Remoulade Sauce

This is a variation of an Emeral Lagasse recipe for the spicy sauce. You can vary it based on the type of mustard you use. I use all Dijon but the original calls for Creole mustard and yellow mustard in equal amounts.

• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  
• 3/4 cup vegetable oil
  
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup chopped green onions
• 1/4 cup chopped celery leaves
  
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
• 6 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 3 tablespoons ketchup
• 3 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Add all the ingredients except the oil to a blender and blend until smooth. With the blender running slowly add the vegetable oil to form an emulsion. Store in the refrigerator and serve with fried or cold seafood.

Paella

Paella

Book: SteveChapter: MAIN COURSE
Serves: 6

Paella is a traditional Spanish dish often cooked outdoors on a fire. In the summertime, using my gas grill keeps me from heating up the kitchen. Making it indoors in the oven and on the stovetop works fine.

There are probably as many recipes for Paella as there are cooks that make it.

The more authentic way of preparing it calls for the formation of a slightly crispy, crunchy layer called socorrat. People do, sometimes, make it without the socorrat, probably because it is a little more difficult and if the cook isn't careful the batch can end up burnt. The socorrat has a very nice texture and is much sought after by purists.

Paella is is a very forgiving dish that adapts well to what items are available.

I use a 15 inch diameter Paella pan that can be placed on two burners of my gas stove at once during the socorrat forming stage.

I also make a different recipe that I cloned from a Mexican restaurant for those that like a Mexican "take" on the dish. That one calls for flat leaf parsley or cilantro and some red and also some green, canned jalapenos.

This recipe for six allows for "seconds" or could accommodate a few more people.

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 red onion, diced

1 teaspoon minced garlic

20 shellfish

2 Spanish Chorizo sausages, browned and cut into chunks. This is sometimes hard to find in Minnesota and a good substitute is a mild Italian sausage.

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into strips18 raw, shrimp, deveined.

Some people like peeled shrimp. Un-peeled has a different flavor when cooked and, I think, a nice rustic presentation.

1 tomato, chopped

1 teaspoon saffron threads

Salt and pepper to taste

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1/4 teaspoon cumin

3 cups medium grained rice . Bomba is traditional. Any hard grain medium rice will work fine. Short grain seems to work well too.

6 cups chicken broth

1 small, green,red,yellow, orange pepper cut into strips. If you can get the Costco bags of mini peppers, they actually work better at a lower cost.

4 ounces peas

Lemon wedges, to garnish

Serves: 6-8

Preparation

Preheat oven to 225°
Prep the items.
Scrub and debeard the mussels. Scrub clams, discard any that don't close when tapped. Steam in water, wine, chicken broth or a combination. Set aside. Note: Some cooks put the shellfish directly in the pan but I have overcooked them, on occasion, that way.

Slice the chicken into strips. Half (partial) cook in oil. Set aside. The chicken will finish cooking in the Paella pan

If the sausages are raw, brown them in a pan, cut into 1 inch chunks and set aside.
If you use the Paella pan for browning, leave the fond or "little bits" in the pan for extra flavor. You might need to deglaze to prevent them from burning during the rest of the cooking process.

Wash the shrimp. At least devein. Peel, if you prefer. Set aside.

Heat the paella pan on the stove to medium. Add the oil and bring temperature.

Sauté onions for a few minutes. Do not allow to burn.

Add the rice and allow a few grains to toast.

Pour in one half of the chicken broth.

Add the spices & tomatos and stir.

While the dish is coming to temperature, arrange the peppers, sausage, shrimp and chicken in a spoked pattern.

Place the paella pan in the oven, uncovered.
Add the rest of the broth.

After 20 or 25 minutes test the rice for doneness. If too dry, add a little water or broth.

Arrange the shellfish in the pan, placing a teaspoon of the steaming liquid on each one.

Sprinkle the pan with the peas.

Cover the pan and place on burners over medium heat.
Turn the pan 1/8 turn after each 60 seconds.

When you smell the rice getting toasty and hear the crackle, the socorrat is forming, so take a little peek with a spatula. If it has formed, you are ready to garnish and serve.

Oysters Bienville

I found this recipe on the net and it's evidently Emeril Lagasse's variation. I served it at a party where oysters were the star of the show and everyone loved it. I used half bacon and half pancetta in my version. The recipe says it does 36 oysters but using about 3 inch small oysters I did over 50 and still had mix left. I think the mix would be good on any seafood and then baked..but then this mix would probably be good on cardboard!

1/2 lb sliced bacon, , chopped
1 cup chopped yellow onions
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups milk
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 lb white button mushrooms, wiped clean,stems trimmed,and chopped (about 2 cups)
1 lb medium shrimp, peeled,deveined,and chopped
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chopped green onions or scallions (, green part only)
3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
4 large egg yolks, lightly beaten
36 medium oysters, shucked and drained,reserve the deeper bottom shells
rock salt (optional)

1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, fry the bacon until crisp, about 8 minutes.
2. Add the onions, salt, and cayenne and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
3. Add the garlic and butter, and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes until the butter melts.
4. Add the flour and, stirring slowly and constantly, cook for 2 minutes.
5. Add the milk and wine and stir to blend.
6. Reduce the heat to medium, then add the mushrooms and shrimp.
7. Stir and fold to mix and cook until the mixture is very thick, about 12 minutes.
8. Add the lemon juice, green onions, and parsley and stir to mix well.
9. Remove from the heat, add the beaten egg yolks, and blend well.
10. Let cool to room temperature.
11. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
12. Arrange the reserved oyster shells on a bed of rock salt in 4 pie pans or on a large baking sheet.
13. Put an oyster in each shell and top it with about 2 heaping tablespoons of the sauce.
14. Or, the oysters can be put in a shallow pan (without the shells and rock salt) and topped with the sauce to bake.
15. Bake until the sauce is delicately browned and the oysters begin to curl at the edges, about 20 minutes. (I baked them for 15 and then broiled for about 2)
16. Serve hot.