Celebrate with a shellfish cookout
Observe our country’s birthday with a sustainable shellfish cookout
Sustainable shellfish may not be top of mind when it comes to quintessentially Canadian foods, but it should be. From Nova Scotia lobster to Quebec snow crab and B.C. spot prawns, there’s plenty to celebrate from coast to coast. “Our waters are so unique,” chef Matt Dean Pettit says. “As Canadians, we’re blessed. We have beautiful shellfish on both coasts. We should be focusing on these. If you’re looking from a dollarsand-cents standpoint, our fisheries depend on it. Our communities that are within these fishery departments … depend on it.” Toronto-based Pettit is the founder of Rock Lobster restaurants and Matty ’s Seafood Brands, and the author of two cookbooks. In his latest, The Great Shellfish Cookbook (Appetite by Random House, 2018), he provides more than 100 recipes and a crash course in Shellfish 101 with tips on buying, storing, preparing and cooking it. Growing up in Midland, Ont., seafood was a “complete treat,” Pettit says. “We have beautiful pickerel and perch up there but shellfish, whoa! Lobster, crab, on my birthday … every single year that’s what I’ve had.” Integral to his business and books is the belief that sustainable seafood should be available to all Canadians, whether landlocked or coastal dwellers. “For me it was always just making it affordable and approachable for others,” he says. “Access, and knowing how to cook and all the fun things that come with it is part of the mission.” When it comes to buying shellfish sustainably, Pettit highlights that it’s a shared responsibility between shoppers and retailers. Educate yourself using resources such as the Ocean Wise Seafood classification program and the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch app, and talk to your fishmonger about sustainable options: “It’s really asking the questions. Where does it come from? How do you know? Supporting the ones that can tell you and give you that information.”
As many of Pettit’s recipes illustrate, feasting on shellfish is social by nature. Forgoing cutlery is often the best way to go about it, and getting a bit messy is a must. “Food is about celebrating memories, time, people and experiences,” Pettit says. “A lot of these dishes are communal, a lot of them are eating with your hands, and you just get right in there and have some fun.”
Recipes excerpted from The Great Shellfish Cookbook by Matt Dean Pettit published by Appetite by Random House.
THE SAILORS’ N’AWLINS CRAWFISH BOIL
“It’s almost like your classic, original one-pot recipe,” Pettit says. Serves: 4-6
3/4 cup (185 mL) seafood seasoning (e.g. Old Bay Seasoning), divided
4 medium lemons, halved
2 lb (900 g) red potatoes, quartered
2 lb (900 g) spicy sausage, cut into 1-inch (2.5 cm) rounds 6 ears of corn, cut in half
10 lb (4.5 kg) live or frozen (thawed) crawfish (see note) 2 cups (500 mL) unsalted butter, melted
1. In a very large stockpot, bring 10 1/2 quarts (10 L) of cold water to a boil over high heat. Add 1/2 cup (125 mL) of the seafood seasoning, the lemon halves, and the potato quarters. Bring the water back up to a boil and then cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until the potatoes have softened slightly. Add the sausages and corn. Cook for 10 more minutes. Add the crawfish and cook for an additional 5 minutes.
2. Drain off the water, and allow the seafood to cool for 3 to 5 minutes, until cool enough to handle.
3. Set up your serving table with a plastic tablecloth and plenty of newspapers. Pour the seafood right on the table. Sprinkle the remaining 1/4 cup (60 mL) of seafood seasoning overtop.
4. Break out the napkins and cold beer, and dip the pieces into the melted butter. Don’t worry about getting your hands dirty; it’s all part of the fun!
Note: If you buy live crawfish, you’ll need to purge them. Dump the live crawfish into a large cooler or stockpot. Empty one large box of kosher salt over the crawfish, and then add enough cold water to cover them all. Using a large spoon, stir well and allow the salt to clean out any mud or dirt. Let them soak for about 5 minutes and then drain off the water. The crawfish are now ready to cook. Remember to discard any dead or unmoving crawfish before cooking!
If you can’t find crawfish, Pettit recommends using crab — snow, king or B.C. Dungeness.
LOBSTER & SHRIMP CEVICHE
The key to making ceviche is to ensure your shellfish is “super-fresh,” says Pettit. Serves: 2-4
1 live lobster (1 1/2 lb/680 g) or 2–3 frozen (thawed) lobstertails
1/2 lb (225 g) medium raw shrimp, weighed then peeled
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 cup (250 mL) halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 English cucumber, sliced 1/4-inch (6 mm) thick and finely chopped 1/2 cup (125 mL) finely chopped cilantro juice from 1 lemon
1/4 cup (60 mL) fresh orange juice
Juice from 1 lime
1 tbsp (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
Flaky sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Tortilla chips or Bibb lettuce, for serving
1. If using live lobster, place it in the freezer for approximately 20 minutes to put it into a catatonic state. Using a sharp knife, pierce directly through the top of the lobster’s head( this will kill it instantly) and run the knife down through the centre of the lobster’s body to split it into two. Using kitchen shears or a sharp knife, remove the meat and rinse it thoroughly under cold, running water. Finely chop the lobster meat. If using thawed, frozen lobster tails, remove the meat and finely chop it.
2. Roughly chop the shrimp.
3. In a large mixing bowl, mix together the lobster meat, shrimp, onions, tomatoes, cucumbers, cilantro, citrus juices, olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste to combine the flavours and allow the citrus to cook the meat. Cover the bowl tightly with aluminum foil or plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. The lobster and shrimp will be opaque and firm.
4. Remove the bowl from refrigerator and drain off any liquid. Serve the ceviche with tortilla chips, or use Bibb lettuce to make lettuce wraps.
GRILLED SHRIMP & PINEAPPLE SKEWERS
Serves: 4
1/4 cup (60 mL) canola oil 12 large wild shrimp
1 large pineapple, cut into chunks about 3/4-inch (2 cm) thick
1/2 cup (125 mL) plain 0 per cent Greek yogurt
1 tbsp (15 mL) agave nectar 1 tbsp (15 mL) ground allspice 1 tsp (5 mL) ground cinnamon 1 lime, cut into quarters 1/4 cup (60 mL) crushed unsalted peanuts 2 sprigs cilantro, stems removed and leaves roughly chopped
Special equipment:
8 metal or presoaked wooden skewers
1. Preheat the barbecue to 375°F (190°C). Dampen some paper towels with the canola oil and rub the grill grate so that no food stickstoit.
2. Place one shrimp on a skewer, followed by a piece of pineapple. Repeat until you have three pieces each of shrimp and pine- apple on a skewer, then make up the remaining skewers.
3. Place the skewers on the grill and cook for 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove them from the grill and wrap them in aluminum foil to keep warm.
4. In a small mixing bowl, combine the yogurt and agave nectar with the allspice and cinnamon. Mix well and then transfer to a small serving dish.
5. Serve the shrimp on a platter, garnished with lime quarters, crushed peanuts, and cilantro.