Side Dish Recipes

Ingredients

½ medium-sized onion, diced

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup Arborio rice

½ bottle pale ale

14 ounces chicken stock, hot

7 ounces water, hot

1 cup pink shrimp, cooked

1 king crab leg, cut into quarter inch rounds, cooked

1 tablespoon tarragon, chopped

1 tablespoon chives, chopped

2–3 tablespoons butter

¼ cup parmesan cheese

Directions

1. In a medium-sized pan over medium heat, sauté onion in olive oil until soft and translucent; season with salt and pepper. Add the rice and stir to coat; cook and stir until the grains turn opaque. Add the beer and continue stirring for 1 minute to allow alcohol to evaporate. Add hot chicken stock to the pan until it just covers the rice and stir with a wooden spoon until the rice has absorbed all of the liquid. Continue adding the stock in small increments. When all of the stock has been absorbed, begin adding small increments of hot water until the risotto reaches the desired consistency (slightly firm but creamy).
2. Fold in king crab, pink shrimp, chopped herbs, butter, and parmesan cheese.

Recipe courtesy of Chef Stefani Marnon, Alaska Chef, 2005 Great American Seafood Cook-off.

Ingredients

Grain Mustard Aioli

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2 egg yolks

2 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 tablespoon champagne vinegar

2 teaspoons whole grain mustard

½ cup extra-virgin olive oil

½ cup canola oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Angels on Horseback

9 slices bacon

18 medium to large oysters, shucked

4 lemon wedges

¼ cup of Grain Mustard Aioli

Directions

Grain Mustard Aioli

1. In a food processor fitted with the metal blade, puree the yolks, garlic, lemon juice, vinegar, and mustard until combined.
2. Scrape the sides down with a rubber spatula and pulse a few more times to make sure the ingredients are well blended.
3. With the food processor running, slowly add the oils in a thin stream through the tube and let them emulsify with the yolks. If the mixture becomes too thick, add a few drops of cold water and continue adding the oil. The finished aioli should easily coat a spoon.
4. Season with salt and pepper. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to five days.

Angels on Horseback

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place the bacon slices flat on a baking sheet with about ½ inch between them. Bake until slightly crispy but still pliable enough to wrap around the oysters, 15 to 18 minutes.
3. Remove the bacon from the oven and turn up the oven to 425 degrees.
4. Let the bacon cool slightly, then cut the slices in half crosswise. Wrap each shucked oyster with a bacon slice and secure by pushing a toothpick through the oyster. Place on a clean baking sheet.
5. Bake the wrapped oysters until the bacon is crisp and the oysters are warmed through, about 6 minutes. Serve with lemon wedges and aioli on the side.

Recipe courtesy of Chef Jeremy Sewall, adapted from The Row34 Cookbook: Stories and Recipes from a Neighborhood Oyster Bar.

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Ingredients

1 large acorn squash, quartered and seeds removed

½ cup of apricot nectar, divided

1 teaspoon salt, divided

1 teaspoon white pepper, divided

½ teaspoon olive oil

3 green onions, thinly sliced, plus additional for garnish

¼ cup of dried apricots, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

¼ cup half-and-half cream

2 6-ounce cans of lump crabmeat, drained

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Place acorn squash in a greased 13x9-inch baking pan. Drizzle it with ¼ of a cup of the apricot nectar and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon each of salt and white pepper.
3. Bake, covered, until fork-tender. Approximately 35 to 40 minutes.
4. While the squash bakes, heat butter and oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
5. Add the green onions and cook for 5 minutes or until tender, then add the dried apricots and garlic; cook 1 minute longer.
6. Stir in the half-and-half and the remaining apricot nectar, salt, and white pepper. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to let it simmer for 5 minutes.
7. Gently stir in the crab; heat through.
8. Arrange the squash on a serving dish and add the crab mixture over top. Sprinkle with additional green onions and serve hot.

Recipe and photo courtesy of the Seafood Nutrition Partnership.

Ingredients

Mac and Cheese

1 pound of high quality dry pasta in a shape that will hold sauce well, such as orzo or a flat, ribbon pasta

8 ounces of mascarpone

4 ounces of creamy goat cheese

Pinch of ground nutmeg

½ teaspoon sea salt

Pinch of white pepper

2 ounces of heavy cream

Butter Poached Lobster

1 ½ pounds of fresh cooked American lobster meat (claw and knuckle or combination of claw, knuckle, and tail)

1 pound of salted butter

1 tablespoon of water

Directions

1. Set out all ingredients at room temperature 1 hour before preparing.
2. Bring 2 gallons of salted water to a rolling boil. Cook pasta until al dente. Strain and return to pot. Keep warm. Stir in mascarpone, goat cheese, and heavy cream. Add seasonings. Do not over stir or mix. Cover and keep warm.
3. Cut butter into 1-inch chunks. Hold at room temperature up to 1 hour. Bring 1 tablespoon of water to a boil in a heavy deep sauté pan. Reduce heat to low. Add butter one or two chunks at a time, whisking to create an emulsion. Once this emulsifies, all the butter may be added. Turn heat to low.
4. If using claw or knuckle meat, add meat to the pan. Do not chop or cut the meat. If using tail meat, cut tails into 1-inch medallions. Gently incorporate into butter. Cover and hold at low heat until ready to serve.

Recipe adapted from Chef Margaret Salt McLellan, Maine Chef, 2011 Great American Seafood Cook-off.

Ingredients

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2 cups oysters, drained, coarsely chopped, liquid reserved

2 sleeves saltine crackers, crushed

½ cup butter

½ cup onion, chopped

½ cup green onions, including tops, chopped

½ cup celery, chopped

½ cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon dried thyme

¼ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.
2. Melt the butter and add the onion, green onions, and celery and lightly sauté. Remove from heat.
3. Add the cream, thyme, salt and pepper.
4. In a large bowl, combine crushed crackers and vegetable mix.
5. Add the oysters to the bowl and toss lightly. Add reserved oyster liquid until stuffing is moist, about ¼ of a cup.
6. Place in a shallow greased baking pan. Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees Fahrenheit until done through and crusty on top, about 30 to 40 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of Mariner’s Menu: 30 Years of Fresh Seafood Ideas by Joyce Taylor, 2003, North Carolina Sea Grant.

Ingredients

Batter Mix

¾ cup flour

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup warm water

2 egg whites, beaten stiff

½ teaspoon salt

Sardines

1 ½ pounds fresh sardines, cleaned

6 sprigs fresh parsley, fried

2 lemons, quartered

Salt to taste

2 cups frying oil

Directions

1. To make the batter, blend flour, oil, water, and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Then, fold in egg whites.
2. Dip sardines into the batter mixture, one by one, and place them into hot (350 degrees Fahrenheit) frying oil.
3. Drain the batter-fried sardines on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. To serve, place sardines on a plate, sprinkle with fried parsley, and garnish with lemon slices.

Recipe credit: Chef Robert Mancuso, Sardine Factory Restaurant, Monterey, California.

Ingredients

NOLA BBQ Sauce

6 ounces white Worcestershire sauce

16 ounces Abita SOS beer, or another similar wheat pilsner

1 ounce hot sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 ounce rosemary, finely chopped

4 ounces heavy cream

4 ounces butter

1 tablespoon black pepper

½ ounce oil

Salt to taste

Shrimp

8 head-on shrimp, body peeled

½ cup corn starch

½ cup flour

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 green onions, sliced thin

16 ounces corn oil

6 ounces of NOLA BBQ Sauce

Directions

Sauce

1. Heat oil in a saucepan, on medium heat. Add garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add beer, allow to reduce by ½. Add Worcestershire, cream, and hot sauce. Cook for 2 minutes on medium heat. Slowly stir in the butter then add rosemary and pepper. Season with salt to taste.

Shrimp

1. Combine flour, salt and cornstarch. Toss shrimp in the flour mixture.
2. Heat oil in a heavy sauce pot to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Fry shrimp in oil for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from oil and allow to drain on a dry paper towel.
3. Toss cooked shrimp with cayenne, garlic, green onions, and NOLA BBQ sauce.

Recipe credit: Chef Christopher Lusk, Café Adelaide, Louisiana chef, 2010 Great American Seafood Cook-off

Ingredients

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¼ cup toasted hazelnuts, coarsely chopped

10 ounces shaved Brussels sprouts (store-bought or done at home on a mandoline)

5 dates, pitted, coarsely chopped

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 ounces parmesan, shaved

Extra-virgin olive oil

Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

1 pound dry sea scallops, thawed if frozen and patted dry, tough side muscle removed

Directions

1. In a medium bowl, toss the hazelnuts, Brussels sprouts, dates, and lemon juice; season to taste with salt and pepper.
2. Add the parmesan and 3 tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and toss gently; season with red pepper flakes (if using).
3. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large well-seasoned cast iron skillet or a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.
4. Ensure the scallops are well-dried and season both sides with kosher salt and black pepper. Add the scallops to the skillet, avoiding overcrowding, and cook about 1 ½ to 2 minutes per side or until the scallops are just beginning to turn opaque. Avoid overcooking.
5. Serve the scallops over the shaved Brussels sprout salad.

Recipe and photo courtesy of the Seafood Nutrition Partnership.

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Ingredients

Sauce

4 ounces goat cheese, crumbled

½ cup plain Greek yogurt (regular or non-fat)

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon lemon zest

1 tablespoon minced green onion or chives

Cod Cakes

1 pound Alaska cod filets, fresh, thawed, or frozen

1 cup cooked instant mashed potatoes

½ cup chopped green onion

1 tablespoons each fresh parsley and thyme leaves, chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 egg, beaten

Salt and pepper, to taste

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

2 tablespoons canola oil

Directions

Sauce

1. Blend together the goat cheese, yogurt, lemon juice, zest, and green onion to make the sauce.
2. Serve sauce with cod cakes.

Cod Cakes

1. Fill a large sauté pan or stockpot with enough water to cover the cod filets; bring the water to a simmer.
2. Rinse any ice glaze from frozen Alaska cod filets under cold water.
3. Once the water is simmering, turn off the heat and gently add the cod; return heat to a simmer.
4. Once simmering again, cover the pan tightly and cook for 4 to 5 minutes for frozen seafood, or 2 minutes for fresh/thawed fish.
5. Turn off the heat and let the cod rest in liquid for 5 minutes, or until the seafood is opaque throughout.
6. Remove cod from water; cool slightly and flake into small pieces.
7. Stir together the cooked cod flakes, mashed potatoes, green onion, parsley, thyme, garlic, and egg, just until blended. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
8. Divide the mixture into ¼ cup portions; flatten each portion into 3-inch diameter patties.
9. Heat butter and oil in a pan over medium heat, mixing while heating.
10. Add the cakes (in batches) and sauté until browned on both sides; keep warm.

Photo and recipe credit: The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute. For more great recipes with Alaska seafood, visit Wild Alaska Seafood.