By Betha Merit
Forget the Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Grigio for your seafood culinary accompaniments. Or, better yet, you assess your guests and enjoy the new age of beer. With the rise of craft beers, imports, and old standards, there are brewski choices that will make any chef proud.
The rule of thumb for seafood is for less hoppy styles. A Belgian Saison or light German lager or blonde ales pair well with a simpler recipe for fish or shellfish. By adding heavier sauces or pasta, you can go for heartier versions of German lagers or wheat beer. Then again, the old adage of “drink what you like” can still apply. Only you know what is your entertainment goal. To please your guests, is the likely choice. Ahhhh, freedom of expression.
Flounder With Green Sauce
- 4 fresh flounder fillets
- salt & pepper to taste
For sauce combine: - 1/2 container of Alouette herb and garlic spreadable cheese
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions
- 4 TBSP fresh meyer lemon juice
- Dash of Worcestershire sauce
- 1 peeled, de-seeded cucumber, grated
Pat four flounder fish filets with salt and pepper. Saute in butter or olive oil until flakey. Serve sauce on fish. A great accompaniment is potatoes, see next recipe.
Dirty Potatoes
- 4 medium white potatoes
- 1/2 stick butter
- 1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped green onions
- salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
Cut up un-peeled washed potatoes into cubes and boil in water until done but not too soft. Drain water. While still warm cut up butter into potatoes, add onions and salt and pepper.
Shrimp & Broccoli Tortiglioni Pasta
- 8 oz. tortiglioni or rotini pasta boiled in 6 cups of water, cooked al dente
- 3 cups frozen broccoli, thawed
- 2 TBSP olive oil
- 1 pound peeled and deveined large gulf shrimp
- 2 teaspoons meyer lemon peel zest
- 3 TBSP unsalted butter
- 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Heat a large skillet or pan over high heat, adding oil to swirl and coat. Add shrimp to pan, saute two minutes. Stir in lemon peel, cook another minute. Add drained pasta, broccoli, butter, and lemon juice to pan. Saute another minute until broccoli is to your liking, stirring occasionally. (Hint, you can pre-cook broccoli if desired). Gently stir all ingredients and sprinkle with black pepper.
