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Category: Seafood

Seafood Kabobs

Seafood Kabobs

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Yield: per Kabob

Scott Nowell

My version of a seafood skewer we had in the Latin Quarter of Paris in Sept 1999.
The skewers were about 18” long with 4 shrimp and a center salmon steak. Each is interspersed with a wedge of onion and round of zucchini.

For the Marinade:

  • ⅓cup extra virgin olive oil
  • zest of 2 lemons
  • 4garlic cloves minced
  • ¼cup packed chopped fresh parsley
  • 1tsp oregano
  • 1tsp paprika
  • ½tsp coriander
  • ½tsp red pepper flakes

For the Seafood & Veg:

  • 1salmon steak about 1-inch thick
  • 2-4shrimp (16-20) peeled and deveined
  • 1onion, cut into 8 wedges
  • ½zucchini, cut into ¾ to 1-inch-thick rounds.
  • 3-4button mushrooms, can be cut into halves
  • Kosher salt

Combine the marinade ingredients in a small bowl. Reserve 2 TBS of the marinade in a separate bowl for later.

Pat the shrimp and salmon dry and season with kosher salt. Place the shrimp and salmon in a large bowl and pour the marinade all over. Toss to combine.

Cover and refrigerate for 20 to 30 minutes (do not go longer).

Thread the skewers: (If using bamboo skewers, they need to be soaked in water for at least 30 minutes first).

18” Skewers: Shrimp, zucchini, onion, mushroom, shrimp, zucchini, onion, mushroom, salmon steak, mushroom, onion, zucchini, shrimp, mushroom, onion, zucchini, shrimp.

12” Skewers: Shrimp, zucchini, onion, mushroom, salmon steak, mushroom, onion, zucchini, shrimp.

To grill on an outdoor grill: Preheat grill to high. Then, reduce heat to low (temperature should be somewhere between 275 to 325ºF). Carefully oil the cooking grates. Once the grill reaches the recommended temperature, add the seafood skewers and close the lid. Cook skewers for 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until no longer translucent.

To grill on an indoor griddle or cast-iron grill: Heat a dry griddle over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add the seafood skewers and cook on one side about 3 or 4 minutes. Turn skewers over and cook another 2 to 3 minutes.

To broil: Adjust oven rack to be 5- to 6-inches below the burner. Place skewers on a lined broiler pan or half sheet pan. Broil for 3 or 4 minutes. Turn skewers over and broil for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.

Transfer the grilled skewers to platter and spoon the remaining marinade your reserved earlier over the grilled skewers. Add a splash of lemon juice. Serve immediately.

Leftovers: To store leftover grilled shrimp, remove it from the skewers. Store in a co9vered container in the fridge for up to 2 days. You can enjoy it cold as an appetizer or over a salad.

Shrimp Tempura Bowls

Shrimp Tempura Bowls

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with Sesame-Roasted Broccoli & Quick Pickles

Yield: 2 Servings

Crispy tempura shrimp drizzled with Sriracha-spiced sauce, sesame-flecked broccoli, and quick-pickled cucumbers on top of steamy rice.
Prep: 10 min, Cook: 45 min

  • 1mini cucumber
  • 2TBS mayonnaise
  • 1tsp garlic powder
  • 1TBS sesame seeds
  • 5tsp white wine vinegar
  • 2scallions
  • 1oz apricot jam
  • 1tsp sriracha
  • ½cup white rice
  • 8oz broccoli florets
  • 10oz shrimp
  • 6oz tempura batter mix
  • salt & pepper
  • ½tsp sugar
  • 1tsp cooking oil plus more for frying
  • 2TBS butter


Prep & Pickle cucumber:

Adjust rack to top position and preheat oven to 425°F. Wash and dry produce.

Trim, peel, and halve cucumber lengthwise, thinly slice cucumber crosswise into half-moons. In a small bowl, combine sliced cucumber, 5 tsp white wine vinegar, ½ tsp sugar, and a pinch of salt. Set it aside.

Trim and thinly slice scallions, separating whites from greens.

Make sauce & cook rice:

In a second small bowl, combine mayonnaise, jam, Sriracha, ½ tsp garlic powder, 1 tsp water, and a pinch of salt.

Melt 1 TBS butter in a small pot over medium-high heat. Add scallion whites, cook, stirring, until softened, 1 minute.

Add rice, ¾ cup water, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a low simmer. Cook until rice is tender, 15-18 minutes.

Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.

Roast broccoli:

While rice cooks, cut broccoli florets into 1-inch pieces if necessary. Toss on a baking sheet with a drizzle of oil, half the sesame seeds (save the rest for serving), salt, and pepper.

Roast on top rack until golden-brown and crispy, 15-20 minutes.

Carefully toss with half the scallion greens.

Mix batter & coat shrimp:

Meanwhile, rinse shrimp under cold water, pat very dry with paper towels. Season with salt.

In a large bowl, combine tempura mix, ½ tsp garlic powder, 1⁄3 cup cold water, and ½ tsp salt.

Tip: If needed, add more water 1 TBS at a time until it reaches a pancake batter-like consistency.

Stir shrimp into batter until fully coated.

Cook shrimp:

Heat a ¼-inch layer of oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium high heat.

Once oil is hot enough that a drop of batter sizzles when added to the pan, working in batches, add coated shrimp in a single layer. Cook until golden-brown and cooked through, 2- to 3-minutes on the first side and 1- to 2-minutes on the second side.

Using a slotted spoon, transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate. Immediately season with salt and pepper.

Finish & serve:

Fluff rice with a fork, stir in 1 TBS butter and season with salt and pepper.

Divide rice between bowls. Top with shrimp, quick pickles (draining first), and broccoli. Drizzle shrimp with sauce, sprinkle with remaining scallion greens and remaining sesame seeds. Serve.

Shrimp & Scallop Scampi

Shrimp & Scallop Scampi

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with Parsley & Parmesan

Yield: 2 Servings

Shrimp and scallops are sautéed until tender, then tossed with al dente spaghetti. Of course, it wouldn’t be a scampi without plenty of garlic and butter—here, garlic herb butter is the base for an easy, yet wow-worthy, sauce with Parmesan, parsley, and lemon juice. A dash of chili flakes for heat
Prep: 10 Cook: 30

  • 1lemon
  • 10oz shrimp
  • 6oz spaghetti
  • 5TBS parmesan cheese
  • 2cloves garlic
  • ¼oz parsley
  • 10oz scallops
  • 1tsp chili flakes
  • 4oz chicken stock
  • 2TBS garlic herb butter
  • 1tsp olive oil
  • 3TBS butter

Prep:

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

Zest and quarter lemon. Peel and finely chop garlic. Finely chop parsley.

Rinse shrimp and pat dry with paper towels. Pat scallops dry with paper towels. Place shrimp and scallops in a medium bowl, toss with lemon zest, ¼ of the garlic, a drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of chili flakes (add more for an extra kick or leave it out if you’re feeling spice-averse!). Season with salt and pepper.

Cook pasta:

Once water is boiling, add spaghetti to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente, 9-11 minutes.

Reserve ½ cup pasta cooking water, then drain.

Cook shrimp & scallops:

Heat a large pan over high heat. Once pan is hot, add shrimp and scallop mixture, spread out in an even layer and cook, stirring once, until opaque and cooked through, 2- to 3-minutes.

Stir in 1 TBS plain butter until melted and coated.

Turn off heat, transfer to a second medium bowl (along with any cooking liquid).

Start sauce:

Once spaghetti is done, melt 2 TBS plain butter in pan used for shrimp and scallops over medium heat. Add remaining garlic and cook until fragrant, 30 seconds.

Stir in stock concentrates and ¼ cup pasta cooking water. Simmer until sauce has slightly reduced, 1- to 2-minutes.

Finish sauce:

Stir drained spaghetti, shrimp and scallops (and any cooking liquid), garlic herb butter, half the parsley, and half the Parmesan into pan with sauce. Toss to coat. Add splashes of reserved pasta cooking water as necessary, until everything is thoroughly coated in sauce.

Tip: If cheese clumps, continue stirring and adding more pasta cooking water until smooth!

Remove from heat and stir in a big squeeze of lemon juice. Season generously with salt and pepper.

Finish & serve:

Divide pasta between bowls. Top with remaining parsley, remaining Parmesan, and chili flakes to taste. Add a big squeeze of lemon juice over top and serve with any remaining lemon wedges on the side.

Mediterranean Salmon Kabobs

Mediterranean Salmon Kabobs

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Yield: 5-6 Skewers
Mediterranean Dish

Salmon kabobs prepared Mediterranean-style with a garlicky, zesty marinade, zucchini and onions! Grilled, broiled or grill pan. Serve these with your favorite Mediterranean salads and sides and a little Tahini sauce or Tzatziki and some pita or naan.
Prep: 30-40 Time: Broiled: 20
Note: If you don’t like spicy, just use sweet paprika in the marinade.
For the latest batch I did skewerless under the broiler. Came out great, well worth the time and effort. FWIW, I was out of coriander and skipped the cumin.

  • 1½lb salmon fillet, cut into 1-inch to 2-inch cubes
  • 1zucchini, sliced into rounds
  • 1small red onion, cut into squares/chunks
  • optional: green pepper, cut into chunks.
  • optional: mushrooms, quartered if large.
  • Kosher salt and pepper

For marinade:

  • ¼-⅓cup olive oil
  • 1lemon, zested and juiced
  • 3garlic cloves, minced
  • 2tsp chopped fresh thyme leaves
  • 2tsp dry oregano
  • 1tsp ground cumin
  • 1tsp mild Aleppo chili pepper (substitute: 1 tsp sweet paprika and a healthy pinch of cayenne)
  • ½tsp ground coriander


Marinate salmon:

In a small bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients of extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice and zest, garlic, oregano, thyme, cumin, Aleppo pepper and coriander.

Place salmon pieces, zucchini and onions in a large mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper and toss briefly. Now pour the marinade over the salmon and toss again to make sure the salmon is well coated with the marinade. Let the fish marinate for about 15 to 20 minutes (see Cook’s Tip)

Build skewers:

Note: Skip the skewers for indoor cooking. Just broil (see below) or sauté in a large heavy skillet.

Beginning with salmon, thread salmon, zucchini and onions through skewers (if using wooden skewers, be sure to have soaked them for 30 minutes before using.)

Heat an outdoor grill (indoor grilling instructions in notes). Arrange salmon skewers on top and cover the grill. Grill salmon kabobs for 6 to 8 minutes, covered, or until the fish is opaque throughout, turning once midway through cooking (using tongs is the best way to turn the salmon skewers)

Cook’s tips:

The marinade packs the salmon with tons of flavor and acts as a brine to help keep it from drying out. If you want to give the salmon a little more time in the marinade for even more flavor, cover and refrigerate for one hour or so before grilling.

Indoor grilling instructions: brush a griddle or grill pan with a little bit of olive oil and heat on medium. Arrange the salmon kabobs in one layer (do this in batches if needed and do not crowd the kabobs). Cook for 3 to 5 minutes on side, turn over once and cook for another 4 minutes or so. If you like, you can cover them for even cooking.

Broiling instructions: Heat oven broiler. Line a quarter or half sheet pan with foil or Silpat for ease of cleaning. Add a baking rack to the pan and spray with cooking spray. Arrange salmon skewers on top of the baking rack and place about 5 to 6 inches below broiler. Cook on one side for 4 to 5 minutes, turn over and cook another 4 minute or so or until fish is opaque throughout.

Skewerless Broiling instructions: Heat oven broiler. Line a quarter or half sheet pan with foil or Silpat for ease of cleaning. Add a baking rack to the pan and spray with cooking spray. Arrange vegetables on one end of the top of the baking rack and place about 5 to 6 inches below broiler. Cook on one side for 4 to 5 minutes.

Remove from broiler. Add salmon to other end of pan and cook another 4 to 5 minutes.

Remove from broiler again and turn everything over. Broil for another 4 to 5 minutes or so or until fish is opaque throughout.

Grilled Swordfish with Avocado Lime Butter

Grilled Swordfish with Avocado Lime Butter

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Yield: 4 Servings
Adapted from: Monastery Kitchen and others

The dish is on the menu of the Brigantine Seafood & Oyster Bar in Del Mar, CA. I had it there and thought it was great. When I searched for similar recipes, I found numerous copies, all with the same ingredients and instructions.

The Avocado butter was too salty. Updated to half the salt listed below.

Swordfish & Marinade:

  • 48 oz swordfish steaks
  • ½cup vegetable oil
  • ¼cup soy sauce
  • 1tsp lemon zest, grated
  • ¼cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2cloves garlic, crushed

Avocado Butter:

  • ½cup butter, softened
  • ½cup ripe avocado, mashed
  • 1tsp lime zest, grated
  • 5TBS fresh lime juice (about 5 to 6 limes)
  • 2TBS fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
  • 2garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/4tsp salt


Fish & Marinade:

Pierce swordfish on both sides with fork. Arrange in single layer in baking dish. Blend oil, soy sauce, lemon juice and zest and garlic. Pour over swordfish. Marinate 2 hours turning occasionally.

Avocado butter:

Combine butter and avocado in a small mixing bowl; beat at medium speed of an electric mixer until smooth. Add the lime juice and zest, parsley, garlic, and salt; stir well. Cover and chill until firm. If desired, shape butter into small bowls before serving.

Grill:

Preheat grill or broiler. Drain swordfish – reserve marinade.

Grill or broil (4-inches from burner) swordfish 9 minutes per 1-inch thickness. Brush often with marinade – turn once.

Garnish with lemon wedges and parsley.

Serve.

Pasta Seafood DiScottio

Pasta Seafood DiScottio

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Yield: 2 Servings (can be doubled)
Scott Nowell

Pasta Jay’s in Boulder serves a dish called Seafood DiStefano on their Friday night specials list. Shrimp, crab and scallops, served over linguine with white clam sauce.
This is my version, modified to be a one-pot dish. You can change the seafood items to include some fish, lobster, etc. Be sure to add them in the appropriate order to get them cooked through.
Also note that the ingredients have been adjusted to serve two. Double, triple, etc. as needed. This dish cooks very quick, so it is important to cook the pasta and any optional vegetables first.

21-Apr-20, 22-Aug-20, 30-Oct-24

Pasta:

  • 4-6oz linguine, fettuccine, spaghetti
  • 1medium head of broccoli or other green vegetable (optional)

Aromatics:

  • 1TBS olive oil
  • 1TBS butter
  • ¼cup minced or thinly sliced garlic
  • ¼cup red onion, chopped, minced or sliced
  • 2tsp flour
  • pinch of red pepper flakes

Sauce:

  • ½cup white wine
  • ½cup pasta cooking water
  • 1generous tsp chicken Better Than Bouillon

Seafood/Finish:

  • 110 oz can of baby clams, NOT drained
  • 6peeled and deveined shrimp (16/20 or 21/25)
  • 6sea scallops
  • 6oz lump crab meat
  • ¼cup Parmesan cheese, shredded/grated
  • 1TBS fresh chopped parsley


Pasta: Add the pasta to one gallon of boiling salted water and cook to barely al dente. Reserve 1 cup pasta cooking water. Remove pasta to oiled bowl and set aside. 

Optional Green Vegetable: If adding and a green vegetable like broccoli, cook it to al dente in the pasta water. Drain and remove to the bowl with the pasta. Return pasta pot to medium high heat.

Aromatics: In the pasta pan add 1 TBS olive oil and 1 TBS butter over med high heat until butter is melted. Add ¼ cup garlic and ¼ cup red onion and sauté for a minute. Sprinkle over about 2 tsp of flour. Stir to tighten. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Sauce: To the aromatics, add ½ cup white wine, reserved ½ cup of pasta cooking water, generous teaspoon of Chicken Better Than Bouillon and stir to dissolve Better Than Bouillon. Boil for a few minutes until reduced to about ¾ cup. Add the undrained can of baby clams, scallops, shrimp, crab and/or other seafood as desired. Stir and cook for a couple of minutes until the shrimp and scallops are almost cooked.

Finish: Return the cooked pasta and optional green vegetable to the pot. Stir to mix well and coat pasta with sauce. Add the Parmesan and stir. Mix in 1 TBS fresh chopped parsley. Check and adjust seasoning.

Plate, top with additional parsley and Parmesan and serve.

Connie’s Baked Haddock

Connie’s Baked Haddock

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Yield: 4 servings
Constance Ann Lafayette Nowell

My Mom and Aunt Joan made this.  It was my child-hood favorite.

Use other white fish if you have to, but there’s really no substitute for haddock. I use cod now, haddock isn’t often available in San Diego or Colorado.  Use two hands for dipping and breading fish, a dry hand and a wet hand. This will keep the mess down a little. Use regular or Panko breadcrumbs as desired.

  • 1½lb boneless haddock fillets
  • salt & freshly ground pepper
  • 1egg
  • 1TBS milk
  • ¼cup flour
  • 1cup bread crumbs
  • butter
  • paprika (optional)


Prep:

Preheat oven to 500 – 525°F. While hotter is better, you can reduce the temperature to as little as 425°F, but it will take longer. We do this to bake fries in the same pan.

Cut fish into serving portions.

To prepare pan in the original way, put it in the oven for 5 minutes to get it hot. Remove and drop a small chunk of butter on the pan and swirl it around to coat pan. You can use a little cooking spray if you’d prefer, but you sacrifice some flavor.

Set up a standard breading station or use plastic bags for the dry ingredients.

Place flour in another shallow bowl or bag. Season with ¼ tsp salt and a few grinds of pepper. Mix.

In a shallow bowl, beat egg and milk lightly. Season with pinch of salt and a couple of grinds of pepper.

Place breadcrumbs in another bowl or bag and mix with ½ tsp salt and pepper to taste.

Dip or shake fish in flour on both sides. Shake off excess.

Place floured fish in egg mixture with dry hand. Turn to coat with the wet hand. Lift and drain excess.

Place or shake fish in breadcrumb mixture and coat well on both sides with dry hand. Put coated fish on prepared sheet pan. Thin tail pieces may be folded to make them the same thickness as other pieces.

When all fish is on pan, dot fish with small pieces of butter (optional: sprinkle with paprika for color).

Bake on the top rack of oven for 10 to 15 minutes depending on thickness of fish and how well you want it cooked.

Serve with:
Two schools of thought on this.  I prefer mashed potatoes and green beans.  Gayle prefers fries and coleslaw, so we usually have fries and coleslaw.  Either works, but the mash and beans is better, IMHO 🙂

Salmon Shrimp Scallop Medley

Salmon Shrimp Scallop Medley

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Serves: 2 servings
Scott Nowell

Circa 2004: This started out without the couscous. I added it around 2015.

  • 8oz salmon filet, skinned, deboned and cut in half for two servings
  • 6sea scallops, foot removed
  • 616-20 count shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1scallion / green onion
  • 1cup Israeli couscous
  • ½cup white wine
  • ½cup clam broth / fish stock / water
  • salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 425°F. For direct to table serving, heat 10 inch casserole dish in oven.

Blot seafood dry on paper towel. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat a 10 to 12 inch skillet over medium high heat, add wine, clam juice and couscous. Cover and cook to half time on package directions. Remove from heat and remove cover.

For direct to table serving, remove casserole dish from oven and pour couscous mixture into dish.

Place salmon fillets in center of dish/pan on top of couscous. Arrange shrimp and scallops in alternating pattern around edge of dish/pan. Slice scallion and sprinkle on top of seafood.
Bake in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes.