Fish Picnic Recipes

Warm Scallop and Endive Salad with Oranges, Walnuts and Pomegranate
Ingredients

¼ cup olive oil
2 Tbsp. undiluted orange juice concentrate
2 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
1 tsp coriander seeds, toasted and cracked
¾ tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
3 oranges, peeled and segmented
2 endives (red or green leaf), cut lengthwise into ¼-inch-thick slices
1 red onion, halved crosswise and cut vertically into thin crescents
½ cup coarsely chopped walnuts, toasted
1 pomegranate, seeded, or ¼ cup dried cranberries or cherries, for garnish
16 sea scallops, patted dry with paper towels
1 tsp salt
¾ tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil

Directions

1. To make the vinaigrette: In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, orange juice concentrate, red wine vinegar, coriander seeds, salt and black pepper. Set aside.
2. To make the salad: In a salad bowl, combine the oranges, endives and red onion. Gently toss with three-
   fourths of the dressing. Let stand while cooking the scallops.
3. To make the scallops: Season the scallops with the salt and pepper. Using 2 large skillets, heat 1 Tbsp of the olive oil in each skillet over medium-high heat. Cook several scallops at a time, being careful not to crowd, until lightly browned on the outside and opaque throughout, about 2 minutes on each side (do not overcook). Remove the scallops from the pan and cover to keep warm. Continue the cooking process until all of the scallops are prepared.
4. To serve, add the walnuts to the salad. Portion the salad mixture onto 4 plates and arrange 4 scallops around the edge of each salad. Sprinkle with the pomegranate seeds or cranberries or cherries and spoon on the remaining dressing.

Shrimp with Potato-Saffron Aioli
Ingredients
1 russet potato, baked, cooled, skinned and pureed in a food mill, sieve or ricer
1 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup white wine vinegar
1/8 tsp powdered saffron
1 tsp minced garlic
3 Tbsp capers, drained
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fres-hly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
16 (16-20) Gulf shrimp

Directions

1. To make the aioli: In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar and saffron. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced to about 1 Tbsp; remove from heat. In a bowl, blend the potato puree, saffron mixture, garlic, capers, salt and pepper. Spoon the aioli into a serving bowl; set aside.
2. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a large bowl, combine the olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and toss to coat. Spread out on a cookie sheet and bake until pink and opaque throughout, 5-8 minutes, depending on the size of the shrimp.
3. Place the shrimp on a platter and serve with the aioli.

Seared Black-Peppercorn-and-Herb-Crusted Ahi Tuna with Maui Onion-Cognac Sauce
This recipe is a toast to Roy Yamaguchi, one of my favorite chefs.

Ingredients
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 cup finely sliced Maui onions (if you can’t find Maui onions, second best is Vidalia)
1 tsp minced garlic
¼ cup cognac
½ cup heavy cream
½ cup demi-glace
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Salt
1 Tbsp crushed black peppercorns
1 tsp minced fresh basil
1 tsp minced fresh thyme
½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
4 (7-ounce) ahi tuna steaks

Directions

1. To prepare the sauce, melt the 4 Tbsp butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion ad garlic and sauté for about 3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Pull the pan off the heat and carefully add the cognac. DO NOT IGNITE. Stir to deglaze the pan. Cook until the liquid is reduced by half and then add the cream. Cook o reduce by half again and add the demi-glace. Continue to cook for 3-4 minutes until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside and keep warm.
2. Combine salt and pepper to taste, basil, thyme and butter in a bowl and stir to blend. Spread one-fourth of the mixture on one side of each tuna steak to coat evenly. Heat a dry, stainless-steel sauté pan over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes. Add the ahi, crust side down. Saute for about 2 minutes on each side for rare to medium-rare, or to the desired doneness.
3. Spoon the sauce onto warmed plates and serve the ahi on the sauce.

Pan Seared Tilapia with Spicy Lime Butter Over Chinese Fried Rice
½ stick (1/4 cup) unsalted butter, softened
1 Tbsp finely chopped shallot
1 tsp finely grated fresh lime zest
2 tsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp minced fresh Thai or Serrano chile (preferably red), including seeds
½ tsp salt
6 (5- to 6-oz) pieces skinless tilapia fillet
½ tsp salt
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 c. canola oil
2 lg. cloves garlic, minced or mashed
3 green onions, diagonally sliced
1 sm. red onion, sliced
1 c. bok choy, coarsely shredded
2 fresh black mushrooms or reconstituted, julienned
1 c. Chinese snow peas
2 egg whites or egg substitutes
3 c. cold cooked brown rice
3 Tablespoons low soy sauce, or to taste

Directions

1. Prepare the rice the day before and let chill overnight in the refrigerator.
2. Heat wok or wok pan to high. Add 1 tablespoon oil and heat. Add garlic, green onions and red onions and stir-fry until onions are tender. Add bok choy, mushrooms and snow peas. Saute 2 minutes. Remove vegetables. Add 1 tablespoon oil and heat. Add eggs. Stir until set. Remove eggs and break into very small pieces. Add remaining 2 tablespoons oil and add rice. Cook, tossing until heated.
3. Season with soy sauce. Add vegetables and eggs and toss to mix well. Makes 4 to 6 servings.
4. For chile lime butter: Stir together butter, shallot, lime zest, lime juice, chile and salt in a bowl.
5. For fish: Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until just smoking, then sauté 3 pieces of fish, turning over once with a spatula, until golden and just cooked through, 4 to 5 minutes, and transfer to a plate. Saute remaining fish in remaining tablespoon oil in the same manner.
   Serve each piece of fish with a dollop of chile lime butter over Chinese fried rice.

Iron-Skillet Mussels with Coconut-Curry Sauce
Ingredients

2 cups chicken stock
2 Tbsp peanut oil
1 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp minced fresh ginger
1 cup canned coconut milk
1 cup carrot juice
10 fresh basil leaves
5 fresh or frozen kaffir lime leaves
1 Tbsp palm sugar or granulated sugar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
40 mussels, scrubbed and debearded
1 bulb roasted garlic, broken into individual cloves
2 Tbsp finely julienned fresh ginger
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
1 small carrot, peeled and thinly sliced, for garnish
½ sliced celery stalk, thinly slivered, for garnish

Directions

1. To prepare the sauce: Bring the stock to a boil in a saucepan over high heat. Continue to cook to reduce until 1 cup remains. Meanwhile, heat the peanut oil in a heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté for 1 minute. Add the coconut milk, carrot juice, reduced stock, basil, kaffir lime leaves and sugar and bring to a simmer. Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer for 8-10 minutes, until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain into a clean saucepan and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside and keep warm.
2. Preheat the boiler. Place a dry, heavy cast-iron skillet under the broiler for about 5 minutes or until it becomes very hot. Very carefully add the mussels, roasted garlic cloves and ginger to the skillet. Drizzle with lime juice, sprinkle with salt and pepper to taste and return to the broiler, about 5 to 6 inches from the heat source, for about 5 minutes or until the mussels have opened. Discard any mussels that do not open. Transfer the mussels to armed bowls and spoon the sauce over. Garnish with the slivered carrot and celery.

Vidalia Onion Tarts
Ingredients

1 1/2 cups finely crushed buttery crackers (such as Ritz crackers)
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
2 cups thinly sliced Vidalia onions or other sweet onions
3/4 cups half and half (do not use low-fat or nonfat)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
3/4 cup packed grated Gruyere cheese
Paprika
Fresh chopped chives

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix crackers and 4 tablespoons butter in bowl until well blended. Press mixture on bottom and 1 inch up sides of muffin or individual tart shells. (You can easily use an 8-inch pie plate as well.)
2. Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add onions and sauté until tender, about 10 minutes. Season with salt and ground pepper. Arrange onions in cracker crust. Beat milk, eggs and salt in medium bowl until blended. Pour egg mixture over onions in crust. Sprinkle cheese over filling. Sprinkle with paprika.
3. Bake pie until knife inserted into center comes out clean, about 30-40 minutes. Garnish with chopped chives and serve.
   Serves 6.

Grilled Sirloin Steak Sandwiches with Boursin and Arugula
2 (8-oz) packages cream cheese
2-3 Tbsp minced garlic
Fresh ground black pepper
Pinch of kosher salt
1 tsp fresh thyme, minced
1 (10-oz.) boneless sirloin
4-6 fresh-baked ciabatta rolls or mini baguettes
2 cups fresh arugula
1 jar roasted red peppers, drained
2 red onions
3 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp sugar
Olive oil

Directions

1. Soften the cream cheese and whip with the other ingredients, set aside. Season the steak with salt and pepper. Grill to a medium-rare on an outdoor grill or broiler. Let rest 15 minutes, then slice thin, removing any fat. Take fresh ciabatta roll, cut open and spread the garlic-cream cheese mixture on each side. Lay about 4 slices of steak on each roll and spread a large roasted red pepper over top. Top with a handful of arugula and balsamic red onion. Place the second half of roll on top, wrap in aluminum foil and keep refrigerated until ready to serve.
2. For balsamic red onions: In a sauté pot, heat olive oil and add red onion. Saute for 5 minutes, but do not brown. Add balsamic vinegar and sugar. Keep stirring for about 20 minutes over low-heat until onions are reduced. Add more balsamic as needed.

Sugar Snap Pea Salad with Sweet Ginger Soy Dressing
2 tsp dark sesame oil
1 Tbsp minced, peeled fresh ginger
1 Tbsp minced fresh garlic
¼ tsp crushed red pepper
1 Tbsp oyster sauce
1 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 Tbsp sugar
1/8 tsp salt
1 pound sugar snap peas, trimmed
½ cup julienne-cut carrot
½ cup drained, canned sliced water chestnuts
½ cup sliced mushrooms
½ cup julienne-cut red bell pepper
2 tsp sesame seeds, toasted

Directions

1. To prepare dressing, heat oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add ginger, sauté 2 minutes. Add garlic and crushed red pepper; cook 1 minute. Stir in oyster sauce, soy sauce, sugar and salt; bring to a simmer. Remove from heat; cool.
2. To prepare salad, cook peas in boiling water for 30 seconds. Drain and rinse with cold water. Combine peas, carrot, water chestnuts, mushrooms and red bell pepper. Drizzle dressing over salad; toss well.
3. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.

Avocado Dip

Ingredients
1 clove garlic, peeled and chopped
2 Tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbsp tarragon vinegar
½ tsp dried tarragon
6 anchovy fillets
¼ cup tarragon shallot mustard
1 cup mayonnaise
1 very ripe avocado, peeled, seeded and roughly mashed
3 Tbsp half-and-half
Salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste

Directions

1. Combine all ingredients in a food processor and blend, scraping down the sides of the processor bowl with a rubber spatula as necessary. Add salt and pepper and blend again.
Transfer the dip to a bowl, cover and refrigerate until needed. Serve with chilled snap peas, grape tomatoes, wasabi crackers and even shrimp.

Orange Poppyseed Bundt Cake

Ingredients
8 Tbsp (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 ½ cups sugar
4 eggs
2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
¾ cup milk
1/3 cup poppy seeds
1 tsp vanilla extract
Grated zest of 2 oranges
½ cup fresh orange juice
½ cup sugar

Directions

1. For the glaze: Combine the orange juice and sugar in a small saucepan and simmer gently for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until a light syrup forms. Remove from heat and keep warm until using.
2. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. Grease a 10-inch bundt pan. Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
3. Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together. Add to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk. Mix well after each addition. Fold in the poppy seeds, vanilla and grated orange zest. Pour the batter into the prepared bundt pan
4. Set on the center rack of the oven and bake until the edges shrink away slightly from the sides of the pan and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 50-60 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 30 minutes before turning it out onto a cake rack.
5. When the cake has cooled, prick holes in it 1 ½ inches apart with a long toothpick and pour the orange glaze evenly over the top. Serve warm with ice cream on the side.