Smoked Paprika Shrimp on Dashi Cous Cous

Looking for shrimp recipes with international flair? Consider this smoked paprika shrimp on dashi cous cous. It’s a culinary excursion with stops in North Africa, Asia and Latin America — starting with cous cous from the mountains of Tunisia cooked in a unique umami flavored broth of dashi made from kombu seaweed and bonito flakes that points to the Far East. Mix in the soft, Latin American flavor of avocado and top with Gulf head shrimp coated with smoked paprika (which accents the smoky flavor from the dashi). This healthy, satisfying dish is with good source of protein, and rich in fiber and B vitamins. Avocado contains more potassium than bananas and loaded with heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acid. Serves 4.

INGREDIENTS

Cous Cous

• 1 Tbsp olive oil

• 2 shallots, finely sliced

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• 1 cup cous cous

• 2 cups homemade dashi

• 3 sprigs tarragon leaves

• 3 sprigs basil chiffonade

• 3 scallions, sliced diagonally 1/4”

• freshly ground black pepper

• 1 avocado cubed

Shrimp

• 1 clove garlic

• 2 Tbsp olive oil

• 2 pounds head on shrimp, tail peeled

• 1 tbsp smoked paparika

• 1-2 Tbsp black sesame seed

• 2 tsp sea salt

• juice of 1 lemon

PREPARATION

Cous Cous

1. Heat oil in sauce pan

2. Add chopped shallots, stir and allow to cook until soft. Stir in crushed garlic.

3. Add sake and cook for three minutes

4. Add cous cous, stir.

5. Add dashi broth, stir and bring to boil. Simmer five minutes. Remove from heat, cover and allow to stand for five minutes or until cooked.

6. Transfer to a bowl. Stir in avocado, basil, tarragon, scallion

7. Add pepper to taste.

Shrimp

1. Preheat sauté pan over medium heat.

2. In a small bowl, crush the garlic with the salt. Mix in ground black pepper and paprika.

3. Stir in olive oil and lemon juice to form a paste. In a large bowl, toss shrimp with this paste and add sesame seeds until evenly coated.

4. Lightly oil pan. Cook shrimp for two to three minutes per side or until opaque.

5. Transfer to a serving dish, garnish with lemon wedges.

King Salmon Poke with Black Sesame and Quick Pickled Beet

One of my favorite colorful summertime dishes to serve at any special gathering is poke. This poke is packed with super rich, all the good for you fat from the king salmon and folate iron from the red beets. Pickled beets also contain high amounts of potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, and vitamins A, B, and C, among others. The acidic sweetness from the beets and the brininess from the seabeans bring the luscious rich salmon to a balanced unami bite.

INGREDIENTS

Salmon Poke

• 1 lb. sushi-grade salmon fillet, cut into 3/4-inch cubes

• 2 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• 1 tbsp sesame oil

• 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

• 2 tbsp rice mirin

• 1 tsp ginger, grated

• 1 tsp garlic, minced

• 1 tbsp black sesame seeds

Red Beets

• 3 red beets

• sea salt

• 1/4 cup apple cider or sherry vinegar

• freshly ground pepper

• 1/4 cup olive oil

Garnish

Seabeans and scallion

PREPARATION

Salmon

In a medium sized bowl, combine soy sauce, oils, rice wine vinegar, mirin, ginger, garlic and add salmon. Toss gently with 1/4 cup of the marinade. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, refrigerate for 30 minutes or serve immediately.

Beets

1. Place beets in a large pot, and cover with cold water by 2 inches. Bring to a boil over high heat; add 1 tsp sea salt. Reduce heat slightly to maintain a rolling boil. Cook until tender, about 30 minutes. Drain, and let cool slightly. Trim stem ends, then peel beets using a paring knife or a vegetable peeler. Using a mandoline, cut beets 1/4-inch-thick slices for medallions. Using a carrot peeler to make ribbons as well.

2. Whisk together vinegar, sea salt to taste, and the pepper in a small bowl. Add oil in a slow, steady stream, whisking until emulsified. Pour vinaigrette over beets.

TIP

Before you begin making the poke, put the raw salmon in the freezer for about 30 minutes to partially freeze it. You want the salmon to be firm, but still soft enough to slice. The firmer texture allows for more sharply defined cuts.

A Holiday Recipe Guests Will Love: Glazed Duck with Cherry Balsamic Sauce

Searching for a new dinner party favorite for fans of waterfowl? Try this honey glazed duck breast. Many foodies are intimidated by the idea of cooking duck meat at home, but it can be a delicious treat and surprisingly simple to cook. Duck meat is a very flavorful type of poultry, while also being a good source of protein, iron, zinc, vitamin B-6 and thiamine. Eaten without the skin, duck breasts are as lean as white meat chicken or turkey. They also contain more iron per serving than most other poultry, and even some cuts of beef. However, this deliciously thin and crispy layer of succulent honey glazed skin is worth the calories!

INGREDIENTS 

Duck

• 2 6-ounce duck breasts

• crushed coriander seed

• honey

Sauce

• 1 Tbsp orange blossom honey

• 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

• 1/4 cup red wine

• 3/4 cup low-salt chicken broth

• 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger (optional)

• 2 small shallots, finely chopped

• 1 Tbsp butter

• 10 sweet cherries, halved and pitted

Serve with

• Sea beans

• poached or roasted candied beets

• sliced roasted shallots

PREPARATION

1. Trim excess fat from duck breasts, leaving a 1/4-inch layer covering the breast. Using a sharp knife, score the skin in a 3/4-inch diamond pattern (but do not cut into flesh). Season with sea salt and crushed coriander seed

2. Place a carbon steel or cast-iron pan on burner cold. Place the duck in, skin side down. Turn burner to medium, and sizzle gently for about seven minutes, until skin is crisp and golden, reducing heat as necessary to keep from getting too dark. Remove excess duck fat in pan as it melts and reserve for use later in the preparation. Turn breasts over and cook two more minutes. Drizzle skin with honey and finish cooking breasts three minutes in a 400-degree oven. Duck internal temperature should be 120-125 degrees. Remove breasts and let rest ten minutes.

3. Add two tablespoons of drippings from the duck skillet. Add shallots and stir for 30 seconds on medium heat. De glaze pan with red wine. Add balsamic, cherries, and orange blossom honey. Increase heat to high and boil until sauce is reduced to a glaze, stirring often for about three minutes. Whisk in one tablespoon cold butter. Season to taste. Strain if desired.

4. Thinly slice duck breasts at an angle and arrange slices on a platter. Spoon some of the sauce and cherries next to meat and reserve remaining sauce to pass at the table. Plate with accoutrements as above.

Lean Forward

Craving red meat? Treat yourself with this bourbon marinated Wagyu strip steak. When it comes to beef, this cut is a healthier choice because it has little marbling than most other steaks — making it a better balance of protein and fat with more Omega 3 and less Omega 6. This is the kind of ratio which purportedly lowers “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and increases “good” cholesterol (HDL) and leads to lower triglyceride levels in the blood —improving your overall heart health. Add the garlic shallot jam for an added burst of flavor that is nutritious and offers potent medicinal properties — many cultures depend on garlic to combat illnesses as pervasive as the common cold. Serves four.

INGREDIENTS

Marinade

• 3 tbsp bourbon

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard

• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

• 2 tbsp drained capers

• 2 sprigs rosemary finely chopped

• 2 garlic cloves chopped

• freshly ground black pepper

Steak

• 2 sprigs rosemary

• 16 ounces boneless NY sirloin strip

Shallot Garlic Jam

• 3 large shallots, peeled, and chopped

• 3 garlic clove, peeled, and chopped

• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 1/4 cup heavy cream

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

• 1/4 cup dry sherry

• squeeze of 1/2 a lemon

PREPARATION

Marinade

1. Combine marinade ingredients and blend in an immersion blender.

2. Place steak in a shallow dish and rub marinade all over, coating it well.

3. Allow to marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes. (The steak can be marinated for up to 24 hours. Just be sure to cover and refrigerate it while marinating.)

Steak

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees and heat olive oil in a a cast iron skillet over medium high.

2. Grill steak for three minutes per side, then add rosemary and one tbsp butter and finish in oven for four minutes. For medium-rare, cook until a meat thermometer inserted in the center of the steak reads 130 ̊ F, then remove to a cutting board to rest for 10 to 15 minutes.

3. Slice thinly against the grain and serve.

Jam

1. Heat olive oil in a saucepan and heat onions and garlic on low for five minutes

2. Add sherry, raise heat to medium and add heavy cream. Cook for five minutes.

3. Remove from heat and puree with a blender.

PLATING

1. Smear the the garlic jam down the center of the plate.

2. Horizontally place 4 strips of asparagus in the center of the jam.

3. Diagonally lay two to three slices of steak on the asparagus, garnish with sea beans, (samphire) and purple radish microgreens. Serve gastrique tableside.