The Cooking Class Cookbook. Linda PhD Marcinko
I am sure it was adapted from somewhere in New Orleans, but am not sure how it originated exactly. On a busy Friday or Saturday night, we could literally make 100 orders of this, so this meant going through 150 lbs of shrimp! It was the most popular dish we made and I think it is the sauce that everyone loves so much. Make sure you have a lot of bread on hand for mopping up the sauce!
Makes six appetizer servings
Ingredients:
Seasoning mix:
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary crushed
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
24 ounces (1 1/2 lbs.) medium sized shrimp, shells and veins removed
1 1/2 teaspoon garlic, minced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 cup beer, at room temperature
12 oz. cold butter
Warm French bread, sliced
Procedure:
Mix together all of the items in the seasoning mix and set aside.
Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a large skillet. Add the shrimp and sauté until they are almost cooked about 3 minutes. Add the Worcestershire sauce, seasoning mix, garlic and beer and simmer until the beer is reduced by half.
Remove the pan from the heat. Stir in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time until you have an emulsified, thick sauce.
Serve at once with the warm French bread.
Roasted Red Bell Pepper Dip with Cumin Pita Crisps
I have made this chip and dip combo in many classes, for parties at home and at work to use for health fairs. Both the dip and pita chips are low in fat, and make a great alternative to regular potato chips and high calorie creamy dips. You can further reduce the calories by using an olive oil type spray on the pita crisps instead of the ¼ cup olive oil and they will still be very good. If you don’t want to take the time to roast the peppers, a good jarred variety will work out just fine.
Makes eight to ten servings
Ingredients:
5 red bell peppers roasted and skinned
3/4 cup olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano
1 package pita bread (6 pitas)
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
2 tablespoons poppy seeds
Procedure:
Place the peppers, 1/2 cup olive oil, garlic and salt and pepper in blender or food processor.
Process until smooth. Taste for salt and pepper and add if desired. Stir in the oregano and then set aside.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Cut each pita bread into 8 wedges and place them onto cookie sheets.
Combine the remaining 1/4 cup olive oil and ground cumin. Brush the pitas with this mixture. Sprinkle the pitas with the cumin and poppy seeds.
Toast the pitas at in the oven until slightly golden; about 10 minutes.
Place the red bell pepper dip in a bowl and surround with the pita crisps.
Smoked Trout Mousse
This mousse is not as light and fluffy as some fish mousses, but I like it because it holds it’s shape when un-molded. Leaving it in a crock or mold is fine too. I’ve also made this with smoked salmon, and flavor it with fresh dill instead of the tarragon. It may be made a few days ahead, just make sure you wrap it well, so that it doesn’t dry out. This is great to use on a buffet to serve with cocktails.
Makes eight servings
Ingredients:
1 pound smoked trout fillets, skin and bones discarded
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon unsalted butter, softened
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup fresh tarragon, chopped
Procedure:
Lightly oil a straight-sided 2-cup mold or soufflé dish and line with plastic wrap.
In a food processor, puree the trout with the cream, softened butter, lemon juice and salt.
Transfer the trout mixture to a bowl. Fold in the tarragon. Taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary.
Spoon the mousse into your mold and smooth the top. Chill, covered for about 2 hours.
To unmold the mousse, gently pull up on the plastic wrap to loosen the mousse from the mold. Invert the mousse onto a plate. If you have an attractive-looking crock, however, the mousse can remain in it. Just don’t line the crock with plastic wrap before putting the mousse in it.
Serve the mousse with Melba toast or French bread slices.
Stilton, Bacon and Scallion Puffs
I love bleu cheese and Stilton is one of my favorites. These are little puffs are great, because they can be done in a short time if you have unexpected guests. They freeze well too, so it’s nice to bake an extra batch to have on hand for a later time. This recipe was in a class for holiday hors d’oeuvres that could be made ahead of time so that entertaining could be made a little easier. I based this recipe on a classic French hors d’oeuvres called gougere. In the Burgundy region of France, gougere is served with the great red wine that is made there. It will be formed into individual puffs as with this recipe or made into a ring and people can tear off pieces and pop them in their mouths. If Stilton is unavailable, substitute Gorgonzola or Maytag bleu cheese.
Makes about thirty-six puffs
Ingredients:
1/2 cup water
1/2 stick (2 oz.) unsalted butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 large eggs
4 oz. Stilton cheese
4 slices bacon, cooked until crisp and
crumbled into small pieces
3 tablespoons green onion, minced
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped finely
Salt and pepper
Procedure:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a heavy saucepan combine the water, butter and a pinch of salt. Bring this to a boil. Add in the flour all at once and cook until the mixture pulls away from the sides of the pan.
Remove the pan from the heat and add the eggs 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.
Crumble the Stilton and then stir it in with the bacon, green onions and nuts. Season with a little salt and pepper.
Drop rounded teaspoons of the batter onto lightly buttered baking sheets about 2 inches apart.
Bake the puffs in the 425 degree oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until