Valentine’s Romance with Bernie's Lobster Love Sauce

Friday, February 10th, 2012 | posted by mike

Valentine’s Day, to some, is just another Hallmark holiday. An awful lot of people though, make a really big deal of it. It’s the biggest day of the year for florists and the busiest restaurant day too. Corny or not, it is kind of nice to have any excuse to buy flowers, give a nice card or gift just to show that certain someone that you care. Taking your sweetie out for dinner is nice, but being the busiest restaurant night of the year, it can be a little hectic out there, maybe not too relaxing or romantic either.

What could be nicer than to stay home, put on some romantic music, light some candles and show some love straight from the heart- prepare a nice fish dinner! Now you don’t have to spend a lot of time and trouble to make a fantastic seafood meal. We have lots of easy recipes on this website, some of the fanciest are as easy as boiling water. Lobster, king crab legs and shrimp take minutes to prepare.

salmon en papillate with lobster sauceFor several years now we’ve been preparing a special Valentine’s oven ready salmon en papillote (wrapped in a parchment paper pouch) topped with our own Bernie Fritzsch’s creation- lobster love sauce! A decadent cream sauce with Maine lobster meat, red peppers, and shiitake mushrooms. It’s a sauce that you can make up the night before so on Valentine’s night you can have dinner on the table in less than 15 minutes (less cooking more romance)!

Here’s the recipe if you’d like to give it a go, or if you’d like to make things super simple, come down or call the market, we’ll be making papillotes to order all Valentine’s Day.

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Salmon en Papillote with Lobster Love Sauce

Friday, February 10th, 2012 | posted by mike

Serves 4

To make things really easy, let Monahan’s do all the work! We make these to order on Valentine’s Day!

4- 6 oz. center-cut salmon fillets

4 pieces of parchment paper approx. 12” x 16” (available at Monahan’s)

olive oil

For the Lobster Love Sauce

2 T butter

½ t minced garlic

1T minced shallot

½ C sliced shiitake mushrooms

1T sherry or white wine

½ C lobster stock or fish stock- available at Monahan’s

¼ C diced, roasted red pepper

½ C heavy cream

1T Reggiano Parmesan

1/3 lb. cooked lobster meat- fresh picked or thawed

salt + pepper to taste

chopped parsley- optional garnish

Melt butter in heavy saucepan, add garlic & shallots and sauté for 1 min. Add mushrooms & red pepper, sauté 5 min. then add sherry- cook for 2 min., add lobster or fish stock and cook until reduced by 1/3. Add heavy cream, cook another 5 min.- add lobster meat and parmesan, continue cooking for 2 min. Let rest for 5 minutes. Add salt & pepper to taste.

Fold parchment paper in half, then open on work surface. Lightly brush center of one side of parchment paper with olive oil. Place the salmon on top and spoon approximately 2 ounces of lobster love sauce over the top of salmon.

Follow these directions to fold the parchment.

Place the parchment-wrapped packet on baking sheet and bake in preheated 375º oven for 15 minutes. Place each packet on individual dinner plates and let your guests tear open the steaming parchment and breathe in the incredible aroma!

Your valentine will love you!

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John Dory en Papillote

Friday, September 9th, 2011 | posted by wendy

Serves 4

  • 4 John Dory fillets- 6-8 oz. each
  • 2 carrots cut thin julienne
  • 2 tomatoes, diced
  • 2 Leeks cut in thin julienne (use white and part of green)
  • 3 cloves garlic, fine chop
  • 2 zucchini, cut thin julienne
  • 3 T chopped fresh dill
  • 4 T olive oil
  • 1/4 cup fish stock (available at Monahan’s) or dry white wine
  • Salt and pepper
  • 4 pieces of parchment paper 12 x 16 inches

Pre heat oven to 375º.

Because the John Dory fillets are fairly thin do a quick sauté of the veggies. Heat pan over med- high heat, add 2 T olive and add garlic until it just starts to brown. Add vegetables (save tomatoes and dill till the end, save a little dill to top the fillets). Sauté until vegetables start to soften ,toss in tomatoes and dill and take off heat.

Fold parchment paper in half and divide vegetables equally on one side of each paper and season with salt and pepper.

Place each fillet over vegetables and drizzle with rest of olive oil and stock or wine, then sprinkle a bit of dill over fillets. Make a pouch by folding parchment in 1/2 circle.

Place on cookie sheet or broiling pan and pop in oven for 12 min.

Serve in pouch – tear into center of pouch at the table and get hit with the steaming hot and aromatic whiff.

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For a Healthful 2012: Eat More Fish!

Friday, January 7th, 2011 | posted by mike

It’s a new year and many of us are thinking about lightening up and changing our eating habits for the better. Old habits die hard. The bad choices we’ve all made over the years aren’t that easy to change. We all know that fish and shellfish are the healthiest of choices—full of protein, essential vitamins, minerals and those incredible Omega 3 fatty acids. Fish is naturally low in calories…its fat is the “good” polyunsaturated fat and we know we would be doing our minds and bodies a big favor to eat more of it.

Fish en Papillote

Bernie making a papillote at the Market

One problem for a lot of folks is that they just weren’t raised eating lots of fish, or worse, they had nothing but less-than-fresh fish. Lots of Catholics out there remember dreading Friday, when the whole neighborhood stunk. For many, fish was a duty instead of a pleasure.

Well, I’m here to say that truly fresh fish doesn’t stink and should have nothing but a sweet smell of the sea. Simply prepared can be the most healthful and delightful of any food choice out there. You won’t find a more varied, seasonal, ever-changing, interesting, healthful…and most delicious choice.

Over the years I’ve seen a lot of fish haters become fish lovers simply by being exposed to truly fresh fish with simple recipes. I’ve converted several of my kids’ friends by simply letting them try the good stuff.

Steaming is one great and healthful method that retains all the moisture, flavor and goodness using little or no fat. Fish can be steamed in a steamer, in parchment paper (en papillote) or even in tin foil. Who needs the fat for flavor? Vegetables, herbs & spices are all you need…this week’s recipe for Cod en Papillote is a good example, but be sure to ask for any other number of suggestions when you visit us at the fish market. We’ll even include some sheets of parchment for you!

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Cod en Papillote

Friday, January 7th, 2011 | posted by wendy

fish in parchmentIf you love a healthy, simple dish with the easiest clean-up ever, try cooking some fish en papillote (in parchment paper). You can cook using this method with just about any combination of fish, vegetables or rice, herbs & spices or condiment you like. The possibilities are endless! Just ask for suggestions at the fish market counter.

1 piece of parchment paper approximately 12″x16″
1–8 oz skinless cod fillet
1 T scallions
2 t fresh thyme (1/2 t if you use dried thyme)
2 t sundried tomatoes (finely chopped)
2 T fresh tomatoes (coursely chopped)
1 cup fresh spinach
optional: 8 Maine Shrimp (peeled)

Preheat oven to 375°.

Fold parchment paper in half, then open on work surface. Drizzle a tiny bit of oil (or use a bit of cooking spray) on the parchment paper. Arrange spinach, cod fillet on half of the parchment, then combine remaining ingredients and top the fish, placing the peeled Maine Shrimp on top. Fold the other half of the parchment over the top (as though you are closing a book) and crimp the outer edges of the parchment to seal the fish and other ingredients in the parchment. Make sure to leave enough air in the packet for the dish to steam in the oven. When we make fish en papillote at the market, we crimp the edges twice, just to make sure there is a tight seal and so the steam won’t escape.

Place the parchment-wrapped packet on a baking sheet and put in the preheated oven for 13 minutes. Remove to a plate and open the steaming parchment for a wonderful and healthful dish.

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Cod en Papillote with tomatoes & herbs

Friday, October 15th, 2010 | posted by mike

This is a quick, easy, and delicious meal! We sell made to order papillotes at the market and would be glad to make this one for you.

  • 1 piece of parchment paper- 12″ x 16″
  • 1/3 – 1/2 lb. cod fillet (thick end)
  • 1T olive oil
  • 2t minced garlic
  • 2t shallots finely chopped
  • splash of dry white wine
  • a handful of fresh spinach
  • 1/2 cup diced fresh local tomatoes (if available, otherwise use the next best thing)
  • 2t sun-dried or oven-dried tomatoes finely chopped
  • 2t chopped, fresh thyme – save a sprig for garnish
  • 3t finely chopped flat leaf parsley
  • 3t finely chopped fresh oregano
  • 1/2 lemon
  • salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 375 degrees

In a mixing bowl combine 1/2 T olive oil, the tomatoes, garlic, shallots, and herbs. Fold the parchment paper in half and open it up. Place the spinach on the right half of the paper and sprinkle with 1/2 T oil and juice of the 1/2 lemon. Place cod fillet on top of spinach and coat with the tomato herb mixture, add a splash of wine, season with salt & pepper and place a thyme sprig on top. Now fold the parchment in half, making 2″- 3″ folds while forming a half circle and pressing firmly with your thumb to form a seal all around. Place on a baking sheet or broiling pan and pop it in the pre-heated oven for 14 minutes.  Best served in the pouch or transfer fish to a plate.

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