Treat family to seafood favorites
One of the highlights of a trip to the beach is enjoying fresh seafood. In the past several years, more local grocery stores and butcher shops are carrying a good selection of seafood. Whether it is shrimp, crab, snapper, grouper or salmon, seafood is easy to prepare for special summer meals. It is a popular choice at our home, as it brings back memories of carefree days at the beach against a backdrop of glorious sunsets.
Along with seafood in grocery stores, butcher shops, which are normally known for beef, are also offering seafood. Staff at butcher shops also help with selections, seasonings and cooking.
While Vintage 2298 Butcher Shop in Auburn is brimming with steaks, lamb, chicken, pork and venison, they also have a wide selection of fresh seafood. Chef Randall Baldwin orders fresh Gulf seafood from Greg Abrams’ Seafood in Panama City, Florida. Fresh seafood is delivered to the butcher shop three days a week.
The fresh seafood can vary depending on what is caught that day. Chef Randall is called to place his order for delivery after the boats arrive back at shore. The same seafood in the butcher shop is also offered on the menu at the Vintage 2298 restaurant adjoining the market.
Generally, the market has fresh snapper, shrimp and other fish, such as black grouper, trigger fish, among others. The market also has claw and lump crab meat. Nathan Brumbaugh is the butcher. On Tuesdays, Nathan cooks shrimp and offers it along with the fresh shrimp.
While there, browse other items for your meal. These can include breads, containers of West Indies crab salad from the restaurant, cheese, charcuterie items, gluten free pastas, crackers, grits, jams and other food items.
After Chef Randall and his wife Laura opened their Vintage 2298 restaurant, they added the butcher shop on the side of the building, offering the same meats and seafood served at the restaurant.
The Baldwins opened Vintage 2298 after Chef Randall had a successful career in Birmingham working at Bottega, Chez Fon Fon and as kitchen manager at Highlands Bar and Grill. He left Frank Stitt’s restaurant when he was offered the position as executive chef at Dyron’s Lowcountry in Mountain Brook. He worked there for 12 years.
The couple had visited Auburn and thought it was a perfect fit for their dream of owning a restaurant. Vintage 2298 Butcher Shop and the restaurant are located at 2298 East University Drive, Auburn. The market is closed on Sundays and Mondays.
After having a store in Montgomery for over 25 years, the Pepper Tree Steaks and Wines opened a second location in Auburn last year. While they are known for their steaks, they also have seafood on weekends at the butcher shop. At the butcher shop, you can select meats for the chefs to cook. A light menu is available daily, and there are tables for enjoying the prepared food.
Along with the butcher section, the store has entrees in frozen and refrigerator sections as well as other items such as chicken salad, pimento cheese, rolls, desserts and other items.
Along with food items, there are table and kitchen wares.
Pepper Tree Steaks and Wines shop is located at 2459 East Glenn Ave. in Auburn.
Another butcher shop that also offers seafood is My Local Butcher in Opelika owned by Tony Cleaves. While he has a selection of pre-cut packaged meats and custom cuts, he offers shrimp from Destin.
My Local Butcher is located at 1413 Fredick Road, Opelika.
Following are guidelines for purchasing and storing seafood.
- Fish should have a fresh or mild odor, not smell fishy, ammonia-like or sour.
- Eyes of a whole fish should be clear and shiny. Fish that has been previously frozen may not have bright eyes and firm flesh.
- Fresh fillets should have firm flesh and should spring back when pressed.
- Check to be sure fillets don’t have discoloration or drying around the edges.
- If fish is going to be used within two days of purchase, store it in the coldest part of the refrigerator at 40 degrees or below. If fish is fresh, pack it on ice in plastic bags and cover with ice in a pan.
- Frozen seafood can last for months in the freezer.
- Was hands for at least 20 seconds with soap after handling raw food.
Check out local grocery stores and butcher shops for your favorite seafood, and select a recipe or two from good local cooks for treating your family to a delectable meal this coming week.
GULF COAST CRAB CAKES
Recipe of former caterer Martha Hicks
Salad:
Mixed baby field greens
3 cups grape tomatoes, quartered
1 bunch green onions more to taste, chopped
3 Tbsp. chopped fresh chives
1/2 orange bell pepper, medium to smaller cubes
Grape tomatoes, green onions, fresh chives and orange bell pepper for garnish
Combine above 4 ingredients with the vinaigrette below.
Vinaigrette:
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. crushed oregano
1/4 tsp. Dijon mustard
½ cup olive oil
Combine the first four above ingredients. Slowly whisk in olive oil.
Crab Cakes:
1 lb. jumbo lump Gulf crab meat, picked over for shells
1 to 2 eggs
1/2 scant cup finely ground breadcrumbs
Green onions
Cajun seasoning to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
If it isn’t moist enough, add a little mayonnaise.
Gently combine above ingredients. Make a small crab cake and sauté to check seasoning. Add additional seasonings if needed.
Lightly form into cake patties and chill 30 minutes.
Sauté crab cakes in canola oil until nicely browned on both sides.
Presentation:
Arrange on a platter or for individual servings, place bed of greens in the center of a salad plate. Place crab cake on greens. Surround with tomato mixture and garnish with a lemon wedge. May also put a little less than a tablespoon of remoulade sauce beside each crab cake.
EASY REMOULADE SAUCE
Easy Rémoulade Sauce
Good with crab cakes, shrimp and other seafood.
1 cup mayonnaise
3 green onions, sliced
2 Tbsp. Creole mustard
2 garlic cloves, pressed
1 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley or 2 tsp. dried
Combine ingredients and stir until well blended.
BUTTERNUT GROUPER
Cathy Dozier
This is for the fish lovers in your family. This will become a tradition. It was adapted from a restaurant and makes an attractive presentation.
1 cup seasoned bread crumbs, finely ground
1 cup chopped pecans
1 ¼ sticks butter, room temperature
Four 6 oz. grouper fillets
Heat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in a small pan. Combine breadcrumbs and pecans in a medium bowl. Slowly add butter, enough to make breadcrumbs and pecans stick together.
Place fish, fleshy side up, on a baking sheet lined with foil and coat the top of fish with the pecan mixture, about ½ inch thick. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes until cooked through. Cooking time will depend on thickness of fish fillets.
BAKED GROUPER WITH WILD MUSHROOMS
Scott Girard
4 Tbsp. plus 4 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
½ lb. each chanterelle, Portobello and oyster mushrooms, each in ¼-inch slices
4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
1 Tbsp. thyme leaves
4 (5-oz.) pieces grouper fillet
Salt and pepper
1½ cups dry white wine
¼ cup Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 tsp. dried thyme
2 cups baby spinach, chopped
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a 12 to 14-inch ovenproof sauté pan, heat 4 Tbsp. oil until smoking. Add mushrooms and garlic and sauté 3 minutes. Add tomato paste and thyme, and continue to cook 5 minutes. Remove mixture to a bowl and set aside.
Season fish well with salt and pepper. Heat remaining oil in the same pan and add fish. Sauté until deep golden brown on the first side. Carefully turn fish, add wine, and return mushroom mixture to pan. Put pan in oven and cook for 4 minutes, until fish is cooked through.
Remove from the oven, sprinkle with parsley and serve. Makes four servings.
EASY SKILLET FRESH FISH
Janine Simmons
Any fresh fish such as red snapper, grouper
Salt and pepper
Cayenne pepper
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. butter
Season fish with salt, pepper and cayenne pepper. In a black iron skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil; when hot add butter.
Cook 4 minutes; turn over and continue cooking about 4 minutes or until fully cooked. For grouper, do the same but cook 8 minutes longer in the oven.
GROUPER STRIPS WITH DILL TARTAR SAUCE
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp. dried dill
1 tsp. salt
1/3 tsp. ground mustard
1 1/4 cups buttermilk
4 grouper fillets, cut into 2-inch strips
Tartar sauce
In a large Dutch oven, pour oil to a depth of 3 inches; heat the oil to 350F.
In a shallow dish, combine flour, cornstarch, dill, salt and mustard. In a separate shallow dish, pour in buttermilk. Dredge grouper strips in the flour mixture. Dip in buttermilk, and dredge in flour mixture again to coat.
Fry grouper strips in batches, until golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes or until fully cooked. Drain on some paper towels. Serve immediately with Dill Tartar Sauce.
Dill Tartar Sauce:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup grated onion
1/2 cup dill relish
1/2 tsp. dried dill
Squeeze lemon juice
Salt and ground pepper
In a small bowl, combine mayonnaise, onions, relish and dill. Season with lemon juice, salt and pepper. Cover and chill.
DON’S BAKED SALMON
FILLETS WITH BROWN
SUGAR GLAZE
4 (6-oz.) skin-on or skinless salmon fillets
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 tsp. minced garlic or 1 tsp. garlic powder, optional
2 tsp. light brown sugar
2 tsp. kosher salt (such as Diamond Crystal)
1 tsp. sweet paprika
½ tsp. black pepper
Half lemon, for serving
Heat oven to 400 degrees and line a sheet pan with parchment paper.
Pat salmon dry with paper towels and place on sheet pan. Brush fillets all over with olive oil.
In a small bowl, combine garlic, brown sugar, salt, paprika and pepper. Sprinkle the spice mixture over the fillets, pressing gently to coat the tops and sides.
Bake salmon until it flakes easily and is just cooked in the center, 12 to 15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets. Squeeze lemon over the fish and serve. Makes four servings.
GRILLED MARINATED SHIRMP
½ cup oil
¼ cup soy sauce
¼ cup lemon juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 lbs. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Combine all ingredients except shrimp; blend well. Add shrimp. Chill 2 to 3 hours.
Thread shrimp onto skewers. Grill 3 to 4 minutes on each side or until shrimp turn pink. Can thread shrimp onto woody end of rosemary branches. If using wooden skewers, soak in water for a few minutes.
SHRIMP SALAD
Havlin Wise
4 oz. pasta shells of choice, boiled and drained
1 lb. boiled shrimp, peeled and deveined
½ cup celery, finely chopped
4 Tbsp. mayonnaise
¼ cup sweet pickle relish
½ – 1 Tbsp. cayenne pepper to taste
¼ cup green onions, finely chopped
1 tsp. black pepper
In a large bowl, mix all ingredients and salt to taste. Chill for about 1 hour prior to serving.
MANELLI’S BARBECUE SHRIMP
Dr. Ellen Royal
2 lb. jumbo shrimp with heads left on
Wash shrimp and place in a drainer for 1 hour. Line a 2-inch deep pan with shrimp.
In a boiler combine:
1 lb. butter
½ cup olive oil
Juice of 2 lemons
1 Tbsp. paprika
2 Tbsp. freshly ground black pepper
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. basil
½ tsp. rosemary
4 tsp. garlic, finely chopped or pressed
Bring all ingredients to a boil; pour over shrimp. Bake at 450 degrees for 20 minutes.
Serve with salad and plenty of French bread to sop the sauce. Serves 4-5, but sauce is adequate for 6 servings. Just increase the amount of shrimp. Delicious but messy.
EASY BROILED SNAPPER
2 lbs. snapper fillets, skinned
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 cup butter, softened
3 Tbsp. mayonnaise
3 Tbsp. green onion, chopped
1/4 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. liquid hot pepper sauce
Cut fillets into serving sizes. Place fish on a well-greased broiler pan, approximately 13×10 inches. Baste fish with lemon juice and let stand for 10 minutes. Broil approximately 4 inches from heat for 4 to 5 minutes.
Turn fish carefully and continue to broil 4 to 5 minutes longer until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
Combine Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise, green onion, salt and liquid hot pepper sauce. Spread sauce evenly over fish and broil 2 to 3 minutes longer or until lightly browned.
PAN-FRIED FISH
WITH PICATA SAUCE
4 skinless flounder fillets or other white fish
Salt and pepper
Flour, for dredging fish
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
3 Tbsp. butter, divided
1 lemon, juiced
1 small bottle capers
Sprinkle fillets with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour. Place oil and 2 Tbsp. butter in skillet; heat on med-high until butter melts. Add fish; cook on one side 3 minutes more or less, until deep brown and crispy. Turn fish and cook another 3 minutes.
Remove fish to serving platter. Turn off heat. Into hot skillet, whisk in remaining 1 Tbsp. butter. Add lemon juice. Pour in capers, liquid and all. Whisk. Pour thin sauce over fish fillets.
BEAUFORT FRIED SHRIMP
2 lbs. shrimp
2 cups flour
2 tsp. salt
2 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. paprika
2 eggs
1/4 cup milk
1 Tbsp. hot sauce
Oil
Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails on. Mix all the dry ingredients in one bowl and all the wet in another.
Place the shrimp in the dry ingredients first, then in the egg wash and back into the flour a second time.
Fry at 350 degrees for 5 minutes or until golden brown. Be sure the oil is hot and don’t over crowd the fryer.
Serve with cocktail sauce.
