Seafood Bread

CRAWFISH BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Rinse the crawfish. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for a few minutes. Add the tomatoes, Cajun seasoning and crawfish. Saute for 1 minute. Remove from the heat.
• In a bowl, mix together the cheeses, mayonnaise and parsley. Add the tomato and crawfish mixture to the mayo mixture.
• Cut the loaf of bread in half and then cut the bread lengthwise. Spoon the mixture on the bread and bake for 10 to 15 minutes. Then broil for an additional 3 to 5 minutes. Watch closely, as not to burn. Cut the bread into individual portions.

SEAFOOD SANDWICH

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, flake the crabmeat, and mix in mayonnaise, onion, lemon juice and Old Bay seasoning. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the flavors to mingle.
• Spread butter on the inside of the hot dog buns, and toast under the broiler. Fill buns with the crab salad, and serve.

HOT SEAFOOD SPREAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, beat the first nine ingredients until blended. Cut the top fourth off the loaf of bread; carefully hollow out bottom, leaving a 1/2-in. shell. Cube removed bread; set aside. Fill bread shell with seafood mixture. , Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Cover top edges loosely with foil. Bake at 350° for 25 minutes. Remove foil; bake 25-35 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown and spread is heated through. Serve with vegetables and bread cubes.

SEAFOOD BAKE FOR TWO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Arrange the halibut, scallops, and shrimp in an oven-safe, glass baking dish. Drizzle with wine, butter, and lemon juice. Sprinkle with the seasoning and garlic. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Bake in preheated oven until the halibut has turned white, and is flaky, 10 to 12 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley just before serving.

SEAFOOD FRA DIAVALO WITH CHARRED GARLIC BREAD

Steps:

• For the lobster: Heat a large pot of water over high heat until it comes to a boil. Quickly blanch the lobsters just long enough so the shells turn red and the meat isn't fully cooked but can be removed from the shells, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the lobsters to an ice bath to stop the meat from cooking. Separate the tails and claws from the bodies, reserving the bodies for the broth. Remove the tail and claw meat from the shells and roughly chop. Set aside until ready to use.
• For the seafood broth: In an 8-quart Dutch oven over high heat, add the oil. Let get hot, then add the onion, celery and carrots and allow to saute and brown, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic, parsley, rosemary and basil and stir to combine. Allow to bloom for 1 minute. Add the reserved lobster bodies and shrimp shells and stir to combine. Add the butter, habanero, chile flakes, tomato paste, lobster base, bourbon, white wine, chicken stock and salt and stir combine. Allow this to come to a simmer and cook until mildly thick, 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Strain the broth through a wire mesh strainer into a large bowl or saucepan. Pour the broth into a blender and blend until smooth. Reserve until ready to use or keep warm in a saucepan over low heat.
• For the seafood: Heat a 14-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat and add 1/4 cup neutral cooking oil. Sprinkle the scallops with salt and pepper and add to the heated oil to sear, without moving them, about 4 minutes. Flip the scallops, then add the butter and rosemary. Once the butter has melted, add the shrimp and lobster meat to fully cook the shrimp and warm the lobster through, about 4 minutes.
• For the roasted fennel: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.
• Spread the fennel on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and drizzle with the olive oil. Roast until caramelized, about 12 minutes. Reserve until ready to plate.
• For the garlic bread: Preheat a grill on high heat.
• Char both sides of the bread aggressively and evenly, about 3 minutes per side. Rub each piece of grilled bread with 2 to 3 swipes of raw garlic and place on a platter. Drizzle each piece with 2 tablespoons finishing oil and season with salt. (Yes, it's a lot of oil, I know. It's good.)
• Assemble and arrange all the seafood in the bottom of a large serving bowl or large shallow dish. Spread the roasted fennel all around and put the herbs on top. Nestle some of the garlic bread in the dish and serve the remaining on the side. Pour the broth all around the dish and serve.

FISH MILANESE

Steps:

• Place flour, eggs and bread crumbs in three separate shallow bowls, and season each with salt and pepper. Crumble the oregano with your fingertips and add to the bread crumbs; mix well.
• Season fish with salt. Working with one piece at a time, dredge in flour (shake off excess), dip in egg (shake off excess) then dredge in bread crumbs, pressing to adhere. Transfer to a large plate.
• In a 12-inch nonstick skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium heat. Add 2 fillets and cook until golden underneath, about 3 minutes. Flip fish and cook until golden on the second side and cooked through, 2 minutes longer. Transfer to a large paper towel-lined plate, and season with salt. Wipe out skillet. Repeat with 1 tablespoon of the butter, 1 tablespoon of the oil and the remaining fish.
• Wipe out skillet and melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat. Add shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until shallot is softened and butter is golden brown, about 2 minutes. Stir in the garlic until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, plus the lemon juice, parsley, capers and caper brine, and mix well. Transfer the brown-butter vinaigrette to a small heatproof bowl, and season with salt and pepper.
• Divide the fish, arugula and avocado among plates, and drizzle with the brown-butter vinaigrette. Serve with lemon wedges.

SHRIMP BREAD

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• With a bread knife, slice the loaf of bread lenghtwise and scoop out the soft part leaving the shell intact.
• Take the onions, celery, bell pepper and garlic and chop finely.
• Melt the butter in a heavy bottom pot and add the chopped veggies and saute on high heat till soft.
• Add garlic and cook for three minutes more.
• Lower heat and add basil, salt and pepper, shrimp and green onions.
• You are only heating the shrimp up so do not leave it on for long.
• Finally, when the shrimp mix is warm, add the soft bread to the pot and stir, mixing completely.
• Taste and adjust salt and pepper.
• (I usually add some type of cajun or creole seasoning to the mixture to spice it up!) When the mixture is well blended, spoon it back into the bread shells, which are already lying on a large sheet of aluminum foil.
• Fill both sides of the shells evenly and then gently place them back together and wrap in the foil.
• Place the wrapped loaf in a 350 degree oven and bake for 30 minutes.
• This recipe can be used with a large loaf of bread or the smaller french bread loaves.