Louisiana Seafood Mixed Grill

Main Course

Courtesy of Chef Tory McPhail of Commanders Palace. Recipe won the 2009 King of Louisiana Seafood cook off held in New Orleans every year.

Serves 4

Ingredients: 

 

  • 1 pound Black Drum fillets
  • 1/3 pound, 10/12 count White Shrimp – head on, or 4 whole shrimp
  • 1/2 pound Jumbo Lump Blue Crab, picked over for shells and cartilage
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons Creole Seasoning
  • Salt and White Pepper, to taste
  • 1 teaspoon Vegetable oil
  • 3 ounces butter
  • 1 Shallot, peeled and brunoise
  • 4 ears Sweet Corn (you may use three ears and supplement with baby corn if available)
  • 2 ounces Jack Daniels
  • 2 ounces Cream
  • 1 teaspoon fresh Thyme, picked from stem
  • Salt and White Pepper to taste
  • 2 large ripe Creole or Heirloom Tomatoes, sliced thinly (you may choose to peel the tomatoes ahead of time)
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1 ounce Basil leaves, chiffonade
  • 1 Lemon
  • 1 ounce Basil Oil
  • 1/4 ounce Chili Oil
  • 1/4 ounce Herbs or Micro Sprouts, as garnish

Louisiana Seafood Mixed Grill

Click image to enlarge.

 

Method: 

Preheat a gas grill, charcoal grill or grill pan to medium heat.

Corn
Remove the husk and silk from the ears of corn and lightly season with salt and white pepper. Place on the grill and cook on all sides for 5 minutes or until the corn is cooked with a light golden brown color. Remove from the grill and place into a medium salad bowl. When the corn is cool enough to handle, cut the kernels from the cob using a serrated knife. Using the back of the knife, scrape the corn milk from the cobs into the bowl with the kernels and set to the side. Discard the cobs.

Place a medium sauté pan on the stove over medium high heat for 3 minutes. Add one of the three ounces of butter to the pan and swirl. Add the shallots and continue to swirl for 30 seconds. Add the corn and corn milk and season with salt and white pepper. Cook for 1 minute. Remove the pan from the heat, deglaze with Jack Daniels, return to the heat and flambé. When flames subside, add the cream and reduce to sauce consistency. Fold in the jumbo lump blue crab, add the thyme and cook for 1 more minute. Swirl in the last 2 ounces of butter, check the seasoning and set aside to keep warm.

Tomatoes
Choose two ripe Creole or heirloom tomatoes for this dish. You can remove the skin if you choose but it’s not necessary. Slice each tomato into 6 even slices, discarding the core and the ends, and shingle them out onto a cookie sheet. Season both sides of the tomato with salt, pepper, and fresh lemon juice. Chiffonade the basil leaves and sprinkle across the top of the tomatoes. Set aside.

Seafood
Portion the drum into 4 equal pieces, ensuring there is no skin, scales, or bones on the fillets. Season on both sides and reserve. Remove the shells from the shrimp, leaving the heads and tails on but exposing the meat in the middle. Using a sharp paring knife, devein and rinse the body of all impurities, then season and set to the side.

Place the drum and the shrimp on the grill and cook for 2 ½ to 3 minutes on each side or until just cooked. Take extra care to never overcook the seafood.

Presentation
Spread out 4 hot entrée plates that have been pre warmed in an oven.
To each plate, fan out 3 slices of tomato. Place one piece of drum on top of that.
Add one shrimp to the top of the drum.
Remove the large pieces of jumbo lump crab from the pan and place it over the top of the shrimp.
Spoon the remainder of the sauce over the shrimp and around the outside of the plate.
Drizzle on the basil and hot chili oil and garnish the plates with the picked fresh herbs or micro sprouts, seafood

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