Simply Sensational Seafood

These seafood dishes will

leave you feeling like a chef. The recipes are simple, quick and so delicious that you will want to put them on repeat.

Thai Curry Clams

Serves 3

STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY NATALIE FINDLAY

2½ cm piece fresh ginger 6 cm piece fresh galangal 3 stalks lemon grass 1½ Tbs (22 mL) avocado oil ½ red onion 2 cloves garlic, peeled and roughly chopped 1 cup (250 mL) chicken stock 1 can (400 mL) coconut milk 2 dried lime leaves ¾ tsp fish sauce ¼ cup (60 mL) lime juice 1.3 kg fresh clams, cleaned To taste sea salt Garnish cilantro, Thai basil, Thai red chili pepper, lime wedges

1. Remove skin from ginger and thinly slice. Remove rough outer bits of galangal and chop. Trim lemon grass, remove outer layer and cut into 10 cm pieces. 2. In a medium pot, over medium heat, add avocado oil. 3. Peel onion and cut into wedges and add to the pot, sauté 3 minutes. 4. Add the garlic, ginger, galangal and lemon grass to pot and sauté another 3 minutes. 5. Add stock, coconut milk, lime leaves and fish sauce to pot. Simmer on medium low heat for 30 minutes. Add lime juice. 6. Add clams and increase heat to medium, cook approximately 8 minutes or until clams have opened. Remove and discard any clams that do not open as they are not good to eat. Taste the sauce for saltiness. 7. Choose from the garnishes that you like and serve immediately. Drink the broth like a soup or as a dip for crusty bread.

Tuna Niçoise

Serves 3 Dressing

½ clove garlic, peeled and grated ½ tsp mustard ½ tsp honey 1 lemon, juiced 1/3 cup (80 mL) olive oil 3 sprigs parsley, finely chopped 5 leaves basil, finely chopped To taste salt and pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until combined.

Salad

8 fingerling potatoes 2 eggs 150 g green beans, trimmed 250 g sashimi grade tuna loin, or canned tuna 3 cups arugula, or other lettuce 16 cherry tomatoes, halved ½ cup Kalamata olives To taste sea salt and pepper

1. In a medium pot, fill two-thirds with water and add the fingerling potatoes. Place on medium high heat and cook potatoes 30 minutes or until they are fork tender. Drain off the water. Cut potatoes in half lengthwise. Season with a pinch of sea salt. 2. Add eggs to a medium pot and add enough water to cover the eggs by a couple of cms. Set stove to high heat and bring the water to a boil. As soon as the water hits boil, turn off the heat and let the eggs sit in the hot water for 8-12 minutes, depending on how hard you like your eggs. Less time for softer eggs and longer for harder eggs. 3. Remove the eggs from the hot water and place in an ice bath for 10-15 minutes to allow them to completely cool. Peel away the shells. 4. Using the same pot as the eggs, bring water back to a boil. Add the green beans and cook for 2-3 minutes. Remove from water and plunge into an ice bath to stop cooking and retain the green colour. 5. Coat tuna loin with olive oil and season with sea salt and pepper. Heat sauté pan on medium high heat for a few minutes or until pan is very hot. Drizzle 2 tsp (10 mL) olive oil in pan and add the tuna. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes on each side. This will allow the outside to form a crust and leave the tuna raw on the inside. Remove from heat. *Skip this step if you are using canned tuna. 6. Bringing it together: Toss arugula with a bit of the dressing. Arrange on plates along with potatoes, tomatoes and green beans. Slice tuna and arrange on plate. Slice eggs in half and arrange on plate. Drizzle dressing over everything and top with olives. Seafood Boil

Serves 2-4

430 g baby potatoes 6 cloves garlic, peeled 1 onion, peeled and quartered 1 can beer (optional) 2 Tbs Old Bay seasoning ¼ cup kosher salt 6 sprigs thyme 3 bay leaves 2 – 4 corn cobs, husked and cut into thirds 75 g sausage (andouille, kielbasa) cut into 3 cm pieces 2 lobsters 675 g clams, cleaned 450 g prawns Garnish melted butter and lemon wedges

1. In a large high-sided stock pot, fill halfway with water. 2. Add potato, garlic, onion, beer, Old Bay seasoning, salt, thyme and bay leaves. Bring to a boil. Then start the timer. Cook 5 minutes. 3. Add corn, sausage and lobster. Cook 15 minutes. 4. Add clams. Cook 5 minutes or until clams have fully opened. 5. Add the prawns and cook until they change colour and curl up, about 2 minutes. 6. Strain through a colander. Discard any unopened clams. Note: you can reserve the broth and use as a seafood stock. 7. Lay all the ingredients out on a big platter in the centre of the table. Serve with melted butter, lemon wedges and lots of napkins. Let the feast begin!

Natalie is a freelance writer, photographer and pastry chef. A graduate of Cordon Bleu’s pastry program, she manages her own business too to create custom-made cakes.