paper towel–lined rack and season lightly with salt. Return oil to 350°F and repeat with remaining broccoli rabe. While second batch cooks, transfer first batch to prepared rack in oven.

Return oil to 350°F. Transfer fennel to batter, tossing gently to coat. Using tongs, remove fennel 1 piece at a time, allowing excess batter to drip back into bowl, add to oil. Cook until golden brown for 2 to 3 minutes, flipping pieces halfway through cooking. Transfer fennel to paper towel–lined rack and season lightly with salt. Transfer to prepared rack in oven.

Return oil to 350°F. Transfer shrimp to batter, tossing gently to coat. Remove shrimp 1 piece at a time, allowing excess batter to drip back into bowl, add to oil. Cook, stirring gently as needed to prevent sticking, until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer shrimp to paper towel–lined rack and season lightly with salt. Transfer to oven with broccoli rabe and fennel. Repeat coating, frying, and resting remaining seafood (cook cod, then scallops, then calamari) in same manner, returning oil to 350°F between batches and replacing paper towels as necessary.

Transfer lemon slices, if using, to batter, toss gently to coat. Remove slices 1 piece at a time, allowing excess batter to drip back into bowl, add to oil. Cook, stirring gently as needed to prevent sticking, until golden brown, for about 2 minutes. Transfer to paper towel–lined rack. Remove Dutch oven from heat. Arrange fried seafood and vegetables on large platter. Add basil leaves, if using, to still-hot oil and cook until crispy, 20 to 30 seconds. Transfer to paper towel–lined rack.

Garnish fritto misto with fried basil, if using, fried lemon slices, if using, and fennel fronds. Serve, passing aioli and lemon wedges separately.

Lobster-Filled Ravioli & Shrimp in Lemon Cream with Zucchini Ribbons

Lobster-Filled Ravioli & Shrimp in Lemon Cream with Zucchini Ribbons

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Yield: 2

Hello Fresh

Tender ravioli packed with fresh lobster and pillowy ricotta, then topped with succulent, seared shrimp, we call that a crustacean celebration! The dish is kicked up a notch with zucchini ribbons, a lemony cream sauce, and a sprinkle of Parmesan and fresh lemon zest. Prep: 10 Cook: 30

Note: Single meal only. Goes too soft for leftovers.

  • 2scallions
  • 10oz shrimp
  • 9oz lobster ravioli
  • 1lemon
  • 1zucchini
  • 2TBS cream cheese
  • 2TBS sour cream
  • ¼cup parmesan cheese
  • 1tsp chili flakes
  • salt & pepper
  • 2tsp olive oil
  • 2tsp cooking oil
  • 5TBS butter


Prep:  

Mise, Mise, Mise, get your mise together! This means me! This happens so fast, that you must get everything prepped and measured before cooking starts.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Wash and dry produce.

Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens.
Zest and quarter lemon.

Trim ends from zucchini. Using a peeler, shave zucchini lengthwise into ribbons, rotating as you go, until you get to the seedy core, discard core.

Cook shrimp:

Rinse shrimp under cold water, then pat dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a drizzle of oil in a large, preferably nonstick, pan over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and cook, stirring occasionally, until opaque and cooked through, 3- to 4-minutes.

Turn off heat, transfer shrimp to a plate and set aside. Wipe out pan.

Start sauce:

Heat 1 TBS butter and a drizzle of olive oil in same pan over low heat.
Add scallion whites and cook, stirring, until softened, 1- to 2-minutes.

Turn off heat, stir in cream cheese and sour cream until smooth.

Cook pasta:

Once water is boiling, add ravioli to pot and reduce heat to low. Cook, stirring occasionally, until ravioli are tender and floating to the top, 3- to 4-minutes.

Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water, then gently drain or use a slotted spoon to remove ravioli from pot.

Finish sauce & pasta:

Return pan with sauce to low heat. Stir in 1/3 cup reserved pasta cooking water and juice from half the lemon.

Add 2 TBS butter, stir constantly until melted. Repeat with another 2 TBS butter, cook until sauce is creamy, 2- to 3-minutes.

Tip: If sauce seems too thick, stir in more pasta cooking water a splash at a time.

Stir shrimp and zucchini ribbons, into sauce and cook until zucchini is tender, 1- to 2-minutes. Add drained ravioli and gently stir to coat.

Turn off heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve:

Divide ravioli mixture between plates.
Sprinkle with Parmesan, scallion greens, and as much lemon zest and chili flakes as you like.

Serve with any remaining lemon wedges on the side.

Mexican Wedding Cake

Mexican Wedding Cake

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Yield: 12

12 tomatoes

I had never even heard of Mexican Wedding Cake until quite recently but let me tell you… it was love at first slice. Not to be confused with the powdered sugar Mexican Wedding Cookies, this cake gets its flavor from pineapple and pecans that are folded into a sweet and fruity batter. Once the cake is baked it’s pierced with holes to allow the decadent cream cheese buttercream frosting to seep in. The results are delicious. Prep: 15 Cook: 40

Cake:

  • 2cups flour
  • 2cups white sugar
  • 2eggs
  • 2tsp baking soda
  • ½tsp salt
  • 1cup pecans, finely chopped
  • 16oz crushed pineapple with juice

Frosting:

  • 16oz cream cheese (2 packages)
  • 2cups of powdered sugar
  • 1cup butter (2 sticks), softened


Cake:
Preheat oven to 350°F and grease a 9×13 baking dish.

In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, and salt.

Add eggs and pineapple. Mix until just combined, then fold in the chopped pecans.

Transfer batter to the prepared dish and bake for 40-45 minutes.

Frosting:
As cake bakes, mix the frosting ingredients until smooth.

Pierce the top of the cooked cake with a fork all over. Pour frosting onto cake while still hot and spread into an even layer.

Allow cake to cool before serving.

Refrigerate after cooling.

Lobster Ravioli Sauce

Lobster Ravioli Sauce

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Yield: 2

Adapted from: https://laurenfromscratch.com/lobster-ravioli-cream-sauce/#recipe

Easy, decadent, and creamy lobster ravioli sauce, ready in only 20 minutes! It’s the perfect sauce for your homemade or store-bought lobster ravioli.
Prep: 5 Cook: 15

  • 1TBS unsalted butter
  • 1shallot
  • 2cloves fresh garlic
  • 1tsp tomato paste
  • ⅓cup white wine
  • 1cup heavy cream
  • 2oz freshly grated parmesan cheese (about 1 cup when finely grated)
  • ¼tsp dried tarragon
  • ⅛tsp paprika
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 9oz lobster ravioli
  • fresh parsley or basil (optional garnish)

Set a large pot of well salted water to boil. Finely dice shallot, mince garlic, and finely grate parmesan cheese. Measure other ingredients.

Sauté:

Heat a saucepan over medium-low heat and melt butter. Sauté shallots for about 5 minutes until softening and translucent. Add garlic and cook another minute while stirring.

Caramelize:

Add tomato paste and cook for 1-2 minutes while stirring until it darkens.

Deglaze:

Deglaze with white wine and cook for another 2 minutes, allowing the alcohol to burn off.

Simmer:

Slowly stir in heavy cream. Add tarragon, paprika, and parmesan cheese. Simmer on low until sauce reaches desired consistency, for about 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Boil:

While sauce is reducing, boil ravioli according to package directions. Transfer ravioli to the cream sauce with a splash of pasta water as needed.

Serve:

Serve hot. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley, basil, or extra additions as desired.

Hoisin Shrimp and Broccoli

Hoisin Shrimp and Broccoli

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Yield: 1-2

LKK

Yum. Shrimp, broccoli and hoisin. What a treat.

  • 1TBS oil
  • 1TBS ginger, minced
  • 1TBS garlic, minced
  • 4cups broccoli florets
  • 1½lbs shrimp, shelled and deveined
  • sliced scallion, for garnish
  • sesame seeds, for garnish

Seasoning:

  • ¼cup hoisin sauce
  • salt, to taste
  • black pepper, to taste


Mise, Mise, Mise, get your mise together! This means me! This happens so fast, that you must get everything prepped and measured before cooking starts.

Heat oil in a wok over medium-high heat. Once hot, add minced ginger and minced garlic. Sauté for 30 seconds then add the broccoli. Cook the broccoli until tender, for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

Add shrimp and stir fry until they just begin to turn pink, about 2 minutes.

Stir in the Lee Kum Kee Hoisin Sauce and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook until the shrimp and broccoli are fully coated in the sauce for about 1-2 minutes.

Garnish with sliced scallions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!

Baked Scrod

Baked Scrod

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Yield: 2 Servings

Adapted from: Jim Murray / Nimrod

Scrod is often misconceived as being a type of fish. ‘Scrod,’ however, is a New England term that refers to any white fish that has been split and boned before sale, typically cod or haddock. Jim Murray of The Nimrod cooks a Cape Cod classic of scrod baked with a scallion and parsley flavored and lemon butter and a golden breadcrumb topping. Jim’s secret to baking fish that can be easily removed to a plate without falling apart. Pour some white wine around outside of the fish. The wine will not only create steam to aid in cooking but prevent the fish from sticking to the dish.

For the lemon butter:

  • 2TBS butter
  • 2TBS shallots, minced
  • 1TBS fresh parsley, chopped
  • juice of 1 lemon, about 2 TBS
  • salt & pepper for seasoning

For the fish:

  • 1lb scrod fillet (white fish – cod, haddock or pollock)
  • ¾cups unseasoned breadcrumbs
  • ¼cup (½ stick) melted butter
  • 1tsp paprika
  • pinch of dried thyme
  • salt & pepper for seasoning
  • ¼cup dry white wine


Make lemon butter:

Melt 2 TBS butter in a sauté pan over medium heat

Add shallots and sauté until softened, 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat.

Add chopped parsley and lemon juice, mix well and set aside.

Assemble & bake:

Preheat regular oven to 450ºF, convection oven to 425ºF.

In a bowl mix ¼ cup melted butter, breadcrumbs, paprika, salt, pepper, thyme.

Place fish on an oven-safe plate or baking dish. Pour 2 TBS of lemon butter over the fish. Pat top of fish with about ⅓ cup of breadcrumb mixture.

Pour an additional 1 TBS lemon butter atop breadcrumbs.

Pour white wine around outside of fish in baking dish. Bake 12-15 minutes, until crumb topping is golden brown.

Seafood Cannelloni

Seafood Cannelloni

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Yield: 4

Adapted from many

Delicate crepes, filled with crab meat, bay scallops and shrimp, mixed with shallots, garlic, onion, celery, red bell peppers, and cheese with a saffron cream sauce
For the crepes:

  • 2large eggs, at room temperature
  • 1cups AP flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled off
  • 1pinch of salt
  • 1¼cups milk, or more as needed
  • 2TBS melted butter, for brushing the sauté pan

For the seafood filling:

  • 2TBS unsalted butter
  • 8oz fresh mushrooms, sliced
  • 1-2shallots, minced
  • 1stalk celery, minced
  • ½cup red bell pepper, minced
  • 1clove garlic, minced
  • 8oz medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 8oz lump crabmeat, drained and picked over for shells
  • 8oz sea scallops, foot removed, sliced in half horizontally
  • ¼cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the saffron cream sauce:

  • 1pinch of saffron
  • 2TBS very warm water
  • ¼cup unsalted butter
  • ¼cup finely minced onions
  • ½tsp sea salt
  • 2cloves finely minced garlic
  • ¼cup flour
  • ¾cup milk
  • ¼cup white wine
  • ⅔cup cream
  • pinch chili powder

Topping:

  • ¼cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
  • ¼cup chopped fresh parsley


For the pasta:

Combine the eggs, flour, salt and milk. Beat until smooth. Let stand 30 minutes.

Heat a 10-inch, nonstick sauté pan over medium heat. Brush with some of the butter and pour in a scant ¼ cup of the batter. Rotate the pan to spread the batter to the edges and cook until top is dry. Remove to a wire rack, brush pan with some more melted butter and continue until all batter is used. Stack pasta sheets, placing pieces of wax paper in between each sheet. (These may be made ahead and refrigerated for 2 days or frozen for up to 1 month.)

For the seafood:

Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and sauté until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Add the shallots, red bell pepper, and celery. Sauté until softened. Add the garlic and sauté for 15-30 seconds. Add the scallops and shrimp. Sauté until shrimp just turn pink. Gently stir in crab meat, cheese, salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.

Prepare saffron and make a roux:

Put the warm water in a small bowl and crumble the saffron into it. Set aside to infuse. Meanwhile, melt the butter on medium heat. Add the onions and salt and sauté until translucent. Add the garlic and continue cooking until it is just fragrant, 20 to 30 seconds. Whisking constantly, add the flour to make a roux. Cook over medium heat until you can see the garlic bits in the roux getting toasty and the whole thing developing a golden hue, for about 3 minutes.

Finish the sauce:

When your roux is lightly golden, add the milk in a thin stream, whisking constantly. Next, add the white wine and the saffron-infused water. Keep whisking, the sauce will thicken and smooth. Once it does, remove it from the heat and stir in the cream. Taste and adjust salt if necessary and whisk in chili powder (optional). If the texture is too rich, stir in a bit more milk, a little at a time.

Whisk in the cheese, salt, pepper and nutmeg. Remove from heat and fold half of cream sauce into the seafood filling.

To assemble the cannelloni:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Spoon about one cup of the coulis in the bottom of the baking dish. Spread about ½ cup of the seafood filling down the center of each crepe, roll up and arrange on top of tomato coulis. Repeat with remaining crepes and filling. Spread pasta with remaining béchamel sauce. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and parsley. Bake, uncovered, for about 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

Serve:

Serve with rice pilaf and steamed asparagus.

Shrimp & Crab Enchiladas

Shrimp & Crab Enchiladas

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Yield: 6

Adapted from: All Recipes

Enchiladas made with shrimp, crab and Jack cheese. This is a great dish with a Southwestern flair.
Prep: 15 Cook: 30

  • 12(12 inch) flour tortillas
  • 8oz Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
  • 1TBS olive oil
  • ½-1white onion, chopped small
  • 1bell pepper, chopped small
  • 1(6 oz) can crab meat, drained
  • 1lb cooked medium shrimp, shelled and deveined
  • 1(20 oz) can green enchilada sauce
  • 1(8 oz) container of sour cream
  • 1bunch green onions, chopped

Prep:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Sauté:

Heat a TBS of oil in a large skillet. Add onion and pepper and sauté until softened. Add shrimp and crab, and sauté for a few more minutes to heat through. Remove to bowl and cool.

Shrimp mixture:

When cooled enough to handle, add 3/4 of the cheese and mix to combine.

Heat the tortillas in the microwave or a dry pan to soften them.

Fill tortillas:

Lay tortillas on a flat surface. divide the shrimp mixture between the tortilla place equal amounts of mixture in the middle of each tortilla. Roll the tortillas to form enchiladas. Arrange side by side in a 9×13 inch baking pan.

Pour green enchilada sauce over all the enchiladas, the green sauce should cover the enchiladas completely. Sprinkle the remaining cheese over the enchiladas.

Bake:

Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven until cheese is browned. 

Top enchiladas with sour cream and green onions to serve.

Jennifer Garner’s Chicken Enchiladas

Jennifer Garner’s Chicken Enchiladas

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Yield: 4

Adapted from: The Kitchn

These are barely related to enchiladas—but they are quite good and easy to make.

Note: They’re quite tasty. I used 1 pack of Costco chicken that weighed 1 lb 6 oz. Only 2 large stalks of celery because the rest were past their prime. Shredding the chicken with the mixer was amazing. I used mild green chili.

  • 8-12flour tortillas
  • 2cups cooked chicken (we poach ours and shred by hand)
  • 4TBS butter
  • 1can cream of chicken soup or 1 can of cream of mushroom and a heaping tsp of BTB chicken
  • 24-oz cans green chilis, mild, medium or hot as you prefer
  • 1medium onion, diced
  • 4stalks of celery, diced
  • 1lb Monterey Jack or Tex-Mex cheese
  • 1cup sour cream

Poach your chicken! We put three boneless, skinless breasts in cold water (just enough to cover it) with onion, salt, peppercorns – basic brothy things you like, but not overboard. Bring to a boil, lower to medium, and start checking it between 10-15 minutes, until a thermometer reads 165°F inside the breasts. Shred.

Preheat your oven to 350°F.

Sauté onion and celery in butter. When softened add shredded chicken.

Combine chicken soup, green chilis, and sour cream. Put a layer of this mixture into a casserole prepared with butter or baking spray.

Heat the tortillas in a microwave or dry pan to make them flexible.

Fill each tortilla down the middle with ¼-½ cup of shredded chicken mixture, the amount depends on tortilla size. Roll tortilla tightly and place seam side down into the pan.

Spread most of the soup mixture on the tortillas and finish with your cheese on top.

Bake for 30 minutes, until browned!

Serve with Mexican/Spanish/Cajun Rice. Some medium pico de gallo would be nice too.

6 tips for making the garners’ chicken enchiladas:

Shred your chicken in the stand mixer:

Don’t waste time or risk burnt fingertips by hand-shredding chicken. Use the paddle attachment on your stand mixer and stir the poached chicken breasts for about 30 seconds for perfectly shredded chicken. Seriously, it’s way easier.

Mind your tortillas:

The recipe doesn’t specify a size. I used eight-inch flour tortillas and could fit eight (instead of the 12 called for) in a 9×13-inch pan. Six inches would be too small. If you use something in between, simply adjust the amount of filling in each.

Use standard cans:

The recipe doesn’t specify can sizes, so I went with a 10.5-ounce can of Campbell’s cream of chicken soup and two 4-ounce cans of diced green chiles.

Don’t mess with measuring cups:

The recipe calls for 1 cup each of diced onions and celery. One medium onion and four stalks of celery will do.

Ease up on the sour cream:

Jennifer did, and it helps balance the richness. Again, don’t dirty a measuring cup; just eyeball it.

But don’t skimp on butter:

You’re using lean chicken breast, and the butter adds much-needed fat and flavor.

Shortcut General Tso’s Chicken

Shortcut General Tso’s Chicken

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Yield: 4

Adapted from: Woks of Life

Ground chicken is the key to making Shortcut General Tso’s Chicken that cuts out chopping and deep-frying steps without compromising flavor!
Prep: 20 Cook: 15

For the chicken:

  • 1lb ground chicken
  • 2tsp Shaoxing wine
  • ¼tsp salt
  • ¼tsp ground white pepper
  • ½tsp sesame oil
  • 2TBS AP flour
  • ⅓cup cornstarch

For the sauce:

  • ⅓cup low sodium chicken stock
  • 3½TBS brown sugar
  • 1TBS light soy sauce
  • 2½tsp rice vinegar
  • 1tsp dark soy sauce

For the rest of the dish:

  • 3cups broccoli florets (about 8 oz)
  • 4TBS neutral oil
  • 3-5dried red chili peppers (optional)
  • 2cloves garlic (minced)

In a medium bowl, mix the ground chicken with the Shaoxing wine, salt, white pepper, and sesame oil. Set aside to marinate while you prep the other ingredients. (Or if making ahead, cover and refrigerate overnight.)

Make the sauce:

To a measuring cup, add the chicken stock, brown sugar, light soy sauce, rice vinegar, and dark soy sauce. Set aside. Set water to boil for steaming the broccoli.

While that’s happening, add the flour and cornstarch to a shallow dish, stirring with a fork or whisk to combine. Break up the ground chicken into pieces on top of the cornstarch, then use your fingers to break up the ground chicken into nuggets/large chunks and toss them in the cornstarch flour mixture.

Heat your wok or skillet over high heat. Add the oil and ground chicken in a single layer and fry until golden. Once a golden crust has formed, use a wok spatula to flip the chicken and let it brown once more undisturbed. Repeat until the chicken is uniformly seared. Remove from the wok, leaving behind any oil.

Add the broccoli to the steamer and steam for 5-6 minutes until crisp tender.

With the heat on medium-high, add the red chili peppers and cook for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook for another 30 seconds to a minute.

Stir up your sauce and add it to the pan. Bring to a simmer. Add the chicken, toss until the chicken is coated and the sauce is caramelized and sticky. There should be very little standing sauce.

Serve immediately with the steamed broccoli and steamed rice!