Under The Sea

As a child my family and i spent our summers vacationing in Nantucket, a small island off of Massachusetts. The summers were filled with adventures to the beach, whale watching , blue fishing, and of course my all time favorite, crabbing at the local ponds. These wonderful summers in Nantucket have heavily influenced my extreme love for seafood, which i believe i could eat everyday if i had the option and the money to. Being exposed to some of the best lobster around at the age of four, set me up for an impeccable and distinct seafood pallet. In Colorado I have been deprived of my whimsical and fresh seafood dishes i so often crave, so I have compiled some of my favorite seafood recipes; some that i have myself cooked and some that are still on the list to try. 

Lobster Rolls


A recipe for  the inspired, lobster rolls are and will always be one of my favorite dishes. This is a must try recipe, no matter the difficulty i will conquer the ever feisty lobster and in the end it will be delicious and well worth the battle.


Ingredients
1-½ lbs (about 4 cups) Cooked Lobster
3 to 4 Tbsp Mayonnaise
2 Tbsp Minced Red Onion
2 Tbsp Finely Chopped Peeled Celery
2 tsp Finely Chopped Tarragon
2 tsp Finely Chopped Flat-Leaf Parsley
2 tsp Finely Chopped Chives
Sea Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
½ Lime
6 New England-Style (top-slit, if available) Hot Dog Buns
4 Tbsp (2 oz) Unsalted Butter, melted
1 Celery Stalk
1 Head Butter Lettuce, leaves separated, rinsed, dried, and torn into pieces
Pickled Red Onions
2 Large Red Onions (about 1 ¼ lb each)
½ Cup Red Wine Vinegar
¾ Cup Granulated Sugar
Method
Make the pickled red onions: Cut off the top and bottom of each onion and cut lengthwise in half. Remove and discard the outer layer. Cut a V-shaped wedge from the bottom of each half to remove the roots and the very centerpieces of onion. Put the onions cut side down on a cutting board and slice lengthwise into 1/8 inch-thick slices, following the natural lines on the outside of the onion; cutting with the lines, or grain, rather than across them will help the onions soften more quickly in the pickling liquid. Pack the onions into a 1-quart canning jar; reserve and slices that don’t fit.

Combine the vinegar and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pout the hot vinegar mixture over the onions. Once the onions begin to wilt, you can add any remaining onion slices to the jar, gently pushing them down into the liquid to submerge them. Let cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate for at least 24 hours, or up to 1 month.

Put the lobster meat in a large bowl, add the mayonnaise, and stir gently to coat. Add the onion, celery, tarragon, parsley, chives, salt, and pepper to taste and stir gently to mix. Squeeze the lime over the salad and fold in the juice. Cover and refrigerate.

If using top-slit buns, brush butter on both outer sides of each bun. If using unsliced buns, slit them open from the top, trim each long side to create a flat surface and brush with melted butter. If using regular hot dog buns, open the buns and brush with melted butter. Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Just before serving, put the rolls in the pan and brown the buttered sides.

To serve, peel the strings from the celery with a vegetable peeler. Using a Japanese mandoline or other vegetable slicer, or a sharp knife, slice the celery lengthwise into thin ribbons. Line each bun with a couple of small lettuce. Mound the lobster salad in the buns and garnish with the celery and pickled red onions.
Recipe adapted from Thomas Keller’s “ad hoc at home” cookbook.

Bacon no longer only a breakfast side dish

CHOCOLATE BACON CUPCAKES WITH MAPLE FROSTING

Recipe Notes: There are two important ingredients for this cupcake. First being the bacon, of course. Don’t cheat yourself by using turkey bacon…or worse…pre-cooked bacon! Use good, quality bacon. Trust me, it is worth it. And also spend the money and buy the pure maple syrup. I promise you that Aunt Jemima just ain’t gonna cut it in this recipe!

Chocolate Bacon Cupcakes with Maple Frosting

You will need:

3/4 cup unsweetened Dutch-process cocoa powder
3/4 cup hot water
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
1 1/2 cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter
2 1/4 cups sugar
4 large eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
3/4 cup bacon, cooked and chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Whisk together cocoa and hot water until smooth. In another bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.

Melt butter with sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring to combine. Remove from heat, and pour into a mixing bowl. With an electric mixer on medium-low speed, beat until mixture is cooled, 4 to 5 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Add vanilla, then cocoa mixture, and beat until combined. Reduce speed to low. Add flour mixture in two batches, alternating with the sour cream, and beating until just combined after each. Remove from stand mixer and gently fold in bacon.

Divide batter evenly among lined cups, filling each three- quarters full. Bake, rotating tins halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centers comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer tins to wire racks to cool 15 minutes; turn out cupcakes onto racks and let cool completely. Frost as desired.

Salted Caramel Frosting

You will need:
2 sticks unsalted butter; room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 pound confectioners’ sugar
1/3 cup pure maple syrup; plus more for drizzling
1 teaspoon salt

Cream the butter in the bowl of an electric or stand mixer. Add the vanilla extract, salt and pure maple syrup and combine well.

Begin adding in the sugar and mixing thoroughly after each addition. After all of the sugar has been added and mixed thoroughly, give it a taste and decide if you want to add in more maple syrup. For thicker frosting you can gradually add in a little more sugar.

Garnish with chopped bacon and a drizzle of pure maple syrup if you wish.

(http://thenovicechefblog.com/?p=1756)

DARK CHOCOLATE AND BACON CUPCAKES

Ingredients

12 slices bacon

2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 cups white sugar

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 eggs

1 cup cold, strong, brewed coffee

1 cup buttermilk

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder, for dusting

Directions


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place bacon in a large, deep skillet. Cook over medium-high heat until evenly brown. Drain, crumble and set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together the flour, 3/4 cup cocoa powder, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Make a well in the center and pour in the eggs, coffee, buttermilk and oil. Stir just until blended. Mix in 3/4 of the bacon, reserving the rest for garnish. Spoon the batter into the prepared cups, dividing evenly.

Bake in the preheated oven until the tops spring back when lightly pressed, 20 to 25 minutes. Cool in the pan set over a wire rack. When cool, arrange the cupcakes on a serving platter. Frost with your favorite chocolate frosting and sprinkle reserved bacon crumbles on top. Dust with additional cocoa powder.

(allrecipes.com)

CANDIED BACON ICE CREAM 

Ingredients:

For the candied bacon:

5 strips bacon

about 2 teaspoons light brown sugar

For the ice cream custard:

3 tablespoons (45g)

salted butter ¾ cup

(packed) brown sugar (170g), light or dark (you can use either)

2 ¾ (675ml) cup half-and-half

5 large egg yolks

2 teaspoons dark rum or whiskey

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Recipe:

To candy the bacon, preheat the oven to 400F (200C). Lay the strips of bacon on a baking sheet lined aluminum foil, shiny side down. Sprinkle 1½-2 teaspoons of brown sugar evenly over each strip of bacon, depending on length. Bake for 12-16 minutes. Midway during baking, flip the bacon strips over and drag them through the dark, syrupy liquid that’s collected on the baking sheet. Continue to bake until as dark as mahogany. Remove from oven and cool the strips on a wire rack. Once crisp and cool, chop into little pieces, about the size of grains of rice. Bacon bits can be stored in an airtight container and chilled for a day or so, or stored in the freezer a few weeks ahead.

Ice Cream:

To make the ice cream custard, melt the butter in a heavy, medium-size saucepan. Stir in the brown sugar and half of the half-and-half. Pour the remaining half-and-half into a bowl set in an ice bath and set a mesh strainer over the top. In a separate bowl, stir together the egg yolks, then gradually add some of the warm brown sugar mixture to them, whisking the yolks constantly as you pour. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over low to moderate heat, constantly stirring and scraping the bottom with a heatproof spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula. Strain the custard into the half-and-half, stirring over the ice bath, until cool. Add liquor, vanilla and cinnamon, if using. Refrigerate the mixture. Once thoroughly chilled, freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Add the bacon bits during the last moment of churning, or stir them in when you remove the ice cream from the machine.

DAVID LEBOVITZ

hi.

Welcome food enthusiasts of all ages, to a blog filled with an extensive archive of recipes and inspiration. A foodie myself, I love discovering exciting new interesting trends in the food industry. I also love to find new ways to put twists on old favorites. Whether its a Nutella filled cupcake, healthily topped with a Ferrerro Rocher, or a heaping dish of homemade pomegranate ice-cream, allow me to take you on a journey through the divine and delicious.