Finfish
Salmon en Papillote (Salmon in Parchment)
En papillote simply means “in paper” in French, so “salmon en papillote” describes the classically French method of cooking salmon in parchment paper. For our salmon en papillote recipe, you wrap each portion of salmon in a little parchment paper packet along with some sliced zucchini and fennel bulb, dill, lemon and a little olive oil and then bake it.
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs Salmon cut into 4 pieces
- 1 Small zucchini thinly sliced
- 1 Head fennel thinly sliced
- 1 Lemon thinly sliced
- 1 Frond Fresh Dill
- 1 tbsp Olive oil
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1/2 tsp Pepper
Instructions
- Cut parchment into 4 large ovals 15” by 10” inches. And fold in half.
- On half of each parchment layer on ¼ of the zucchini, ¼ the fennel, 1 piece of salmon, sprinkle with ¼ tsp salt, ¼ pepper, ¼ tsp dill, lemon slices, drizzle with ¼ cup olive oil and a few pieces of fennel fronds. Repeat with the three remaining salmon fillets.
- Close the parchment by folding the other half over the prepared salmon and carefully roll the open edges toward the center.
- Set pouches on a baking sheet and bake on the center rack for 15 minutes.
- Open carefully using a fork and serve.
Notes
- A note on seasonality. May-October is salmon season in the U.S., and that is when you can expect to find the best stuff most widely available.
- Variety. From Coho to King, to super-meaty Copper River salmon, most any variety of wild salmon that looks bright pink and marbled with at least a little fat will be delicious in the salmon in parchment recipe.
- Wild vs farmed. Wild salmon is usually better than farmed—better tasting, better for you, better for the environment. However, responsibly farmed salmon can be a better choice than irresponsibly caught wild salmon.
Cut a piece of parchment paper into a large oval shape 
Fold the parchment sheet in half to make a clean, sharp crease in the paper, and open it back up 
Make multiple folds to create a tight seal En papillote cooking depends on a tight seal to trap steam
Tuscan Broiled Trout
A simple garlic-and-herb-infused oil combined with wine vinegar acts as both a basting liquid and a sauce for the fish. The trout skin protects the flesh and turns an appealing golden brown during broiling.
Servings 4
Ingredients
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 clove garlic cut into thin slices
- ½ teaspoon dried sage
- ½ teaspoon dried rosemary crumbled
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
- 4 trout fillets about 1 pound total
Instructions
- Preheat the broiler. Combine the oil, garlic, sage, and rosemary in a sauce pan. Cook over moderately low heat until the garlic just starts to color, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and immediately stir in the vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and the pepper.
- Put the trout fillets on a foil-lined half sheet pan. Sprinkle the fish with the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add half of the oil-and-vinegar mixture and turn to coat. Grill or broil the fish skin-side DOWN for 2 minutes. Turn and cook until just done, about 2 minutes longer for 1/4-inch-thick fillets.
- To serve, whisk the remaining oil-and-vinegar mixture and drizzle some over the hot fish. Serve with any remaining vinaigrette on the side.
Notes
This is also a wonderful GRILLED way of preparing trout. If grilling, start skin side DOWN and finish with flesh side on the grate.
How to Fillet a Roundfish
Filleting a roundfish is easy if you follow these steps. Just be sure to use your sharpest knife, whether it’s a fillet knife or a chef’s knife.
Instructions
- Before you fillet a whole fish, it should be scaled. Doing the job yourself isn’t difficult, but it’s messy because the scales tend to fly all over and you find them in weird places around the kitchen for days. Scale the whole fish submerged in water or inside a plastic bag to make cleanup easier. Hold the fish firmly by the tail and scrape the knife from the tail to the head of the fish removing the scales in a stroking motion – they should flake off quite easily.
- Rinse the fish under running water and pat dry. Position it on a cutting board with its back towards you. Using a sharp knife held behind the gills and side fin, cut straight down halfway through the fish to the backbone, being sure to include the meaty spot right behind the top of the head.
- Turn the knife parallel to the board (at a 90-degree angle to your first cut) and cut along the spine from head to tail, removing the belly flap with the fillet. You’ll need to apply a fair amount of pressure at first to break through the rib bones. As you cut, press down firmly on top of the fish to steady it.
- Finish removing the fillet by cutting all the way through the skin at the tail. Repeat steps 1 through 3 on the other side of the fish.
- Remove the rib bones and belly flap by cutting under the top of the rib bones to the bottom of the fillet at a 45-degree angle. There is some meat here, but on small fish it is minimal. (On larger fish like tuna, this fatty belly is thicker and very flavorful.)
- Finally, check for pin bones. Some fish have little bones that run along the midline of the fillet and are nearly impossible to see. To remove them, feel along the fillet to locate each bone and then pluck it out with a pair of clean needle-nose or fish pliers. Pull the bones out in the direction they are pointing, as you would a splinter.
Shellfish
Shrimp Scampi
Classic Italian Shrimp Appetizer (or Entree)
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 1 lbs peeled and deveined shrimp
- 4 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp EVO
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- ½ cup unsweetened white grape juice
- 2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- pinch crushed red pepper
- Salt and pepper to taste
- ¼ cup Chopped parsley for garnish
Instructions
- Heat EVO and two tablespoons of butter in a saute pan over medium-high heat.
- Add minced garlic and cook until fragrant but not browned – about 1 minute.
- Add white grape juice, vinegar, crushed red pepper, and half the lemon juice. Scrape up fond. Cook until reduced by half.
- Add shrimp and cook for 2-4 minutes. DO NOT OVERCOOK!!!
- Remove from heat. Add remaining butter, cut into small pieces. Stir to melt.
- Taste and add more lemon juice, salt, and pepper if necessary. Garnish with Parsley. Serve immediately.
Notes
Fun Facts
- “Scampi” is the Italian word for langoustine, a type of crustacean that’s common in Europe (scampi are also called Norway lobsters and Dublin Bay prawns) and is much bigger than even jumbo shrimp. In Italy, a quick sauté in butter, olive oil and garlic (and sometimes white wine) is the traditional way to serve them.
- Italian Americans called it “Shrimp Scampi” because it refers to cooking SHRIMP the same way they used to cook SCAMPI.
How to Peel and Devein a Shrimp
It's not hard. It doesn't even take very long. The only real trick is to keep the shrimp cold while you work and to not shred the delicate shrimp while you work. Get to it.
Instructions
- First pull off the legs: This isn’t strictly necessary and you can pull off the shell without removing the legs, but it's best to get them out of the way
- Break open the shell along the underside and peel off: Work your thumbs underneath the shell and crack it open. As the shell cracks, you’ll be able to peel it away from the shrimp.
- The tail can often be left on for cooking, if you like.
- If you’d like to take off the tail now, pinch the tail where it meets the body of the shrimp and gently pull. The rest of the shrimp should pull cleanly out of the tail.
- To devein the shrimp, first score the shrimp along its back with a paring knife: Gently run your paring knife along the back of the shrimp. DO NOT cut very deeply — a shallow cut is fine.
- Look for the vein: The vein will look like a long gritty string. You may not find a vein in every shrimp — that’s ok. The size of the vein depends on the diet of the shrimp.
- Pull out the vein with your paring knife: Gently pull up the vein with the tip of your paring knife, starting near the top and continuing to the bottom. It’s fairly elastic, so it usually doesn’t break. If it does, try rinsing it out with cool water.
Mollusks
Steamed Clams with Garlic and Butter
Serve this classic New England dish with lots of crusty bread.
Ingredients
- 25 littleneck clams in shell scrubbed
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 3/4 cup white grape juice unsweetened
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Instructions
- Wash clams to remove any dirt or sand. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat.
- Add garlic; saute for 1 minute, or until tender. Pour in the juice and vinegar. Boil until reduced to half its original volume.
- Add clams, cover, and steam till clams start to open. Add butter, cover, and cook till most or all of the clams open.
- Discard any clams that do not open. Transfer clams and juice to a large bowl for sharing. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve.
Notes
Fun Facts
- All clams are a special type of shellfish called a mollusks, an animal with a two-part, hinged shell. Most of the hard-shelled clams we eat are actually called quahogs (pronounced coe-hog).
- Quahogs are a species of hard-shelled clam and the one we most commonly enjoy in our chowders and po boys. All the other names for clams – littleneck, cherrystone, top neck or count neck, and quahog – are this same species of clam and just refer to how large the clam has grown
- Which type of clam to buy depends on how you want to prepare them. The clams get tougher and chewier as they get larger, making these sizes ideal for chowders, stuffing, frying, and other cooked preparations. Choose smaller sizes when quickly steaming, grilling, or eating raw.
Cephalopods
Fried Calamari
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 1 pound squid slice the squid bodies into rings and reserve the tentacles
- 3 cups peanut oil or amount needed for frying
- 4 medium eggs
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 4 tablespoons semolina flour
- Fine sea salt to taste
- 1 lemon for garnish (cut into wedges)
Instructions
- Rinse the squid pieces in running water and pat completely dry with paper towels.
- In a large high-walled, heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat, heat several inches of oil to 350 F or until a small cube of bread dropped into the oil browns in about 30 seconds.
- Place the flour in a shallow bowl. Lightly beat the eggs in a large mixing bowl. Place the semolina in a small bowl.
- Dredge the calamari rings in the flour, shaking them to remove excess. Dip the floured rings in the egg and then in the semolina.
- Fry dredged calamari in several batches to avoid overcrowding, until crisp and lightly golden, about 1 to 2 minutes.
- Using a fine-mesh spider or a slotted spoon, transfer the fried calamari to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
- Season to taste with salt and serve immediately with lemon wedges.
I no longer eat octopus. They are smart, emotionally sensitive, and I can’t bring myself to do it anymore. Which is sad, since grilled octopus used to be my favorite seafood. If you want to learn how to cook an octopus…. learn it from someone else.
Chef