TIPS
Although it seems daunting at first, cooking seafood is simple and fun as long as you follow a few basic rules:
1. Do not overcook fish.
2. Keep your fish moist during cooking.
3. When grilling or pan frying, keep the fish in one place to avoid damage to the appearance caused by sticking.
4. If possible cover the fish while cooking to keep in the moisture.
5. Seasoning is good (use sea salt if possible).
6. Do not overcook fish!
At Codfathers, we consider seafood to be the ultimate in fast food, quick to prepare, varied in flavour and texture, beautiful to look at and pretty good as well
Enjoy!!
RECIPES
Scallops with Lardons "A La Creme"
Sautee 4oz of unsmoked bacon lardons or chopped streaky bacon in a hot skillet with no oil until crispy. Add some fresh or dried sage (use parsley or basil as an alternative). Add 14oz of large scallops to the pan and sautee in the bacon juices for 30 seconds or so, then immediately start adding a cup and a half of wine, pouring in slowly over about 30 seconds so as to allow the pan to retain some heat.
As soon as the wine is all in, start to add sour cream (or heavy cream) until the sauce looks creamy rather than watery (4-6 tablespoons usually does the trick). The scallops should get about 3-4 minutes poaching time in the sauce before being removed to a warm storage area. The sauce should then be reduced at a high simmer for 5 minutes until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (it can be thickened with a paste of cornstarch and milk if necessary). Season with black pepper but not with salt (enough salt already from the bacon).
Serve the scallops piled on top of a bed of wild or basmati rice with the bacon and wine sauce poured over top and garnish with chopped fresh sage of parsley if available.
Serves two.
Mussels In White Wine Garlic Broth
Sautee 5 sliced cloves of garlic in a deep pot in un-salted butter on a low heat for 2 minutes. Add two cups of white wine and bring to the simmer. Add two pounds of mussels to the broth, and gently toss them to coat with the liquor. Place a lid on the pot and simmer for 3-4 minutes. When the mussels have opened, remove them from the pot. Either leave them in the shell, or remove some or all from their shells, and place in a warm part of the oven. With the remaining sauce add either sour cream or dairy cream until the mixture looks thin but definitely creamy, then stir and reduce on a medium heat for 5-10 minutes (keep tasting until it is good). Check seasoning and add salt if required. Add some roughly chopped or torn fresh herbs at the last minute (cilantro, tarragon, basil or oregano are good), simmer for 30 seconds more then spoon over the mussels in serving bowls. Serve with crusty white bread and a crisp dry white wine!
Grilled Sea Bass With Beurre Blanc
Add 2oz of finely chopped shallots or onions, 2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar, 4 tablespoons of dry white wine and 6 tablespoons of fish stock or water to a small pan, bring to a boil and simmer it until nearly all of the liquid has evaporated. Add 2 tablespoons of heavy cream and reduce a little more, then remove from the heat and whisk in 6 oz of unsalted butter, a little at a time. This is now a Beurre Blanc sauce. Brush four 6-8 oz fillets of Sea Bass with a little melted butter and season with sea salt and black pepper and broil them under a hot broiler for 5 minutes on each side. Sieve the beurre blanc into a warm jug for serving, and serve the Bass together with some lightly steamed or poached asparagus, which has been seasoned with sea salt and the sauce on the side.
Serves Four
Balsamic Octopus Salad
Clean and halve 1lb of baby octopus. Place the octopus in a bowl with 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 1/4 cup of white wine, 2 tablespoons of honey and a good pinch of crushed black pepper, Refrigerate for 30 minutes. Slice an eggplant and a yellow pepper, brush with olive and grill until soft. Drain the octopus and grill for 2 minutes. Place the eggplant, yellow peppers and octopus on top of some endive and basil leaves until crisp in olive oil and sprinkle over the salad.
