7 minute read
IN THE KITCHEN
Out of the frying pan and onto the page
SEAFOOD
There’s just something special about seafood in the summertime. Whether you’ve been soaking up rays at the beach or relaxing poolside every day, try mixing up the normal dinner routine with some fresh summer seafood.
STORY: SHEMIR WILES A special thank you to Bubba’s Crab and Seafood, Leesburg
MAD ABOUT BOILIN’
Into the boiling hot water with a splash tumbles an array of hard vegetables, marking the beginnings of a savory, hearty summer treat known in the South as a low-country boil.
AN AUTHENTIC BOIL RECIPE
LOW-COUNTRY BOIL
Made with new potatoes, corn, shrimp, crab, and sausage, this easy one-pot meal is perfect for feeding large crowds on the beach or by the lake after a day of fun in the sun.
“It’s just one of those meals you can do to feed a lot of people, and it’s something different from a barbecue,” says Gregg Dudley, a fourth-generation Weirsdale resident who enjoys making boils for his family and friends. “The best thing is it can cook while people are mingling and talking to each other. And it’s foolproof. Even if you can’t cook, you can cook a low-country boil.”
When Gregg fi rst ventured into the world of low-country boil, he started with a handy recipe and a hankering for a meal fi t to satisfy. However, over the years, he has ditched the recipe and tweaked it to his liking. “For color, I like to add green beans and carrots,” Gregg says. “And with the popularity of the show Duck Dynasty, people want crawfi sh added to the boils as a kind of a novelty. A lot of people want to try it.” When it comes to making a low-country boil, Gregg explains that it’s not an exact science; it’s about boiling whatever you want with YIELDS: 4 SERVINGS
INGREDIENTS:
5 pounds red new potatoes 5 quarts water 3 lemons, cut in half 6 large garlic cloves, minced 2 white onions, quartered and unpeeled 1 (3-ounce) bag of crab boil seasoning 4 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning 2 pounds cooked kielbasa sausage, cut into 1½-inch pieces 6 ears of fresh sweet corn, cut in half 4 pounds large fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
DIRECTIONS:
• Bring the lemons, onions, garlic, Old Bay, crab boil seasoning, and fi ve quarts of water to a rolling boil. • Add potatoes and cover pot; cook fi ve minutes. • Add sausage and corn and return to a boil. • Cook 10 minutes or until potatoes are tender. • Add shrimp to stockpot; cook three to four minutes, or until shrimp turn pink. • Drain. • Serve with cocktail sauce.
Recipe adapted from: jamaicatravelandculture.com
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Out of the frying pan and onto the page
whatever seasoning you prefer. However, it’s best to start the boil off with any hard vegetables such as the red new potatoes and thick slices of onions. “When the vegetables are almost done, add the corn and sausage,” Gregg says. “Then when it’s right close to the end, dump in the crawfi sh or shrimp since it doesn’t need to cook that long. For seasoning, I like to use Old Bay, lemon, and lime.”
As for serving this gratifying dish, Gregg says people can serve it on a large, nice serving plate, but he likes to go for the tradition of dumping it on a table covered with thick newspaper.
“Anyone who seems to try a low-country boil is impressed with it and likes it,” he says. “It’s pretty easy and straightforward. And it’s fun to do.”
TREASURES FROM FLORIDA’S NORTHWEST COAST
Scalloping season is underway! The tiny treasures from the bays around Florida’s northwest coast are fun to harvest and delicious to eat.
STORY: MARY ANN DESANTIS
An armada has fi lled the waters around Homosassa, Crystal River, Steinhatchee, Keaton Beach, Port St. Joe, and Cape San Blas on Florida’s northwest coast since July 1st when Florida’s bay scalloping season offi cially opened.
Vessels of all sizes, from kayaks to fi shing boats and pontoons, are the fi rst thing I remember seeing on my fi rst scalloping trip a few years ago. I knew the small fan-shaped mollusks were a Florida delicacy, but I had no idea harvesting them could be so much fun. Donning snorkeling gear and diving into the sea grass near the mouth of the Homosassa River to catch my dinner was yet another way to experience “old” Florida. After all, Native Americans and early settlers enjoyed these bay scallops hundreds of years before Sunshine State chefs put them on menus.
As we cruised along the river and into the bay, another aspect of old Florida was apparent. Scalloping areas are often near remote, secluded places untouched by developers. Only the Gulf waters extending from the Pasco-Hernando County line to the west bank of the Mexico Beach Canal in Bay County are open to scallop harvesting. And if you do go scalloping, make sure you bring your harvest ashore in one of these designated areas; otherwise, you could be fi ned.
For those who don’t have access to a private boat, several charter boat companies in Homosassa and Crystal River offer scalloping adventures for both individuals and groups. Recreational harvesters need a Florida Saltwater Fishing License,
A FLORIDA RECIPE:
SCALLOP SLIDER
INGREDIENTS:
3 pounds chicken breasts 2 sliced scotch bonnet or habanero peppers, chopped with seeds 8 garlic cloves, chopped 3 medium onions, chopped 1 tablespoon dried thyme or 2 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves 2 teaspoons ground black pepper 2 teaspoons molasses 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar 2 teaspoons salt 2 tablespoons ground allspice 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 2 teaspoons ground nutmeg 2 teaspoons ground ginger 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup lime juice 1 cup white vinegar (or malt vinegar)
NOTE: Scotch bonnet and habanero peppers can cause extreme pain if they come in contact with your eyes, skin, tongue, or any other sensitive area. Wear protective gloves while handling the peppers and jerk sauce.
DIRECTIONS: Chop the onions, garlic, and peppers. Blend all ingredients (except the chicken) in a blender until mostly smooth.
Place chicken in a large baking dish. Add the sauce to the chicken breasts and coat thoroughly. Marinade overnight. Reserve some sauce for basting later.
To bake, set the oven at 350 degrees and cook the chicken for 30 minutes. Turn the meat and bake an additional 30 minutes, or until the juices run clear when pierced with a knife. To grill, preheat the grill to medium high. Slowly cook, while turning regularly, until the chicken is cooked, or the breasts’ internal temperature reaches 165 to 170 degrees. Baste with remaining sauce while cooking. For best results, cook over a charcoal barbecue (ideally over a rack of pimento wood).
Recipe courtesy of: scallophunter.com/scalloprecipes/ even if scalloping from shore. Snorkeling equipment comes in handy, and many rental boats provide everything needed for an enjoyable day on the water. Be aware that reservations fi ll up fast with the rental companies.
There are limits to how many scallops you can harvest per trip. Each person is limited to two gallons of whole bay scallops in the shells, or one pint of scallop meat. I thought this was an abysmally small amount until my friends and I had to clean them. And it was defi nitely enough for my favorite dish: sautéed scallops tossed with angel hair pasta, fresh parsley, a clove of garlic, and ParmiagianoReggiano cheese.
If your palate is more adventurous, you may want to try this Scallop Slider recipe, courtesy of Tracey Newton at The Scallop Hunter.
But hurry to catch these little gems. Scalloping season ends Sept. 24th! For more information about scalloping, visit the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission at myfwc. com/fi shing/saltwater/recreational/bay-scallops/.
