Monahan's Fried Smelt

Thursday, May 16th, 2013 | posted by mike

 Serves 2

  • 3/4-1 lb. Dressed lake smelt
  • Milk
  • Drake’s batter mix or fine corn meal
  • Salt and pepper
  • Canola or peanut oil

Heat a heavy pan or iron skillet over med high heat and add about 1/2 inch of oil. Dip smelt in milk and dredge in Drake’s. When oil is sizzling hot (370 degrees if you have a thermometer), add smelt one at a time and fry for about a minute a side for small smelt, longer for big ones or until a crunchy golden brown.

Drain on paper bag or paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with lemon & tartar sauce or hot sauce.

Anthony Bourdain at Monahan's Seafood Market in Ann Arbor, MI

Here’s Tony Bourdain in our courtyard about to enjoy a plate of Michigan smelt on a gorgeous spring day.

Posted in Recipes | 2 Comments »
Tags: , ,

Thai Spicy Basil Shrimp

Thursday, May 9th, 2013 | posted by mike

This recipe is taken directly from our good friend Rachel’s blog Edible Obsession

Serves 2

  • 1 lb. fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 7-8 garlic cloves
  • 7-8 Thai red chili pepper (or adjust to your preference)- (Rachel likes it spicy! You may want to use less.)
  • 1 cup yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 cup carrot, cut in matchstick pieces
  • 1/2 cup green/red/yellow bell pepper, julienned
  • 2 cups basil leaves, loosely packed
  • 3 Tbsp vegetable oil
  • 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
  • 2 tsp light soy sauce (or fish sauce)
  • 2 tsp sugar
  • 1/4 cup water
  • ground white (or black) pepper

 

Pound garlic cloves and chili peppers together using mortar and pestle. Or you can mince them together using a knife.

Heat oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chili garlic mixture and stir until lightly browned and fragrant.

Add prepared shrimps and stir well to evenly mix everything together. Once the shrimps start to turn pink – but still translucent in the middle, add onions, carrots, and bell peppers. Stir to get vegetables cooked real quickly, you want them to be a bit crisp, not soft.

Then, add oyster sauce, light soy sauce, sugar, and ground white/black pepper.

Stir quickly to mix the seasonings into ingredients. Then add water, and stir to get everything coated with sauce.

Turn off the heat, add the basil leaves and give it a good stir. Transfer to serving dish. Great over rice!

Posted in Recipes | Comments Off
Tags: ,

Shrimp Stuffed Skate Over Tomato and Chipotle in Adobo Sauce

Friday, May 3rd, 2013 | posted by mike

Serves 4

1 1/4 lb. skate fillets (4- 6 oz. fillets as similar in size as possible)

Drake’s batter mix or seasoned flour

3T olive oil

2 t mayonnaise

1/2 lb. large wild gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails off

1 egg

3 T onion, chopped

1 t garlic, minced

1/2 t chili powder

1/2 t cumin

1T lime juice

1/2 cup panko crumbs

2 T fresh chopped cilantro, for garnish

For Sauce:

1 cup canned imported San Marzano tomatoes, cubed

2 T lime juice

2 T olive oil

1 T onion, chopped

Dry white wine, splash

1 t garlic, minced

1 T canned chipotle chilies in adobo, chopped with some sauce

1/2 t brown sugar

1 T tomato paste

Make the sauce. Over med. high, heat olive oil in a sauce pan and add onion and garlic, sauté until onions soften then add tomatoes, chipotles, lime juice, tomato paste, brown sugar and a splash of white wine. Reduce heat to low and simmer until sauce blends, continue simmering at lowest heat setting.

Pre heat oven to 375º

Next make your shrimp stuffing. Chop shrimp into 1/2 inch chunks. In a med. sauce pan, heat olive oil over med high heat and sauté onion and garlic till onion softens then add shrimp, lime juice, cumin, chili powder and sauté until shrimp is barely opaque in the center (about 2 min.). In a mixing bowl, combine shrimp mixture with egg, mayonnaise and panko crumbs and stir to mix ingredients

Lay skate wings out on a cutting board with the more ribbed looking sides down. Top 2 of the wings with equal amounts of the shrimp stiffing then lay matching wings over the tops of each one. Shape and firm up with your hands both stuffed skate wings, then liberally dust both sides with Drake’s batter mix or seasoned flour. Heat a heavy-duty ovenproof pan or skillet over med high heat, add olive oil and when hot carefully add the stuffed skate.  When skate browns nicely (about 2 min.) carefully flip, pop in the oven and bake long enough for stuffing to come up to temperature (about 8 min.)

While skate is baking, check your sauce, it may need to be thinned down. Turn heat up to med. and add a splash of wine if needed. Stir to a smooth consistency. Carefully slice each stuffed skate wing in two. Divide sauce equally on 4 plates and place stuffed skate over each one. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

¡Buen Provecho!

Posted in Recipes | Comments Off
Tags: ,

Classic Pan Fried Soft Shell Crabs

Thursday, April 25th, 2013 | posted by mike

Soft Shell crabs (cleaned) We’ll clean them for you!

Drake’s batter mix (dry) or seasoned flour

milk for dipping

peanut or vegetable oil

Heat oil (1/8 – 1/4 inch deep in skillet) over medium heat. Pat the crab dry with paper towel, dip in milk, then dredge in Drake’s or flour. Place crabs in hot skillet, and partially cover with lid (to prevent explosions and splatter) or use a screen. Cook for approximately 4 minutes a side (for jumbos or whales) or 3 minutes (for primes or smaller crabs). Drain on paper towel or paper bag.

Serve with lemon and any sauce you want. Monahan’s rémoulade, cocktail, or tartar are great options, or just a good hot sauce!

VIDEO: How to Cook a Soft Shell Crab

VIDEO: How to Clean a Soft Shell Crab

Posted in Recipes | Comments Off
Tags: , ,

Finnan Haddie with Poached Eggs and Smoky Béchamel Sauce

Friday, April 19th, 2013 | posted by mike

 Serves 2

1/2 lb. finnan haddie fillet

1 bay leaf

1-1/4 cups of milk (or enough to cover fillets in small pan)

2 T butter

2 T flour

2 large or 4 small eggs, poached

Chives, for garnish, finely chopped

English muffins

Lightly poach fillets in milk for 7- 10 min. (or until they are just opaque in the center)

When fish is cooked, transfer to a plate and cover, saving milk

Make your béchamel by melting the butter in a saucepan and whisking in the flour to make a smooth roux (2-3 min.)

Use the smoky milk from pan and slowly whisk into the roux to make a smooth creamy consistency

Place finnan haddie portions on top of toasted English muffins

Top with poached eggs, then spoon the béchamel over the top

Garnish with chives

Posted in Recipes | Comments Off
Tags: , ,

Red Clam Sauce with Fresh Chopped Sea Clams Over Spaghetti

Friday, April 12th, 2013 | posted by mike

Serves 4

1 lb. fresh chopped clams, with their juice

1- 28 oz. can San Marzano plum tomatoes, chopped with juice

2 T Italian tomato paste

1/4 cup olive oil

1 T fresh garlic, minced

1/2 cup onion, chopped

3 fillets canned anchovies, chopped

Splash of dry white wine (about 1/4 cup)

Red pepper flakes (a pinch)

1/2 t sugar

1 T dried oregano

2 T dried basil

1/2 bunch Italian parsley, chopped (for garnish)

3/4 lb. spaghetti or linguine noodles

Black pepper

Optional- grated reggiano Parmesan for lightly topping

Boil a pot of water for your pasta (pasta will take about 8 min. or follow directions on bag)

Heat a large heavy duty pan or skillet over med high heat, add olive oil and when oil is hot add the onion, garlic, anchovies, red pepper flakes and stir until onions soften

Add tomatoes, stir, add tomato paste, oregano, basil and sugar

Reduce heat to medium and simmer for a few min., taste for saltiness, add black pepper, and more pepper flakes if not spicy enough for ya

Stir in the clams in their juice and simmer for about 5 min. (at this point check for consistency, if sauce is too thick, give it a small splash of wine and simmer for a couple of min.)

Drain pasta and return the amount you want to serve to the empty pot (I like lots of sauce in proportion to pasta so I mix in some of the sauce with the pasta, to season the pasta, then serve a nice pile of sauce on top of each serving

Garnish with parsley and a little grated reggiano Parmesan if you’d like

Posted in Recipes | Comments Off
Tags: , ,

Pan Seared Halibut With Caper Dill Butter Sauce & Baby Asparagus

Friday, April 5th, 2013 | posted by mike

Serves 4

4  6-8 oz. halibut fillets

1 bunch baby asparagus

1 cup fresh dill, chopped

1 t finely chopped shallot

1 clove garlic, minced

Olive oil

3 T butter

3 T capers

1 lemon (cut out meat of the lemon and chop)

Splash of dry white wine

Drake’s batter mix or seasoned flour

Kosher Salt and pepper

 

Pre heat oven to 400º

Rinse asparagus and trim off the ends

Baste asparagus with olive oil on an oiled broiling pan, sprinkle with kosher salt and roast for 8-10 min. or until they are lightly browned

Dust top and bottom of halibut fillets with Drake’s batter mix or seasoned flour

Heat ovenproof heavy-duty pan or skillet over med-high heat

When pan is hot add olive oil (2 T or enough to coat bottom of pan)

Sear halibut, meat side down until golden brown (about 2 min.)

Flip fish, place pan in oven for another 6-10 min. or until fish is just opaque in the center (halibut thickness varies greatly, follow the 10 min. per inch total cooking time rule)

In a saucepan over med-high heat melt butter and add garlic and shallots

When garlic and shallots soften, add capers, chopped lemon, and dill, gently stir

Add a splash of white wine to thin the sauce down a bit

Arrange asparagus on plates, top asparagus with halibut and top with lemon caper dill sauce

Posted in Recipes | Comments Off
Tags:

Indian Style Haddock Cakes

Friday, March 29th, 2013 | posted by mike

Serves 4

1 lb. haddock fillet, skin off, pin bones removed, (substitute cod, pollack or any fish with firm large flakes)

2 large Idaho potatoes

1 T onion, finely chopped

2 t jalapeño pepper finely chopped

1 t Sriracha sauce (add to potato mixture to taste)

1 t garam masala powder

3 t curry powder

1 t turmeric powder

1 egg

3 t mayonnaise

Panko crumbs, about a cup (enough to coat the cakes)

Vegetable, peanut or olive oil

2 T fresh cilantro, chopped for garnish

Mango chutney

Baste fish with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper and bake at 350º for 10 min. per inch of thickness or until just opaque in the center

Let fish cool at room temperature, break into small pieces

Peel, boil and mash the potatoes

In a large mixing bowl mix the potatoes, egg, onions and spices then mix in fish

With an ice cream scoop or large spoon, portion cakes and dredge in panko crumbs (cakes should be about 4 inches wide by 1 inch thick or you can make smaller cakes if you want, they are a little easier to handle)

Heat a large skillet or heavy pan over med. heat and add 2 T oil (or enough to

coat bottom of pan about 1/8 inch)

When oil is hot, add cakes, fry till golden brown (around 4 min., flip and repeat)

Drain on paper towel or paper bag

Serve topped with chopped cilantro, mango chutney and sriracha sauce if you’d like to spice it up a bit

Enjoy!

Posted in Recipes | Comments Off
Tags: ,

Warm Squid and Great Northern Bean Salad with Oven Roasted Tomato, Caper Vinaigrette

Thursday, March 21st, 2013 | posted by mike

Serves 4

1 1/2 lb. cleaned Narragansett squid, tentacles and bodies, scored and cut into triangles  (video instructions)

1 5 oz. pack of mixed salad greens, including arugula

1 15 oz. can great northern beans

6 T olive oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 T jalapeño pepper, finely chopped

2 T oven roasted tomatoes (packed in olive oil available at Monahan’s) or sun dried tomatoes

3 scallions, white section with some green, thinly sliced

2 T capers

1T rice wine vinegar

3 t chopped anchovies

Black pepper

3 T chopped Italian parsley

 

Arrange greens on plates

In a med. saucepan over med heat, add 2 T olive oil

When oil is hot, add scallions, roasted tomatoes, jalapeños, garlic, capers and anchovies

Sauté till onions soften and garlic just starts to brown then add rice vinegar and beans, stir for a minute, take off heat.

In a large heavy pan or skillet, over med-high heat add 4 T olive oil

When oil is hot add squid heads then 20 seconds later add scored pieces

Stir fry for about 2-4 min. or until scored pieces curl up

Add tomato caper vinaigrette to squid and toss to coat

Taste, if you need to add a little more oil and vinegar, go ahead

Spoon squid over greens, season with black pepper and garnish with parsley

 

Posted in Recipes | Comments Off
Tags: ,

Steamed Barramundi Fillet- Thai Style

Friday, March 15th, 2013 | posted by mike

Serves 2

3/4 – 1 lb. Barramundi fillet

2 T Fish sauce nuoc mam

2 T lime juice

4 thin slices of lime

1 t brown sugar

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 T ginger, grated

1/2 t red Thai chili (serrano or jalapeño if Thai not available) finely chopped

3 T cilantro, chopped

2 scallions, sliced very thin, white section and part of green (squeeze slices into tiny rings)

Mix all ingredients in bowl except cilantro, ginger and lime slices

Rub fillet with ginger

Place fish fillet in a rimmed plate or container that will fit into a bamboo steamer in a wok, with at least 1-inch space between plate and steamer (so that steam will have room to circulate)

If you don’t have a wok or steamer, use any vessel the plate will fit into that can be covered and have the plate suspended over 3 inches of water (plate on top of an upside-down bowl will work)

Steam fish for 10 minutes per inch of thickness or until just opaque in the center

Using two spatulas, carefully transfer fillet to platter

Pour sauce over fish and garnish with lime slices and cilantro

Posted in Recipes | Comments Off
Tags: ,