Kristen's Recipes

1/2 T. butter

2 halibut fillets

salt and pepper to taste

1 shallot (chopped)

2 cloves garlic (chopped)

1/2 C. of white wine

2 T. capers

1 T. butter

1 lemon (zest and juice)

2 T. dill or parsley (chopped)

Heat the oil and melt the butter in a pan. Season the halibut with salt and pepper.  Add the halibut to the pan and cook until lightly golden brown on both sides, about 3-5 minutes per side. Set the halibut aside.  Add the shallots to the pan and sauté until tender, about 3-5 minutes.  Add the garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 minute.  Add the white wine and deglaze the pan. Simmer to reduce the sauce a bit. Turn off the heat and add the capers, butter, lemon and dill or parsley.

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12 shrimp (16/20 count), peeled and deveined
2 T. Cajun seasoning
1/4 C. olive oil
1/4 pound Andouille sausage, medium dice
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C. butter
1 tsp. cayenne pepper
1 tsp. red pepper flakes
1/2 C. roasted piquillo peppers, medium dice
1/4 C. red wine (such as Merlot)
1/4 C. chopped fresh herbs (equal parts parsley, thyme and basil)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Toss shrimp in Cajun seasoning; set aside for 15 minutes. In a heavy-bottomed sauté pan, heat oil; brown the sausage. Add garlic and butter; sauté for 1 minute. Add shrimp; sauté for 1 to 2 minutes, just until they turn pink. Stir in cayenne pepper, piquillo peppers, and pepper flakes; add wine and fresh herbs. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes; season to taste with salt and pepper.

Smoked Cheddar Grits

4 C. milk
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. coarsely ground black pepper
1 T. butter
1 C. yellow grits
Crushed red pepper flakes to taste
1 T. pepper sauce
4 ounces shredded smoked cheddar cheese
2 green onions, finely sliced on the bias

In medium saucepan, bring milk, salt, pepper and butter to a boil. Slowly pour in grits; cook over low heat about 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes to prevent sticking. Add pepper flakes and sauce; continue cooking. When consistency resembles cooked oatmeal and grits are tender, add cheese and stir.

Place a portion of grits in center of a soup-style serving dish. Spoon shrimp in sauce atop grits. Garnish with finely sliced green onions.

1 1/2 C. fresh fennel

1 T. fennel fronds, chopped, with a few fennel stalks reserved

8.5 oz. puff pastry, thawed

1 T. olive oil or vegetable oil

3 T. unsalted butter, divided

1 small shallot, minced

1/4-C. dry white wine

1 C. mushrooms, sliced

2 tsp. finely chopped tarragon or chervil, optional

1 1/2 lb. skinless salmon fillet, sliced crosswise 1/2-inch thick then cut into 1-inch pieces

1 C. milk

1/4-C. cornstarch

Kosher salt and freshly ground white pepper

 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Bring chicken broth to a boil over high heat with reserved fennel stalks and fronds and simmer until reduced by half. On a lightly floured work surface with a floured rolling pin, roll out puff pastry to 1/8-inch thickness. Using an inverted two-C. ramekin or individual casserole, trace four circles from puff pastry dough with a sharp knife, creating a one-inch overhang. Place circles on a parchment-lined baking sheet, cover them with plastic wrap and chill. In a heavy skillet, melt butter on medium-high and add chopped fennel fronds, reserved chopped fennel stalks and shallot and white wine. Cook, stirring, for two minutes, then reduce heat and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, about seven minutes. Add sliced mushrooms and continue cooking and stirring until fennel and mushrooms are tender, about two minutes. Add herbs if using and salmon pieces, stir to combine and reserve. Mix cornstarch and milk together until cornstarch is dissolved. Whisk milk mixture into simmering broth and continue whisking until liquids are incorporated and mixture thickens into gravy. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, an additional two minutes to cook starch. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir one and a half C. gravy into salmon-fennel mixture.  Assembly:  Butter four individual two-C. ramekins. Distribute salmon mixture evenly in the ramekins, but do not over-fill. Spoon in some additional gravy and put a pat of remaining butter in each ramekin. Top each with a pastry circle, curling the edges of the overhang upward and pressing gently just inside the lip of the ramekin to adhere pastry. Place ramekins on a baking sheet in preheated oven and bake until golden brown and bubbly, about 15 minutes.

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1 T. olive oil

3/4 C. finely chopped onion

1 clove garlic, minced

2 16 oz. cans Italian-style tomatoes, drained and chopped

3 T. sliced black olives

1 T. capers

1/2 tsp. dried oregano

1/4 tsp. dried marjoram

1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper

Cut the body of the squid into 1/2 inch slices; set aside. Heat olive oil in a large skillet; add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is tender. Add squid and remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes or until squid is tender. Serve over a bed of rice.

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1 1/2 pounds (675 g) little neck clams

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 large shallot, diced

1 medium fennel bulb, diced

2 medium Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and diced

1 quart (1 liter) chicken stock

2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

Pinch piment d’Espelette

Chives and fresh parsley, to garnish

In a medium pot, combine the clams and 1 cup (250 ml) water. Cover and cook over medium high heat until the clams open, about 5 minutes (depending on their size). Remove the clams from the pot and reserve the liquid. In a medium pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and fennel. Cook for 7 minutes until soft and translucent (do not brown). Add the potatoes, chicken stock and reserved clam juice. Bring liquid to a boil, cover pot, and simmer for 15 minutes. Add the parsley, salt and pepper and puree it in a blender.  Serve the fennel and shallot cream with the clams and sprinkle a bit of piment d’Espelette on top.