Free Range Fish & Lobster

Some nights you don’t want to put in any effort. Like the other night after I got off work (and also like with this post), I had absolutely no desire to put in any effort. So I did the minimal, and this is what came of it. Now prepare yourselves for the easiest dinner that can still be considered adult worthy (read: not Kraft Mac and Cheese). 

Lemon Garlic Scallops:

Pairs well with:

Columbia Crest Merlot

(anything fruity works with this, I simply have a predilection for merlot)

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. Butter

1.5 Tsp. Minced Garlic

1 Tsp. Lemon Juice

Salt and Pepper to season

Steps:

Melt the butter in a pan on the stove over medium-high heat. Add garlic, allowing to set for a few seconds. Drop in scallops, and let cook on one side for a couple minutes. Turn over and repeat on the other side. Sear until scallops are firm.

(Ignore the terrible quality of this photo.)

Remove scallops and place in bowl or on plate. Stir together lemon juice, butter, salt, and pepper. Pour over scallops. 

(yum.)

What I noticed:

This is the first time that I had ever cooked scallops (lots of cooking firsts, here), and so I grew worried when they began to brown. That is in fact normal. Scallops will brown. You haven’t burnt them-probably. Also, this is a very light meal; pair it with a hearty, full wine (you can NEVER go wrong with that) or with a salad or something to add to the volume). 

Best Regards,

Jessica from Free Range Fish

We recently acquired a good amount of sushi-grade, bluefin tuna at the store, and so I was prompted to make an attempt at sushi. Now for someone who has never A) made sushi in her life, and B) has never prepared tuna itself in any way, shape or form, this was a little stress inducing. But I succeeded, mostly (the first recipe that I attempted-and quickly abandoned-was an actual sushi roll, and, well, the seaweed caught on fire), and if I can make it through this recipe without burning down the kitchen, then you most certainly can. So without further adieu, let’s get started.

Lemon Pepper Tuna Sashimi:

Pairs well with:

Ingredients:

3 Tbs. coconut oil

Lemon pepper

7 oz. sushi grade tuna

Steps: 

Rinse the tuna and pat dry. Cover with the lemon pepper.

Spread the coconut oil in a pan and place on high heat. Now this is the wher you need to be exact and concise. Once the oil starts to boil (be careful and do NOT get splattered by this as it’s quite painful even in small amounts), sear the tuna for exactly twenty seconds on every side. Immediately remove it from th pan once this has been finished. 

(The outside should be seared such as this, but once you cut into it, you’ll see that the inside is still quite pink and raw). 

Chill in the fridge for an hour or so, as its much easier to cut through the fish when cold. Cut the fish in 1/4 inch sections; sashimi is meant to be very thin. 

Eat immediately after slicing and enjoy.

What I noticed:

Really fresh tuna shouldn’t smell fishy; the piece that I had was about thirty six hours old, and so wasn’t at optimal freshness. Hot oil can burn your hand if you’re not careful. A very sharp, non-serrated knife should be used to cut the tuna for the cleanest cut possible. Because you’re working with and will be consuming raw fish: ALWAYS be certain to doublecheck that the fish that you’re buying is sushi-grade, make sure to wipe down all surfaces before and after preparing the fish, and don’t keep the fish for more than twenty four hours MAXIMUM; just like any other raw meat, raw fish is to be taken great care of in order not to have any problems arise. 

Congratulations, you’re on your way to becoming a sushi aficionado. 

Until next time,

Jessica from Free Range Fish

Yesterday, I’m sure we can all admit, was awfully cold and dreary. Because of this, I thought a nice, warm chowder would be a perfect dish.

Fish Chowder 

Pairs well with:

Allagash White Ale

Ingredients: 1 lb. Haddock or chowder fish 1 lb. Local scallops 1 lb. Uncooked shrimp ½ cup Clam juice 3 potatoes 1 Onion Milk

Butter or olive oil to use in pan

Steps:

Peel potatoes and chop into small pieces. These will take the longest to cook, so put them on the stove in a pot over medium high heat for 15-18 minutes, or until slightly soft in the middle (check with a fork or knife). Rough chop scallops into smaller pieces. Place in a pan on stove over medium-high heat, occasionally stirring, for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned. 

When finished, remove from heat and place in the larger pot which you’ll be using to combine all ingredients. 

While this is cooking, chop up fish. Boil shrimp in a pot on stove over medium-high heat for two minutes. When finished, remove from and heat and strain in a collander, rinsing lightly with cold water. 

If you haven’t already, check the potatoes to see if they’re done. Once ready, place in the larger cooking pot. Pull tails from shrimp. Rough chop shrimp into smaller pieces, then place in the larger cooking pot.

Cut up an eighth to a quarter of the onion (depending on how much you care for onions) into fine pieces and put into larger cooking pot. Pour in all of Clam juice into the larger cooking pot. Pour in enough milk to almost fully cover all of the seafood in the larger cooking pot (I estimated about a cup and a half, but keep in mind: this isn’t an exact recipe). Place larger cooking pot on stove over low-medium heat for 10-12 minutes, occasionally stirring. Be careful not to let the milk boil. Season with salt and pepper as desired.

What I noticed: It was a little difficult at times with how much of one ingredient should go in due to this being an old family recipe; they didn't really seem to believe in writing clear measurements out. Another thing: if you keep the shrimp boiling for too long, the shrimp will become rubbery, so take caution with that.