With so many fresh seafood options along 30A, why not enjoy a night in the kitchen and cook at home? We were inspired by a trip to Goatfeathers to try some of these beach dinner favorites from Coastal Living Magazine. So go ahead and whip up a delicious meal! Bon appetit!
Low Fat Shellfish Gumbo
Ingredients
- 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 pounds unpeeled, medium-size fresh shrimp
- 8 3/4 cups chicken broth, divided
- 1 large onion, chopped
- 1 cup chopped celery
- 1 cup chopped green bell pepper
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 pound light Cajun sausage, sliced
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh oregano
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 1/2 cups fresh sliced okra
- 1/2 pound lump crabmeat
- 1/2 pound crawfish tails, rinsed
- 1 (12-ounce) container fresh oysters, undrained
- Hot cooked rice
Preparation
- Place flour in a 15- x 10-inch jellyroll pan. Bake at 350° for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a dark golden brown, stirring every 15 minutes. Set aside; cool.
- Peel shrimp, reserving shells; devein, if desired. Set meat aside.
- Combine shrimp shells and 5 1/2 cups chicken broth in a large Dutch oven; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 15 minutes. Pour mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a bowl, discarding shells. Keep broth warm.
- Coat a large Dutch oven with cooking spray; add onion and next 3 ingredients, and sauté until vegetables are crisp-tender. Add sausage, and sauté 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and 5 1/2 cups warm broth, and stir well.
- Spoon browned flour into a medium bowl. Gradually whisk in 1 1/2 cups chicken broth. Add to broth mixture, and simmer 1 hour, skimming as necessary. Add remaining 1 3/4 cups chicken broth, salt, and next 6 ingredients; simmer 5 minutes or until okra is tender. Discard bay leaves.
- Drain crabmeat, removing any bits of shell. Add crabmeat, shrimp, crawfish, and oysters to gumbo; return to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer, uncovered, 10 minutes or until shrimp turn pink and edges of oysters begin to curl. Serve over hot rice.
Lowcountry Shrimp & Grits
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups quick-cooking grits
- 1/2 cup butter, cut into pieces
- 1 cup (4 ounces) shredded extra-sharp Cheddar cheese
- 2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 1 to 2 tablespoons hot sauce
- 2 (16-ounce) packages Kielbasa sausage sliced 1/2-inch thick
- 1 tablespoon butter
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 1/2 cups chopped green onions
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
- 2 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/3 cup white wine
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Preparation
- Prepare Vidalia Mustard Greens.
- Meanwhile, bring broth to a boil in a Dutch oven; slowly stir in grits. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 5 minutes or until done. Remove from heat; stir in 1/2 cup butter and next 3 ingredients. Cover and set aside. (If grits stiffen while shrimp mixture cooks, stir in a little milk before serving.)
- Brown sausage in a large heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Remove sausage from skillet, draining oil, and set aside.
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in skillet over medium-high heat. Add garlic and green onions; sauté 1 minute. Stir in sausage, cream, and shrimp. Cook 4 minutes or until shrimp turn pink. Stir in wine, salt, and pepper. Serve with Vidalia Mustard Greens over grits.
Grilled Fish Tacos with Pickled Onions and Salsa Roja
Pickled onions:
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
Preparation
- Combine first 3 ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring until salt and sugar dissolve. Remove from heat.
- Add onion to vinegar mixture. Let sit at room temperature at least 2 hours, stirring occasionally.
Salsa roja:
- 1 (4- to 5-inch-long) dried pasilla chile, stemmed
- 3 ripe tomatoes
- 3 garlic cloves, still in their papery skins
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems
- 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- Hot sauce
Preparation
- Toast the pasilla chile in a small skillet over medium heat 2 to 4 minutes, flattening it with a spatula occasionally and turning it once or twice. (Do not burn.) Place chile in a small bowl, and cover with about 1 cup of very hot water. Let chile stand 30 minutes or until softened.
- Drain, reserving water, and set aside.
- Cut tomatoes in half crosswise and place, cut-sides up, in a rimmed pan. Add garlic, and drizzle with about 1 tablespoon oil.
- Broil about 8 inches from heat 10 to 15 minutes or until tops of tomatoes are slightly blackened. Let cool.
- Squeeze pulp from garlic cloves into a blender. Add pasilla chile, tomatoes, and juices from the pan. Add cilantro, salt, and sugar. Blend until smooth. If sauce is too thick, add a little of the reserved chile water. Season to taste with hot sauce.
Tacos:
- 4 (6- to 8-ounce) halibut fillets
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 8 (6-inch) corn or flour tortillas
Preparation
- Prepare Pickled Onions up to 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Prepare Salsa Roja, and set aside.
- Lightly brush halibut fillets on both sides with oil. Season evenly with salt and pepper to taste. Grill, covered with grill lid, over high heat 8 to 10 minutes or until fish is barely opaque in the center, turning once. Transfer to a medium bowl, and break into pieces with a fork.
- Heat tortillas on the grill 20 to 30 seconds per side.
- Arrange fish in the center of each tortilla, and top with onions and salsa. Wrap loosely, and serve warm.
