RECIPES WE LOVE What’s Cooking in SWFL
What's cooking in SWFL
1 LOBSTER MASHED POTATOES Restaurant: Ocean Prime
Serves 4-6
3 ounces lobster meat 3 tablespoons paprika butter (1 stick butter whipped in mixer with ½ tablespoon paprika) 12 ounces Ocean Prime Whipped Potatoes (See recipe below) 1 ounce cream or milk 1 ounce unsalted butter ¼ teaspoon kosher salt ¼ teaspoon chives 1 pinch paprika
Sauté lobster meat in 2 tablespoons paprika butter. In separate pan, mix mashed potatoes, 1 tablespoon paprika butter and cream. Put mashed potatoes in a dish with lobster meat and extra butter on top. Garnish with chives and paprika.
Ocean Prime Whipped Potatoes
8 cups Idaho potatoes 12 cups cold water ½ cup cream or milk 2 sticks unsalted butter 1 tablespoon kosher salt ⅛ tablespoon white pepper
Peel and halve potatoes, then place in pot with the water. Bring to a simmer. Cook until potatoes are fork tender throughout. Immediately drain potatoes and allow to steam for 3 minutes. While potatoes steam, heat butter and cream in small saucepan until butter melts. Whip potatoes in mixer for 30 seconds alone, then add about ¾ of the butter and cream mixture. Continue mixing slowly, then increase speed, whipping air into potatoes to give them volume. Add remaining liquid as you mix, if needed. Inn on Fifth, 699 5th Ave. South, Naples; 239-430-0404; ocean-prime.com
2 BRONZED FRESH GROUPER ON SWEET POTATO AND LOBSTER HASH
Restaurant: Lobster Lady
Serves 4 Fish
4 portions (6 ounces each) boneless/ skinless grouper ½ cup blackening seasoning 1 teaspoon cinnamon 4 ounces olive oil
Hash
3 sweet potatoes, peeled, ½-inch diced ½ red pepper, ½-inch diced ½ green pepper, ½-inch diced ½ red onion diced 1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning Fresh ground pepper to taste 6 ounces olive oil 8 ounces cooked and roughly chopped lobster meat
Relish
8 ounces frozen packaged cranberries Zest and juice of one orange ½ cup orange juice (if needed) ½ cup sugar
If desired, prep relish a day in advance. Place thawed cranberries in blender or food processor. Add juice of orange, and sugar. Pulse until well chopped. Add additional orange juice to preference. Place in bowl and add zest. Refrigerate. For fish, mix blackening spice and cinnamon together. Blend well. Generously season flesh side of fillet. Place 12-inch skillet on medium-to-high heat and add oil. Add fish when oil starts to smoke. Once fish is nicely golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes, flip and cook 2 to 3 minutes. Place fish on cookie sheet and in 400-degree oven for about 6 to 8 minutes, until fish is opaque. For hash, add oil to 12-inch skillet over medium-to-high heat. Add sweet potatoes just as oil starts to smoke. Wait 2 to 3 minutes, then turn to achieve golden brown on all sides of sweet potatoes. Add peppers, onions and Old Bay. Cook for another 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Pull off stovetop and add lobster meat. Spread on cookie sheet and place in preheated 400-degree oven for 15 minutes. 1715 Cape Coral Parkway West, Cape Coral; 239-471-0136; lobsterladyseafood.com
3 PUSSER’S PAIN KILLER COCKTAIL
Restaurant: Bimini Bait Shack
Serves 1
2 ounces Pusser’s Rum 2 ounces pineapple juice 2 ounces orange juice 1 ounce Coco López Dash of nutmeg Fresh orange wedge and a cherry
Combine liquid ingredients in shaker tin with ice. Shake well and pour, with ice, into 16-ounce glass. Finish with dash of nutmeg on top. Garnish with orange wedge and cherry. 17501 Harbour Pointe Drive, Fort Myers; 239-360-2248; biminibaitshack.com
4 HOMEMADE MEATLOAF
Restaurant: Bimini Bait Shack
Serves 10
2½ pounds ground beef 2 eggs ½ cup milk ½ cup ketchup ¼ cup breadcrumbs ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon black ground pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Coat large baking pan with non-stick cooking spray. Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Place mixture in baking pan and cook for 90 minutes. Cut down the middle lengthwise, then across. Remove slices from pan and plate warm. Serve with your favorite sides such as mashed potatoes and fresh steamed vegetables. 15271 McGregor Blvd., Fort Myers; 239-466-9493; nickandstellas.com
5 CHEF JACOB JASINSKI’S SCALLOPS WITH TRUFFLE RICE, TURNIPS, CITRUS EMULSION
Restaurant: Sails
Serves 3
Rice 1 cup Nishiki rice ½ ounce olive oil 1 ounce chopped truffle 4½ ounces truffle juice 4½ ounces dashi Truffle salt to taste 1 tablespoon butter Parchment paper Lightly coat parchment paper with butter. Wash rice thoroughly. Heat olive oil in medium-sized sauce pot over medium heat. Add chopped truffle with small pinch of salt. Stir to avoid any color from developing. Add rice and stir well to fully incorporate truffle, then add dashi and 3½ ounces of truffle juice. (Reserve 1 ounce for coating rice before plating.) Cover with the parchment paper and properly fitting lid. Cook rice gently over low-to-medium heat until all liquid is absorbed, then remove from heat. Let sit for 10 to 20 minutes at room temperature.
Citrus Truffle Emulsion
1 ounce chopped shallot 6 ounces dashi 6 ounces truffle juice ½ ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice ½ cup butter 1 whole egg and 1 yolk Piment d’Espelette
In a saucepan, combine shallots, dashi, truffle and lemon juices. Reduce over medium heat until 2 ounces remain. Melt butter until small bubbles froth on the surface. Place eggs in blender to mix; slowly add dashi/truffle reduction, then the butter until sauce thickens. Season with truffle salt, piment d’Espelette and lemon juice to taste.
Scallops
9 cleaned fresh, high-quality scallops (3 per person) 1 ounce grapeseed oil Butter Meyer lemon, 1 slice per serving
Let scallops rest at room temperature 30 minutes before cooking. Heat grapeseed oil in a sauté pan sized to accommodate scallops. Season scallops in pan with sea salt. Carefully place scallops in pan to a loud sizzle but with no smoke or steam rising. Lift each scallop to check color. They should be a light golden brown evenly across the surface. Remove from pan. Discard searing oil.
Add 1 or 2 ounces butter plus slice of lemon and return scallops to pan, seared side up. As butter melts and begins frothing, spoon it over the surface of scallops, maintaining heat so butter continues frothing and stays golden. Continue this process, turning over scallops twice. Insert a cake tester (thin metal skewer) into a scallop’s center, then touch skewer on your wrist or cheek. When skewer is noticeably warm, remove scallops from pan. Season with olive oil and lemon juice, plus a pinch of salt.
Heat remaining 1 ounce of truffle juice with equal amount of dashi until it sim- mers. Add rice and stir rapidly to coat evenly. Continue until rice is very hot. Adjust consistency with a little dashi as desired, then finish with olive oil and sea salt (or truffle salt if available). Heat plates, make two rice quenelles for each person and set on plates. Place scallops around rice with sauce to the side. Sails garnishes with shaved, cooked turnips. 301 5th Ave. South, Naples; 239-360-2000; sailsrestaurants.com