Wednesday's post was about shopping for seafood at Joe Patti's Seafood Market. This one is about what we did with our purchases.
Laura's Mom, Julie Demarko, is a celebrated chef in Pensacola, so dinner at her house is always a treat. I expect to gain weight on this visit. Julie undertook to prepare a seafood dinner, a three-course affair. Faced with such a project, I would have fretted about it for days before hand. Julie tossed the whole thing off effortlessly.
I didn't get off scot free. I was pressed into service preparing one of the appetizers: seared scallops.
Voila! They look great, no? I forgot to season them. I was a little intimidated, cooking under the supervision of so accomplished a chef.
Second appetizer: soft shell crabs Cajun style. Is it even possible to get soft shell crabs in Mexico? These were a real treat. I try to get some whenever they're available.
Main course: Fish stew accompanied by green salad. The stew contained exquisitely fresh red snapper, local shrimp and a stone crab claw, served in an intense broth made from fish trimmings.
How I miss the seafood I tasted in San Francisco and Boston. Dinner at Julie's is a rare treat.
[A disquieting note: I learned that stone crab claws are harvested by trapping the crabs, snapping off their claws, and returning them (the crabs) to the sea where they grow new claws. Eewww.]
I'm surprised they can grow new claws. But throwing them back so that they can, is better than throwing them in the trash, right?
Posted by: DanaJ | 10/09/2009 at 10:14 AM
I know only too well what you enjoyed since I grew up in So. Louisiana and spent over 34 years living in Gulf Breeze! Then it was another 14 years in San Miguel. Sure made my mouth water!
Posted by: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1286777797 | 10/10/2009 at 02:23 PM