Gazpacho And Seafood Cocktail With Flavored Popcorn

CREOLE SPICED SEAFOOD GAZPACHO

Steps:

• In a food processor with a metal blade, combine the chopped vegetables, shallots, garlic, horseradish, and cilantro. Puree the mixture until slightly smooth. Add the V-8 juice, Absolute Pepper Vodka, Worcestershire sauce, juice from 2 lemons and the liquid crab boil. Puree until the mixture is smooth. Season with cayenne, salt, and pepper. Remove the mixture from the food processor and refrigerate for 6 hours, so the flavors can marry. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the vegetables and blanch for 1 minute. Remove and shock the vegetables in a bowl of ice water. Remove the vegetables and pat dry. In a mixing bowl, whisk the extra virgin olive oil and remaining lemon juice together. Add the herbs and whisk well. Season with salt and pepper. In a mixing bowl, toss the brunoise vegetables with 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper. Toss each of the seafood with the remaining vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper. To assemble, place a pile of each seafood in the bowls. Ladle the gazpacho into each bowl. Spoon the vegetable relish in the center of each bowl. Garnish with the herb salad.

CHOCOLATE-ORANGE BROWN BUTTER FLAVORED POPCORN

Steps:

• Heat a 10-inch saute pan over medium-high heat on stovetop. Tilt the pan away from you, then add the butter. As you tilt the pan back, the butter will begin to brown. Add salt into the butter, then pour it over the popcorn. Mix well. With a grater, zest the skin of 1 orange, about 2 tablespoons and the chocolate over the popcorn and mix.
• Preheat a large cast iron Dutch oven on a stovetop over high heat. Add olive oil, then popcorn. As soon as it begins to pop, cover and turn down to medium heat until sound of popping stops, about 3 to 4 minutes.

CREOLE SPICED SEAFOOD GAZPACHO

Steps:

• In a food processor with a metal blade, combine the chopped vegetables, shallots, garlic, horseradish, and cilantro. Puree the mixture until slightly smooth. Add the vegetable juice, vodka, Worcestershire sauce, juice from 2 lemons and the liquid crab boil. Puree until the mixture is smooth. Season with cayenne, salt, and pepper. Remove the mixture from the food processor and refrigerate for 6 hours, so the flavors can marry.
• Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Add the vegetables and blanch for 1 minute. Remove and shock the vegetables in a bowl of ice water. Remove the vegetables and pat dry.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk the extra-virgin olive oil and remaining lemon juice together. Add the herbs and whisk well. Season with salt and pepper. In a mixing bowl, toss the brunoise vegetables with 1/4 cup of the vinaigrette and season with salt and pepper. Toss each of the seafood with the remaining vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper.
• To assemble, place a pile of each seafood in the bowls. Ladle the gazpacho into each bowl. Spoon the vegetable relish in the center of each bowl. Garnish with the herb salad.

BROWN BUTTER, ROSEMARY, AND LEMON POPCORN

Steps:

• Heat the popcorn and oil in a 1-gallon, heavy bottomed pot over medium-high heat. When the popcorns starts to pop, cover the pot tightly and continue to cook until all the popcorn pops, about 2 to 3 minutes, shaking the pot occasionally. Pour the popcorn into a large bowl.
• In a medium saute pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and cook until it is brown, shaking the pan occasionally. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the rosemary to the butter and pour the butter mixture over the popcorn. Toss well. Add the salt and pepper and lemon zest. Toss well.

BASIL-PARMESAN FLAVORED POPCORN

Steps:

• Drizzle basil infused oil over the popcorn. Grind grey salt in a spice grinder (a coffee grinder also works well for this purpose) until fine ¿ it will stick to the popcorn more evenly if the crystals are smaller. Add black pepper, then grate parmesan over the popcorn.;
• Preheat a large cast iron Dutch oven on a stovetop over high heat. Add olive oil, then popcorn. As soon as it begins to pop, cover and turn down to medium heat until sound of popping stops, about 3 to 4 minutes.