Smoked Salmon Quiche with an Old Bay Asagio Crust

Ingredients:
for the crust:
Ingredients:
1 cup flour
1/3 cup cold butter, cut into 1 inch chunks
1/4 cup shredded asagio
2-4 tablespoons ice water
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay

filling:
8 oz smoked salmon, flaked (not lox)
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk
1 bunch green onions, chopped
3/4 cup shredded asagio
2 tablespoons capote capers
2 teaspoons tarragon white wine vinegar
salt
freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425. Place the pepper, butter, flour and cheese into a food processor. Add water one tablespoon at a time and pulse just until mixture sticks together. Form the dough into a ball. Roll out into a crust and place in a pie plate or quiche pan or tart pan. Prick with a fork. Bake for 10 minutes or until just browned. Turn oven down to 325. Meanwhile, whisk together the milk and eggs. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into the prepared shell. Bake 45-50 minutes or until fully cooked.

My thoughts:

I honestly am not sure the last time, if ever, I made quiche. I had always thought of it as using rather a lot of eggs, but I guess not. Four eggs makes for a slightly firmer quiche than some but I think it works better with the salmon than a more custardy texture would. Once again, I used evaporated milk for a rich flavor without the fat of the more commonly called for half and half or heavy cream.

I really loved the crust I made. It wasn't too spicy but had a great kick from the Old Bay and cheese. It was a really easy dough to roll out too. I echoed the crust in the filling by using the same cheese in it but I kept the flavors simple to accentuate the smoked salmon.

Shrimp Stuffed Tomatoes

1 lb small, round tomatoes (I used campari)
8 oz cooked salad shrimp*
1 dill pickle spear, minced
1/4 cup finely minced celery
3 tablespoons-1/4 cup finely minced onions
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons minced Italian parsley
1 tablespoon Old Bay
juice + zest of one lemon

Directions:
Cut the top of the tomato off and core it. Mix together the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Spoon the salad into the tomatoes. Serve.

*Really, really tiny shrimp. I find it in the freezer section.

My thoughts:

I enjoyed these more than I thought I would. Not that any part of the recipe was unappealing but I wasn't sure if there would be texture issues with the tomato/shrimp combo. Luckily there was not. Growing up I used to eat a tuna salad stuffed tomato (from our garden, not a small one like these) which I honestly think I got the idea for from a Strawberry Shortcake cookbook I bought in a Scholastic order in about 1984. But stuffed tomatoes were good then and they are good now. Who doesn't like a dish that is both easy to make and delicious? They worked equally well as appetizers and lunch.

Pan-fried Soft Crabs

Ingredients:
4 soft crabs, cleaned
2 cups milk
1 1/2 cup flour
1 tablespoon Old Bay
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
salt


Directions:
Whisk together the milk and Old Bay in a medium bowl. Soak the crabs in the milk for 15 minutes. Meanwhile, whisk the flour, salt and pepper together. Dredge both sides of the crab in the seasoned flour. Melt more butter than you'd think in a skillet. Fry the crabs for about 3 minutes on each side. Try and keep the legs from tucking under the body of the crab; arrange them straight out. Serve naked or in a sandwich.

My thoughts:

Soft crabs are in season again. If I had to name a favorite food, I think it would be soft crabs. When I posted the how to clean soft crabs last spring, I received a few requests on how to prepare them. Honestly, I've never made them any way but pan-fried and in a sandwich. For this recipe, I splashed out and added Old Bay but honestly I mostly just season them with salt and pepper. You don't want anything to cover up the crab flavor but in Baltimore, Old Bay is always a welcome addition. Anything fancier just seems wrong to me!

Note: It is traditional to soak the crab in milk before cooking, it sort of tenderizes the shells (if they are a bit tough) and allows you to coat the crab in flour without needing egg. I added the Old Bay for a bit of kick without being overpowering.

Deviled Shrimp Pasta Salad

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb freshly steamed, peeled shrimp
1 stalk celery, diced
1/4 cup diced onion
8 oz cooked, small pasta

for the dressing:
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Old Bay
1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
salt
pepper

Directions:
Place the shrimp, celery, onion and pasta in a large bowl. Pour the dressing over the mixture and stir to coat. Sprinkle with seasonings and fold to distribute evenly.

My thoughts:

Working from home, it is easy to fall into a lunch rut. It is time consuming to go somewhere just to pick up lunch (and expensive!) and I don't always have leftovers of any real substance to eat. I end up eating odds and ends of things and not really enjoying my lunch. Finally, I've started buying a little extra of whatever we are having for dinner to make something different with for lunch the next day. It doesn't always work but when we are having shrimp, I steam up some extra and make shrimp salad or even have shrimp cocktail. When I am feeling extra peckish, I made this salad. It is filling and the dressing really sets it apart from other shrimp salads.

Rachel's Ultimate Crab Dip

Ingredients:
16 oz blue crab claw meat
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
3/4 cup sour cream
3/4 cup sharp cheddar
2 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons Old Bay
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon mustard powder
1 shallot, minced


Directions:
Preheat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients EXCEPT the cheddar cheese until they are evenly distributed. Or, if you are like me and you hate mincing yet don't want any chunky shallot bits in the final dip or want make sure the ingredients are fully incorporated, place all of the ingredients EXCEPT the cheddar and crab in a food processor and pulse until smooth. Then stir in the crab.

Spread into a 8x8 inch baking dish. Sprinkle with the cheese in an even layer. For bonus points, shake a bit of Old Bay on top of the cheese.

Bake for about 15 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbling.

Serve warm with crackers, pretzels, bread wedges, or plain Utz chips. Cover and refrigerate any leftovers. Bake @ 350 for 10 minutes or so to reheat. I don't recommend microwaving.


Note: For this recipe, quality reduced fat sour cream and cream cheese will work just fine.

My thoughts:

Crab dip is serious business here in Baltimore. We are a people who like our (blue) crabs and our cheesy dips. Growing up, my family didn't do much in the way of entertaining and well, crab is pricey so we didn't make it but I loved having friends whose families would make it for holiday parties and such. Of course, it has been on the menu of nearly every locally owned restaurant and pub at some point or another. I think if it doesn't make an appearance on the menu at least once, your food permit gets yanked.

Anyway, for the perfect crab dip you need, crab, some sort of combination of cream cheese, mayonnaise (or occasionally straight mayonnaise, no cream cheese), shredded cheese and lots of Old Bay. Beyond that I've had versions with garlic or garlic powder, onions or shallots, mustard, Parmesan cheese, and crab meat of every variety of from lump to backfin. I like to use claw because it has a flavor that is stronger than lump meat (but still sweet and not "fishy") and has a good mix of big chunks and smaller bits of crab. I like how the crab is distributed in the dip if you use claw or even backfin, with jumbo or regular lump you end up occasionally getting a bite that is entirely crab free. Not a problem with the claw.

When I set out to make the ultimate crab dip I had some parameters in mind. It had to be thick, creamy but not too mayonnaise-y, and spiced but not overpoweringly spicy. I am a sour cream addict so I always have to add that to my dips. I think the slight tang keeps the dip from tasting too rich or cloying. The trick is not to use too much or the crab will be spread too thin. You want a dip that is thick with crab meat. I like the crab flavor to be the star so I only put a thin layer of cheddar on the top (not mixed in as I've seen in some recipes) and just enough spices to accent the crab flavor, not overwhelm it. I always use extra sharp cheddar but a mix of cheddar and Monterey Jack (in a 2:1 ratio) is a good variation.

Crab dip is so popular here in Baltimore that it actually has spawned a spin off appetizer, the crab pretzel, which isn't quite as common but perhaps it should be, it is sort of a twist on the dip in the bread bowl fad of 30 years ago and is oddly satisfying.

Rachel's Homestyle Baltimore Crab Cakes

Ingredients:
1 shallot, minced
16 oz backfin blue crab meat
16 oz lump blue crab meat
2 eggs, beaten
2 slices white sandwich bread, torn into small bits
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1-2 tablespoons Old Bay
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:
Place the crab meat in a large bowl. Add the spices and mix to incorporate, without breaking up the chunks of crab meat. Add the remaining ingredients and gently mix in by hand.



Cup handfuls of the crab mixture and mold into balls.



Cook immediately or refrigerate until ready to cook, up to overnight. Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a large skillet and fry the crab cakes until golden, flipping once. A large, shallow spoon makes flipping and removing crab cakes from the pan a breeze. Drain on paper towel lined plates before serving.

Yield: about 10 crab cakes

My thoughts:

Here in Baltimore where to get the best crab cakes is a hotly debated topic. Blood is drawn, friendships are lost, and families are divided as people debate which restaurant has the most flavorful crab cakes with the largest chunks of crab and the least filler. Almost as controversial are the crab cake recipes people make at home. Often they are a closely guarded secret trotted out only on the most special of occasions. Fortunately for you, I don't feel the need to keep my recipe to myself. My recipe has been refined over the years, building up from the very simple Old Bay, backfin, egg and bread cube version my mother makes.

My version uses both lump and backfin crab meat for a couple of reasons. Backfin is finer and easier to form into cakes but it is wonderful to bite into succulent lumps of crabmeat, so it is worth it mix some lump in. Lump, by itself, is rather difficult to bind without using a lot of filler and is more expensive than backfin, so mixing the two is easier, cheaper and tastier than using just lump. I also like to add a bit of mustard and extra celery seed to the mix to give it a bit of a kick without being spicy. The trick is to season your crab cakes thoroughly enough that it needs no adornment but not so much that you can't taste the crab. The crab is the star!

My recipe is sort a cross between the old-fashioned, homelier crabcakes typically made by native Baltimoreans at home and the broiled jumbo lump-only crab cakes one finds at restaurants. Of course, there are as many ways to make crab cakes as there are crabs in Bay but these are tastiest I've made and easy to make at home.



Quick tips:
Often small bits of shells and cartridge can be found in packages of crabmeat, even if the label says it has been picked over. Take a minute to check over the meat before forming the crabcakes.

The moisture level of the crab varies from batch to batch. If the crab mixture is very wet, making it difficult to form a cake, add a small amount of bread or cracker crumbs until the mixture can hold its shape.

If you are so inclined, lump and jumbo lump crab meat can be used instead of the backfin and lump but it will be more difficult to mold into crab cakes.

Clam "Bake" on the Grill

Ingredients:
2 dozen cherrystone clams
1 1/2 lb shrimp
1 quart tiny redskin potatoes
4 smoked turkey sausage, cut into thirds
3 ears of corn, cut into coins
2 large onions, sliced
2 bay leaves
1 bulb fennel, sliced
2 cups of crab stock*


water
corn stalks free of silk


Directions
Line the bottom of a very large pot (we used the lobster pot we got as a wedding present) with corn stalks. Top with onions, sausage potatoes, fennel, and bay leaves. Add the stock and enough water to just clear the food. Top with a layer of corn, then shrimp then the clams. Place on a very hot grill and cook, covered, for 20-30 minutes.




Cook until the clams are fully opened.



Use slotted spoons and/or a pasta scoop to fish the food out. Serve with crusty bread, butter, and Old Bay.



*I made crab stock with the shells of leftover steamed crabs boiled with water, 2 parsnips, 2 carrots, 2 stalks celery and a few onions following the same instructions as chicken stock.

My thoughts:

While not technically a clambake, this is a fun, interactive dinner that is incredibly easy to make. A couple of years ago I read an article about clambakes that had some good tips on layering the food and although I wasn't very interested in what they put in the pot ever since I've wanted to have one in our own backyard. While I don't have a beach or seaweed or rocks, I do have a grill and it worked very well.

A local chain had Chesapeake Bay clams on sale along with some tasty saltwater shrimp (they are bright pink even prior to cooking) so it seemed fated that we'd have seafood when our delightful friend Danielle came to dinner.

I used turkey sausage which is lower in fat than most sausage (by a lot!) and thus did not make everything unappetizing greasy which some times occurs when sausage is boiled with other foods. I also cut up the corn and used tiny potatoes so they would cook quickly and be done at the same time as the clams.



I liked to put a little butter on the corn and sprinkle the shrimp with Old Bay.

Baltimore Coleslaw

Ingredients:
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
16 oz coleslaw mix (shredded red and green cabbage, carrot)
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 1/2 tablespoons Old Bay
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon ground jalapeno

Directions:
In a large bowl, toss together the coleslaw mix, celery and onion. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, Old Bay, celery seed and mayo. Pour over the vegetables. Stir to evenly distribute. Allow to sit 20 minutes before serving.

My thoughts:

Honestly, Baltimore Coleslaw is a bit of a misnomer. As far as I know there is no quintessential Baltimore slaw. But I haven't met a native yet that doesn't love Old Bay (I think they send us home from the hospital with a tin tucked into our blanket) so it seemed fitting. For the second time I used a preshredded coleslaw mix. It worked well the last time and was on sale for only $1 a bag so I couldn't resist. You could easily substitute an equal amount of hand shredded cabbages and carrot. The Old Bay, celery seed and celery sort of meld into really fresh tasting new kind of coleslaw, one that is peppery and summery. The fairly equal mix of mayo and lemon juice keep it from being too thick or worse yet, gloppy.

Quick tip: I used my mandolin to slice the celery and onion very, very thinly.

Shrimp, Bacon and Avocado Salad

Ingredients:
4 cooked strips of bacon, crumbled
1 lb steamed shrimp
2 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Old Bay
1/4 teaspoon celery seed
1 shallot, minced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
1/2 avocado, diced
juice and zest of 1/2 lemon

Directions:
Stir all ingredients together. Serve on a roll or bread.

My thoughts:

This salad, while simple to make, is one of the tastiest in my repertoire. I like to think of it as sort of a cross between a club sandwich and a classic shrimp salad. The creaminess of the avocado contrasts nicely with the shrimp and smoky bacon. A yummy change from the everyday.

Crab Pretzel

Ingredients:
for the dip:
1 small shallot, grated
8 oz fresh blue crab meat
3 oz shredded sharp cheddar
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/2 tablespoons Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard


for the pretzel:

3/4 oz active dry yeast
1 1/3 cups flour
1/2 cup warm water
1 tablespoon sugar PLUS 1/8 teaspoon
1 tablespoon melted butter
1/2 teaspoon salt

pretzel topping:
sea salt
water


to sprinkle: additional shredded sharp cheddar


Directions:
for the crab dip:
Before you begin, make sure you pick out any bits of shell or cartilage that might have been over looked in the crab processing process. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together. Make sure all ingredients are evenly distributed. Refrigerate before use.

for the pretzels:
Dissolve yeast into water with the 1/8 teaspoon of sugar, let stand 5 minutes. In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, remaining sugar, salt and butter. Add the dissolved yeast and then pour the mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer and knead until a smooth, elastic round ball forms. Add a little more flour or water a tablespoon at a time if the dough looks too wet or dry. Alternately, knead by hand on a clean, floured flat surface. Place in an buttered bowl, cover with a tea towel or plastic wrap and allow to rise in a cool place for 1 hour or until the dough has doubled in size.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 425. Pour the water into a shallow bowl. Stretch the dough into a long tube about 1/2 inch thick. Set aside to rest for 5 minutes. Fold into a pretzel shape by making a rough circle and crossing the ends inward. Brush with water and sprinkle lightly with sea salt.



Place the giant pretzel on to a parchment or silipat lined baking sheet. Allow to sit for 5 additional minutes. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until pretzel is golden brown.




Remove from the oven. Top with a generous amount of crab dip. Sprinkle with cheddar then stick the pretzel back into the oven for 1-2 minutes to melt the cheese. Serve hot. I suggest placing it on a cutting board and allowing people to slice off chunks with a bread knife to eat off of an individual plate.



Yield: 1 giant crab pretzel (serves many as an appetizer)

My thoughts:

Coming back from an Eastern Shore vacation where not a day went by when blue crab didn't pass my lips, I still hunger for crab.

The crab pretzel is dish that is found on many menus throughout the Mid-Atlantic region. Basically an extremely large soft pretzel covered in a Old Bay-spiked crab dip, the crab pretzel's origins are unclear although several restaurants (perhaps most adamantly, the Silver Spring Mining Company) claim to have invented it. Soft pretzels are extremely common and popular in the Mid-Atlantic and up to New York and crab dip is particularly Baltimore and Maryland favorite, though both have found national fans, so perhaps it isn't surprising some enterprising soul brought them together. I know the pairing of the two sounds unlikely but it totally works-the soft, saltiness of the pretzel complements the creaminess of the dip and is a nice alternative to crackers or chips. Some places cover the dip with a large amount of cheddar but for my homemade version I added just a sprinkle to avoid overpowering the crab. This homemade version is a bit lighter and fresher tasting than many of the crab pretzels sold in restaurants and I think, even more delicious.

I know some people find working with yeast daunting but this is really a great, soft and easy to handle dough. Practically fool-proof yet very impressive. Who makes homemade pretzels anymore much less one covered in crab?

If crab pretzels are not quite your thing the pretzel recipe is perfect for making plain soft pretzels (divide it into 4 more normal sized pretzels if you'd like) and the dip is delightful on its own. Crab dip is normally served hot so I'd spoon it into ramekins or a small baking dish, sprinkle it with cheese and bake at 350 for about 10 minutes before serving.


A note about the crab meat:
Some restaurants boast that the crab meat on the crab pretzel is "jumbo lump" which is lovely stuff but very expensive (too expensive to make dip with in my opinion) and some times hard to find outside of the region. I find that backfin/generic "lump" crab meat works just as well and frankly is what many restaurants use in their crabcakes and crab pretzels even if they do claim to use jumbo lump-they just hope you don't notice.




Interested in trying out some other Mid-Atlantic regional recipes?
Check out my recipe for Baltimore-style Sour Beef & Dumplings or the local variation on cheesecake, Smearcase. Or if you want something super simple, try lemon sticks, another Baltimore classic.

Crispy Old Bay Shrimp

Ingredients:
1 lb raw shrimp, peeled, tails intact
1 cup cornmeal
1 egg
2 tablespoons Old Bay
salt
black pepper

canola oil

Directions:
Whisk together the salt, pepper, Old Bay, and cornmeal. Pour into a shallow bowl and set aside. Beat an egg in a second bowl. Heat about 1 1/2 inches of oil in a large saucepan or skillet, enough to cover the shrimp. Dredge the shrimp in egg, then dip into the cornmeal mixture. Make sure all sides are coated. Heat about 1/2 in oil in a large pan. Drop in a single layer into the hot oil and cook about 3 minutes or until crisp and cooked through. They should sink then you put them in, then float when cooked. Drain on paper towel lined plates. Serve hot.

My thoughts:

To me, nothing says "Summer" like Old Bay whether it is in steamed crabs, potato salad, shrimp salad, sprinkled on french fries or deviled eggs. I had never made fried shrimp before but it couldn't be easier. I used a large fairly shallow skillet and was able to cook most of the shrimp at the same time and they didn't need to be flipped so it was even easier than most things to pan-fry. As for the shrimp themselves? The greaseless* outside was perfectly spiced by the Old Bay, is crisp while the inside is bursting with sweet juicy shrimp flavor.


*The trick is to make sure the oil is really hot before adding the shrimp. If it is too cool, the food will absorb the oil.

How to Steam Blue Crabs

Ingredients:
water
apple cider vinegar
Old Bay
kosher or coarse salt
live blue crabs


Directions:
In a large boiling pot with a 2 inch raised rack add water and vinegar in equal amounts until the level is just below the rack. Bring to a boil. Drop the crabs into the pot in single layers*, sprinkling each layer with a thick coating of Old Bay and salt. The larger the pot, the more crabs you can steam at once, just make sure that the lid is still able to fit tightly. Steam in batches if you have to. Cover the pot and steam until until crabs turn a bright orange, about 20 minutes. If the shells are dark red or have reddish-green patches, then the crabs are not fully cooked and you need to keep steaming them. I found that stirring occasionally with a long handled spoon helped make sure the crabs at the top were cooked enough. Remove the crabs from the pot with tongs and serve on a newspaper lined table, preferably outdoors. Make sure you have lots of paper towels! Now, I am a Baltimore native and an experienced crab picker so I normally don't need any utensils beyond my fingers but it is often wise to have wooden crab mallets, butter knives or even nut cracking tools handy in case you need them to get the last bits of crab out of the shell. Now you are ready to get picking!


*Wear gloves! Refrigerating the crabs before you steam them keeps them alive and dopey but they still want to pinch and are stronger than you'd think.

My thoughts:

Steamed crabs are the quintessential Baltimore food. I actually have never steamed them at home until today but when I scored 16 good-sized, sweet crabs for $11 because they were packing up for the day at the farmer's market, I couldn't resist. Normally, they run about $20 a dozen. Steaming the crabs was super easy-I had seen people steam them before (mostly while I waited to pick up my order) so pretty much knew what to do. I even ran out of Old Bay 3/4 of the way through and they were still good! Of course, admitting that I ran out of Old Bay is enough to get me run out of town, but in my defense, my New Yorker husband claimed that a 6 oz tin was "more than enough Old Bay" for the Summer. I knew we needed the 1 lb tin. I found that using apple cider vinegar gave the crab a subtle tang that accentuated the crab's sweetness. I know some people like to steam in beer but I think that obscures some of the crab's natural flavor. Simple is best!

So, if you have access to fresh, live blue crabs, it is worth it to pick some up! It is super easy to steam them at home (even if you have to make a makeshift crab pot) and cheaper than getting them out. Old Bay is available in most groceries stores in the seasonings and spices isle or in the seafood department.


Learn how to get all of the succulent meat out here.






Also: a quick welcome to all of my new visitors who found me via the article this month in Baltimore Magazine! I've enjoyed all the emails and well-wishes! Thanks!

Fried Catfish v.2.0

Ingredients:
2 lb catfish fillets, cut in half length-wise
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/4 flour
1/4 corn flour
1 tablespoon Old Bay
1 1/2 teaspoons ground chipotle
1 teaspoon celery seed
salt
pepper
juice of one lemon
oil for frying

Directions:

Place fish in single layer in a shallow bowl or tray, squeeze lemon juice over the fish. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. On a plate, mix together flour, corn flour, cornmeal, Old Bay, chipotle pepper, salt, pepper and celery seed. Dredge the fish (both sides) in the mixture then place on a place and refrigerate an additional 1/2 hour. Meanwhile, heat enough oil to pan fry in a large, shallow pan. Heat the oil. Fry fish fillets in the oil, for about 4 minutes on each side, depending on thickness. Make sure the fish is cooked through. Drain on a paper towel lined plate and serve immediately.

My thoughts:

It is traditional during Hanukkah to eat fried foods, normally latkes, but we were a little short on potatoes so we fried up some fish instead. It is sort of an evolution of previous catfish recipe, cornflour replaces some of the plain flour and the spices are slightly different but it is just as crisp and delightful. I could eat it every day. I served it with and drinking my new favorite beverage-Fever Tree Bitter Lemon which add a good tart contrast to the spicy fish.


Oh, and we bought something at Ikea that has changed our lives. A mesh splatter guard. It keeps the oil from splashing everywhere when you fry. It also works great when you make tomato sauces.

Homemade Fish Sticks

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb tilapia fillets*, cut lengthwise into 3/4-inch strips
1 1/2 cup panko
1 cup buttermilk
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons Old Bay**
pepper
sea salt***


Directions:
Preheat oven to 400. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Mix together the panko, Old Bay, pepper and cornstarch and arrange on a plate. Pour the buttermilk into bowl. Dip the fish into the buttermilk (or soak the fish in the buttermilk for up to 20 minutes for slightly better flavor and sticking ability) then dredge in the panko mixture. Place in a single layer on the line baking sheet. Bake for 5-7 minutes on each side or until golden brown and cooked through.


*Or other firm, white fish like catfish or orange roughy.
** Paprika or cayenne would good too, if you can't find Old Bay Seasoning in your area.

***For that fresh from the sea flavor. I used the tasty Terras de Sal, which is harvested the old fashioned way by hand.

My thoughts:

Homemade fish sticks (or fish fingers if you prefer) are not really something I had thought of making before, but I was feeling sort of nostagic for my preschool days and thought I'd try a slightly more adult and healthier homemade version of my old frozen favorite. These fish sticks are delightful-fresh tasting, moist and flaky with just a hint of spice. As an added bonus they were made without any added fat. If you are not totally fat adverse, however, I recommend serving it with a little bit of homemade tartar sauce for dipping. They are also very good with a little mustard on the side.

Catfish Fry

Ingredients:
2 lb catfish filets*, cut in half length-wise
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/4 flour
1 tablespoon Old Bay
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne
1 teaspoon celery seed
salt
pepper
juice of one lemon
oil for frying

Directions:

Place fish in a shallow bowl, squeeze lemon juice over the fish. Refrigerate for 30 minutes. On a plate, mix together flour, cornmeal, Old Bay, cayenne, salt, pepper and celery seed. Dredge the fish (both sides) in the mixture then place on a place and refrigerate an additional 1/2 hour. Meanwhile, heat enough oil to pan fry in a large, shallow pan. Heat the oil on medium high heat for about 15 minutes or until you can really start to smell the oil. Fry fish filets in the oil, for about 4 minutes on each side, depending on thickness. Make sure the fish is cooked through. Drain on a paper towel lined plate and serve immediately, although any leftovers will make good sandwiches the next day.


*If you don't have catfish, white fish (whiting) or even tilapia will do.

My thoughts:

When I was little I used to go fishing and catch giant catfish that my grandpop would then cut up and fry for me. Now I buy my fish at the supermarket and it is my husband who fries it up for me. This version is spicier than what my grandpop made but every bit as tasty! The trick to a successful fry is very hot oil. If it is not hot enough, the fish will soak up the oil and you will be left with greasy fish. Cooking with hot oil can be tricky, but if you are careful, the results will be well worth the hassle.

Grilled Chicken Salad

Ingredients:
2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, grilled and diced
1 red onion, diced
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup celery, diced
1/4 cup fresh dill, chopped
2 tablespoons Old Bay
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon lime juice
salt
pepper


Directions:
In a large bowl stir together all ingredients until well combined, add salt, pepper and more mayo to taste. Serve immediately or refrigerate.

My thoughts:

The other night we had the grill going grilling some steak to serve over salads for dinner. We had wanted to make chicken salad for the next day so rather than poaching the chicken breast, we decided to grill it instead. I am so glad we did! The chicken came out with the best flavor, slightly smoky and very juicy. The resulting chicken salad was some of the best I've ever had. I just wish we had leftovers. They would be perfect for a picnic. A picnic? I can hear some of you saying. "But what about the mayonnaise?" This is the biggest food myth floating around during the summer. Store bought mayonnaise does not generally cause food poisoning. In fact, many food experts think that it actually retards the growth of harmful bacteria due its acidic ingredients like lemon juice or vinegar. More likely food poisoning at picnics is the result of improper handling of other foods such as raw meat or using contaminated utensils. You still want to keep it cold (like you would any perishable item) but there is no reason you can't serve this salad or a yummy mayonnaise based potato salad at your next picnic. It's likely this food myth came from the time when most people used homemade mayonnaise which with its barely cooked eggs could potentially cause problems.

Fried Chicken

Ingredients:

for the spice rub
*warning-this needs to be prepared and used the day before you plan to make the chicken

4 tablespoon Old Bay
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
6 cloves garlic, minced
juice of 1 lime


1 approx. 6 lb chicken, cut into 8 pieces

for the next day:
2 cups flour
1 tablespoon paprika
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon pepper
cooking oil


Directions:

The day before you fry the chicken: Combine spices in a small bowl then spread it out over a plate. Dredge the chicken pieces in the spices. Sprinkle the garlic and lime juice over chicken and refrigerate the whole thing in a ziplock bag overnight.

The day of:
Pour oil in to a large pot until it is about 2 inches height. Heat the oil to 450 degrees*. Mix flour and seasoning in a bowl, then spread it out over a plate. Dredge the chicken pieces in the flour mixture and fry until each piece is a deep golden brown, about 5 minutes on each side.

*tip: if you don't have a thermometer, put the oil on a medium high heat and heat for 30 minutes.

My thoughts:

For as long as I have known my husband he has been relentless in his pursuit of the perfect fried chicken. Every time he has tried something has gone wrong: the chicken is raw in the middle, it's not flavorful, it's dry, it's too dark. This weekend however, was a giant success. Flavorful, juicy chicken with a brittle golden crust. Honestly the best fried chicken either of us have ever had, any where.

Shrimp Salad

Ingredients:
3 lb freshly steamed, peeled shrimp*
1 stalk celery, diced
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon celery seed

Directions:
Place shrimp, celery and mayo in a large bowl, stir to coat. Sprinkle with seasonings and fold to distribute evenly. Serve on crackers, bread or as is.



*I like to steam shrimp for shrimp salad in plain water. Adding seasonings at that point doesn't add much to the flavor and makes the shrimp more difficult to peel.

My thoughts:

Many shrimp salad recipes call for onions, peppers, dill, lemon juice, and/or hard boiled eggs but I think all of those "extras" distract from the true star of the dish: the juicy shrimp. I think the celery and celery seed area all the crisp flavor accents this dish needs. Being from Baltimore, I am also extremely fond of Old Bay seasoning and think it too brings out the best in shrimp.