Category: American Foods

Sautéed Shrimp Sautéed Shrimp Shrimp will have more flavor if sautéed in the shell, but your guests will then have to peel them while they are hot and oily. The choice is yours. Because they don’t need to be cooked over the same extremely high heat that scallops demand, any oil or cooking fat can be used. Ingredients – 1½ to 2 pounds headless shrimp. – 2 tablespoons butter or olive oil. – Salt. – Pepper. Instructions Step 1:Rinse the shrimp and, if you wish, peel and devein them. In…

Braised Scallops with Fennel Braised Scallops with Fennel Here, the scallops are braised in a vegetable broth flavored with fennel stalks, and then the fennel bulb, cut into wedges and braised, is served as an accompaniment. The broth can be made ahead of time. Ingredients – 1 fennel bulb, preferably with lots of stalks and fronds. – ½ cup dry white wine. – 1 teaspoon coriander seeds. – 16 large sea scallops for main courses; 18 small sea scallops, or 6 very large sea scallops, for first courses. – 4…

Scallops in White Wine–Herb Sauce Scallops in White Wine–Herb Sauce One of the easiest sauces for scallops and other shellfish is a white wine sauce with shallots, finished with a swirl of butter. You can add chopped herbs to the sauce, either at the beginning with the shallots if using oil-rich herbs, such as thyme or marjoram, or at the end if using delicate herbs, such as parsley or chervil. This sauce is fairly liquid, so you will need to serve the scallops in soup plates. If you want a…

Sautéed Sea Scallops Sautéed Sea Scallops If you are serving scallops as a first course or as part of a multicourse dinner, serve a single very large scallop for a stunning presentation. If you are serving the scallops as the main course, make them in White Wine– Herb Sauce. Ingredients – 16 large sea scallops for main courses; 18 small sea scallops, or 6 very large sea scallops, for first courses. – 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, olive oil, or grapeseed oil. – Salt, preferably fleur de sel. – Pepper. Instructions…

Hot Oysters on the Half Shell Hot Oysters on the Half Shell Hot oysters in the shell make an appealing first course or hors d’oeuvre. The various elements—the creamed spinach, the hollandaise, and the oysters themselves—can be prepared ahead of time and then broiled just before serving. You can also vary the topping and the vegetable bed on which the oysters sit (see variations). This is a rich dish, so 3 oysters are usually the right amount for a first course. Ingredients – 12 oysters, shucked. – One 10-ounce bunch…

Oyster “Gazpacho” Oyster “Gazpacho” This mildly spicy soup-stew gets its tang from lime juice and its spice from dried and fresh chiles. It draws additional savor from tiny cubes of prosciutto. Ingredients – 3 tomatoes. – ½ cup water. – 1 large mild dried chile such as guajillo, mulato, ancho, chilhuacle negro, or pasilla, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes to soften, seeded, and finely chopped. – 1 poblano chile, charred, peeled, and seeded and then cut into ⅛-inch dice. – 1 red bell pepper, charred, peeled, and seeded…

Oyster Pan Fry Oyster Pan Fry This is really a stew more than a panfry—a panfry involves fat and high heat—but the name sticks because of the famous panfry at the oyster bar in New York City’s Grand Central Station, where you can feast on dozens of oyster varieties, raw and cooked. Oysters pack so much flavor that this dish requires nothing more than oysters, cream, and a grind of fresh pepper. Some people may want to have soda crackers available as a crunchy counterpoint or for crumbling into the…

American-Style Potato Salad American-Style Potato Salad A so-called American potato salad is made with mayonnaise instead of the vinaigrette the French traditionally use, and a little diced celery is added for crunch. Buy large potatoes, to cut down on peeling time. This is usually tossed but looks more elegant left layered. Ingredients – 3 pounds red or white waxy potatoes. – 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley, chopped at the last minute. – ¾ cup mayonnaise, homemade or purchased. – 1 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar if using bottled mayonnaise,…