Monday, July 9, 2012

Shrimp Remoulade Stacks

In addition to having many many many cookbooks I have a pantry to match.  It is a whole room.  It is full of all kinds of kitchen appliances.  Some of these I have never even used.  Some are the as seen on TV ones (which only work for the folks on TV by the way).  One gadget that has been on the shelf for a while is called Stacks-thekit.  The box contains 6 metal shapes, 2 squares, 2 triangles and 2 circles in which to stack food along with a matching plunger to push the food down so it can look all fancy and composed on your plate.  It just looked like so much fun, the possibilities for its use ran through my mind and yet I have never used it. 

Well this past weekend I was browsing through one of my cookbooks and came across a recipe for a stacked crab louis.  I decided to make it as a stacked shrimp remoulade, replacing the crab with shrimp and the louis sauce with remoulade sauce. Of course you do not need the stacks kit to make this.  You could save up some empty tuna cans and use those to stack the food in.  Save the lids but watch the edges.  You need something to compress the food so it stays tight as you lift the can off the food. 

I served this to my family as an appetizer.  They thought we were being so fancy!  I made 2 circles and 2 triangles.  I think the next time I make this I will make more of each stacking ingredient so the layers are more apparent but everyone loved the dish.

 

 

Shrimp Remoulade Stacks

Remoulade Sauce:
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp Tabasco
1 diced green onion (white and green)
1 stack celery, diced
1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon anchovy fillets
1 tablespoon paprika
salt and pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth.  Chill.

For the shrimp:

8 ounces shrimp, peeled and deveined
seasoned salt

Sprinkle shrimp lightly with the seasoned salt.  Heat a nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Toss the shrimp in the skillet and stir fry until just cooked through.  Transfer to a bowl and chill.

For the stacks:

1 cup finely shredded lettuce
1 cup diced tomato
1 hard boiled egg, diced
1 cup diced avocado
Chilled shrimp, reserve 4 for garnish, chop the rest
balsamic glaze

Mix the shredded lettuce with a tablespoons of the remoulade sauce.  Divide the lettuce among 4 stack moulds or empty tuna cans that are placed directly on the serving plates. Divide the tomatoes evenly over the lettuce.  Follow this with the egg then the avocado and finally the chopped shrimp.  Tamp down the moulds to lightly compress everything so it will hold together.  Hold the lid in place while removing the mould. 

Drizzle the remoulade sauce over top.  Garnish each serving with a few drops of balsamic glaze. 



Enjoy! 




















Sunday, July 1, 2012

Shrimp Stuffed Salmon with Beurre Blanc Sauce

Anyone who knows me also knows that I have way too many cookbooks.  They number in the thousands I am sure.  Everytime I buy one I tell myself this is it.  This is the last one I need (like I NEED any of them).   Of course that is never the case.  I do love my books though.  One of my favorite pasttimes is to sit and read my cookbooks.  Like a novel.  Page by page.  Although I do like pictures as much as anyone my favorite part is when the author heads up the recipes with personal comments.

One would think that with all these books to inspire me I would be cooking up a storm and posting more to my blog.  And I am going to try to do just that.  I recently found myself at the library used book store with my daughters looking for some books for them to read during the summer.  Of course I had to take a peek at the cookbook section.....they are only a $1....and I found a brand new copy of McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant Cookbook.  For a dollar.  Ok, this is the last book I need. 

I decided that I was going to make something from it right away.  So this recipe is inspired by one of theirs.  In their recipe they use crab and shrimp to stuff the salmon.  I used just shrimp and used less filling and made less sauce than called for and my portions were still very generous.  This dinner is really good.  My husband said this tastes like something you would get in a restaurant. 




Shrimp Stuffed Salmon with Beurre Blanc Sauce

1 recipe beurre blanc sauce (below)
4 (6 ounce) center cut salmon fillets
6 ounces shrimp, peeled and diced
2 ounces brie cheese, diced (can leave rind on)
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1 clove garlic, crushed
pinch of salt
pinch of pepper

Prepare the beurre blanc sause and keep warm in a double boiler.

Preheat oven to 400.  Blend together all the ingredients except the salmon and the sauce.  Cut each salmon fillet lenthwise down the center halfway through the fillet and then cut into the fillet to open it up on each side.  Divide the stuffing evenly among the fillets and press into the pockets.  Bring the sides back up over the filling leaving some filling exposed on top.  Bake the fillets for 10 to 12 minutes until done.  Transfer to plates and spoon the sauce over top. 

Beurre Blanc Sauce

2 ounces white wine vinegar
4 ounces white wine
1 small shallot, diced
pinch of black pepper
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 ounces cold butter cut into 6 pieces

In a small sauce pan bring the vinegar, wine, shallot and pepper to a boil.  Reduce until the liquid is almost all evaporated.  Adde the cream and continue to cook until the cream is thick and reduced by almost half.  Strain the sauce pressing on solids then return to the saucepan.  Bring back to a simme and then remove thepan from the heat.  Add the butter one piece at a time.  Swirl the pan with each addition until the butter is completely melted.  Keep the sauce warm over a double boiler placed over very low heat.