Use your food processor or a mortar and pestle to create this deliciously easy marinade for shrimp, or all kinds of seafood. Grill outdoors, use a grill pan, or broil the shrimp in the oven– whichever your method you choose, the results are sure to be satisfying Serve it on a bed of wild rice, cous cous, dumplings, or a mixed greens and alongside seasonal vegetables.

4 servings

• 16 jumbo shrimp (1 ½ pounds)
• 3 garlic cloves
• one, ¾-inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 1 tbsp chopped oregano
• 1 tbsp chopped sage
• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper
• 1 lemon, zest finely grated and lemon cut in half
• kosher salt
• ½ cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• freshly ground pepper

Using kitchen scissors, cut down the back of each shrimp through the shell and halfway through the meat. Remove the dark veins and transfer the shrimp in their shells to a large bowl.

In a mortar or food processor, crush the garlic, ginger, oregano, sage, cilantro, crushed red pepper and lemon zest with 1 teaspoon of kosher salt until a coarse paste forms. Stir in the ½ cup of olive oil. Pour the mixture over the shrimp and toss to coat thoroughly. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour.

Light a grill. Grill the shrimp over moderately high heat, turning once, until white throughout, about 4 minutes. Transfer the grilled shrimp to plates. Squeeze the lemon halves over the shrimp, drizzle with olive oil, season lightly with salt and pepper and serve at once.

Source: Food & Wine Annual Cookbook, 2008

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This delicious combination of shrimp, tomatoes and feta cheese make it the perfect cold weather comfort food. One of our favorite recipes to deliver to friends who are extra busy,be sure to bring along some crusty bread, steamed white rice and a green salad to accompany it.

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• ½ tsp hot red-pepper flakes
• ½ tsp ground cinnamon
• ¼ tsp ground allspice
• 1 (28-oz) can whole tomatoes in juice, drained, reserving juice, and chopped
• pinch of sugar
• 1 ¼ lb large peeled and deveined shrimp
• ¼ lb feta, crumbled (2/3 cup)
• 2 tbsp chopped dill

Preheat oven to 375°F with rack in middle

Cook onion and garlic in oil with ¼ teaspoon salt in a 4-quart heavy saucepan over medium heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in spices and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add chopped tomatoes with juice and sugar and simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.

Season shrimp with 1/8 teaspoon salt, then stir into tomato sauce. Transfer to a 2-quart shallow baking dish and top with feta. Bake until just cooked through, 18-20 minutes. Serve sprinkled with dill.

Serves 4

Source: Gourmet November 2008

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Try making on a weeknight – it’s perfect with rice, pasta or a good chewy bread since the sauce is so addictive. It also makes a hard-to-beat recipe, with the shrimp served on toothpicks for dipping. Other seafood you can use: similar-sized scallops (or larger, though they’ll take longer to cook); crawfish, peeled or not; mussels or clams.

• 2 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 6 scallions, roughly chopped
• 1 small bunch fresh parsley (thin stems are okay; discard thick ones)
• 2 lbs. shrimp, 20-30 per pound, peeled
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/3 cup shrimp, fish, or chicken stock, white wine or water

Heat the oven to 500F. Combine the garlic and oil in a food processor and pulse until smooth, scraping down the sides as necessary. Add the scallions and parsley, and pulse until the mixture is minced. Toss this mixture with the shrimp and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Put the shrimp in a roasting pan that will hold the comfortably in one layer. Add the liquid and put the pan in the oven. Roast, stirring once, until the mixture is bubbly and hot and the shrimp are all pink, 10-15 minutes. Serve immediately.

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Serves 3-4

• ½ lb wide, flat rice noodles, medium or large width
• 12 large shrimp (21/30), shelled and deveined
• ½ lb skinless, boneless chicken breast, thinly sliced
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 5 tbsp fish sauce
• 3 tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 4 tbsp sugar
• 1 tsp crushed red pepper, optional
• 4 tbsp canola oil
• 2 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 2 ½ cups fresh bean sprouts
• 3 scallions, bulbs split and cut into 1-inch pieces
• ¼ cup unsalted dry-roasted peanuts, chopped
• cilantro sprigs for garnish (optional)
• ½ lime, cut into wedges

Soak the noodles in hot water for about 15 minutes or until soft. Drain. In a medium mixing bowl, mix the shrimp and chicken with cornstarch. In a small bowl, mix together the fish sauce, lime juice, ketchup, sugar, and red pepper, if using. Astir until the sugar is dissolved.

In a wok or stir-fry pan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil of medium-high heat until hot, but not smoking. Add the garlic and stir a few times until it sizzles; do not allow the garlic to brown. Stir up the shrimp and chicken mixture and add to the pan, stirring constantly until no pink remains in the chicken, about 3 minutes. Add the fish sauce mixture and stir until mixture coms to a boil. Add the softened rice noodles and stir for about 2 minutes or until the liquid is almost completely absorbed. Remove the noodles to a platter and set aside.

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the same pan and add the eggs. Let set a few seconds, then lightly scramble, breaking them into small pieces with a spatula. Return the noodles to the pan and add the bean sprouts and scallions, reserving a small amount of each for garnishing the finished dish. Stir for 30 seconds to mix and transfer the noodles to a plate. Garnish with peanuts, reserved scallions and bean sprouts, and cilantro. Squeeze lime wedges over the top and serve immediately.

Source: Easy Asian Noodles, by Helen Chen, John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Copyright 2010 by Helen Chen

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Makes 7 cups, 6 first-course servings

• 3 tbsp Roux
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• ½ cup minced onions
• 1 cup uncooked corn, scraped from about 2 ears
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 2 tbsp minced celery
• 1 cup crab stock or fish stock
• 2 tsp salt
• ¼ tsp white pepper
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 cups milk
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1 tsp liquid crab boil
• ½ lb (about 1 cup) lump crabmeat, pickd over for shells and cartilage
• ¼ cup chopped green onions
• ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce

Prepare the Roux, set aside 3 tablespoons, and refrigerate the rest for future use.

Heat the oil in a large pot over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and corn and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in the garlic and celery and sauté for 30 seconds. Add the stock, salt, pepper, and bay leaves and bring to a boil.

Stir in the milk, cream, and crab boil. Bring back to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Whisk in the Roux 1 tablespoon at a time until thoroughly incorporated into the soup. Reduce the heat to low and continue to cook, whisking until the mixture thickens.

Stir in the crabmeat, green onions, and Worcestershire sauce and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes.

To serve, ladle 1 generous cup of the bisque into each of the 6 soup plates.

Note: liquid crab boil can be purchased at many specialty food stores.

Source: Emeril’s New Orleans Cooking, Emeril Lagasse & Jessica Tirsch, 1993, William Morrow and Company, Inc. 

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With its dense texture, the monkfish is the perfect backdrop for the delicious shallot infused sauce. If you can’t find monkfish, substitute cod, halibut, haddock, or lobster.

1 monkfish tail (800 g / 1.8 lb)

3 thin slices smoked ham

1 sprig fresh thyme

2  tbsp oil

Salt, pepper

For the sauce:

2 shallots

1⁄2 cup white wine

1 beef stock cube

3 oz butter

2 tbsp mustard

Salt, pepper

Ask your fishmonger to take out the central bone from the monkfish, in order to obtain 2 filets.

Spread out the thin slices of smoked ham on the work surface. Season with salt, pepper and the thyme. Spread the monkfish filets onto the ham, then wrap them up tightly. Secure them with a cocktail sticks.

Preheat the oven at 180°C / 360°F (gas mark 6).

Heat the oil in a deep frying pan. Fry the monkfish to get it brown on both sides, for 3 – 4 minutes. Place it in an oval dish, and put it in the hot oven for 20 minutes.

During this time, make the sauce. Peel and chop the shallots and fry for approx. 4 minutes until brown.

Pour in the white wine and scrape the bottom of the pan with a spoon to dissolve the cooking juices. Add the stock cube and leave the sauce to reduce over a small flame, stirring well to dissolve the cube.

Add the mustard and butter without letting the sauce boil. Season with salt and pepper.

Pour the sauce over the monkfish and put the dish back in the oven for 10 minutes.

Take out the cocktail sticks and cut the roasted filet into 6 slices (this can be done directly in the oval dish). Serve immediately.

Serves: 6

Source: Emile Henry (www.EmileHenry.com)

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