Shellfish in White Wine, Butter, and Garlic

I didn't mean to go so long without posting a recipe. Really. Hopefully, this recipe will make up for it. It's super quick, can be adjusted to feed many or few, and is impressive when served at dinner parties.

Shellfish in White Wine, Butter, and Garlic

24 mussels

24 clams

1 cup 80/110 scallops

8 tbs unsalted butter, cut into one tbs pieces

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

2 1/2 cups Viognier

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 small white onion, chopped

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

1/4 cup chopped basil

1/4 tsp kosher salt

1. In a large pot over medium heat, combine the wine, onion, garlic, and salt. Simmer until the onions are slightly translucent.

2. Add the clams and mussels. Cover, raise the heat to high, and cook until they are done (5 - 7 minutes).

3. Stir in the scallops.

4. Stir in the butter until melted.

5. Remove from heat and stir in the herbs.

Serve with a crusty bread for dipping!

Dinner Snapshot - Thai-Style Whole Fish

The Crazy Monkey House motto is: If it has gills, eat it. Our favorite method for eating fish is to cook one whole. If you've never ate the "cheek meat" of a fish, boy are you in for a treat! Cooking a fish this way inevitably leads to chopstick wars as we fight for every last remaining flake. The fish pictured in this picture is a Mandarin fish but any meaty fish will work well. This method involves cooking it in banana leaves, an inexpensive ingredient found at almost any Asian grocer.

Thai-Style Whole Fish

Ingredients:

1 large, meaty whole fish (have the fish monger clean and descale the fish)

1 lime, sliced

8 kaffir lime leaves, torn in half

10 Thai basil leaves

5 Thai peppers, whole

banana leaves

Directions:

1. Line the bottom of a fish pan (or any deep baking dish) with banana leaves.

2. Place fish on leaves.

3. Spread the lime slices, lime leaves, basil leaves, and Thai peppers out inside the fish cavity.

4. Cover with banana leaves, tucking the top ones under the bottom ones.

5. Bake in a 350(f) oven for 30 minutes or until fish is cooked through and flaky.

6. Serve with rice, using optional garnishes like nam prik, sriracha, or a bit of soy sauce.

Dinner Snapshot - Prawns in Red Curry

This is a very quick, simple meal if you have frozen curry paste on hand. Cooking a batch of curry paste takes time but is very rewarding. Just freeze the leftovers in ice cube trays...One cube of curry is equal to two tablespoons. Be sure to wear gloves when working with the chilis. Failure to do so can lead to skin burns. You can either shell and devein the prawns yourself (as we did) or you can buy a bag of prepped or fully cooked prawns at the grocer. If you prep the prawns yourself, be sure to save the shells and heads to make a stock for tom yum kung!

Red Curry Paste Ingredients and Directions:

3 tbs coriander seeds

2 tsp cumin seeds

12 Thai red peppers (cut down on the amount of peppers depending on how spicy you like your curry)

5 large shallots, chopped

5 garlic cloves, chopped

2 stalks lemongrass, cut in half then roughly chopped (remove the rough outer leaves, chop the small root bottom off, and discard the upper green portions)

1/2 inch piece of galangal, finely chopped (if using dry galangal, be sure to soak in hot water for several hours prior to chopping)

6 kaffir lime leaves, torn

2 tsp paprika

2 tbs tamarind water (either dilute tamarind paste in water or prepare the water yourself by soaking the fruit in water and then squeezing the pulp about)

3 tbs canola oil

1 tsp kosher salt

1. In a small skillet over medium heat, toast the cumin and coriander seeds until fragrant and light brown. Do not let them burn. Remove from heat and cool.

2. In the bowl of a food processor, grind the seeds until broken up. Add the rest of the ingredients, along with 5 tbs water, and process until smooth. If you can see the seeds, you need to process longer!

3. Heat a saucepan over a medium flame. When warmed, add the paste. Cook for five minutes, stirring frequently.

4. Add 1 cup water, reduce heat, cover the pan and simmer for 45-50 minutes. Stir occasionally, scraping the paste off of the bottom as you stir.

5. The paste is complete. Freeze any that you are not using immediately in ice cube trays.

Prawn Curry Ingredients and Directions:

1 lb prawns, shelled and deveined

3 cubes red curry

1 cup coconut milk

Jasmine rice, prepared according to rice cooker instructions

1. Heat a wok or large skillet over a medium high flame. Add the cubes of curry paste. Stir until the paste is melted.

2. Reduce heat to medium-low. Add the coconut milk and simmer for five minutes, stirring frequently. More coconut milk can be added if you find the curry too spicy.

3. Add the prawns and cook until pink and curled.

4. Serve over a bed of rice.

Dinner Snapshot - Green Lipped Mussel Pasta

This recipe is for two and takes about 20 minutes with prep time included.

Green-Lipped Mussel Pasta

Handful of whole wheat spaghetti

16 green-lipped mussels, scrubbed

small yellow onion, diced

five cloves garlic, diced

4 tbs unsalted butter

3/4 cup white wine

Fresh or dried Thai basil (regular basil will work just fine...we just prefer the freshness of Thai)

1. Bring water to a boil and drop pasta in. Cook until done.

2. While pasta is cooking, bring a large skillet to medium high heat. Add the butter and melt.

3. Add the onions and garlic to the butter. Cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent.

4. Add the wine to the onion mixture. Bring to a soft boil.

5. Add the mussels to the onion mixture. Cover. Cook five minutes or until done.

6. Drain pasta and place on plates.

7. Stir basil into the mussels. Spoon mussels and sauce over pasta and serve.