Chef Rays Seafood Trinity Recipes

CHEF JOHN'S SHRIMP ETOUFFEE

Steps:

• Whisk paprika, thyme, oregano, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, onion powder, white pepper, and black pepper together in a small bowl.
• Drain shrimp in a colander for at least 15 minutes. Transfer to a bowl lined with paper towels and dry shrimp for about 3 minutes. Remove paper towels from bowl and season shrimp with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon spice blend. Toss to coat shrimp with spice blend.
• Heat vegetable oil a large heavy skillet over high heat until oil is smoking hot. Cook shrimp in the hot oil without stirring for 1 minute; stir, and cook 1 minute more.
• Transfer shrimp to a large bowl. Let stand until juice forms in bowl. Strain shrimp juices into chicken stock to total 2 cups, adding more chicken stock if necessary.
• Melt butter in large skillet over medium heat until butter begins to turn tan at the edges. Saute onion, celery, and green pepper in hot butter until softened, about 5 minutes. Pour in remaining spice blend.
• Sprinkle flour into vegetable mixture and saute until combined, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in tomatoes; cook until tomato juices begin to brown on bottom of pan, about 3 minutes. Whisk stock into vegetable mixture, stirring until smooth. Bring to a simmer and cook until slightly thickened and reduced to a gravy consistency, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce. Season with salt to taste.
• Stir shrimp into etouffee sauce; let simmer until shrimp are cooked all the way through and no longer translucent, about 1 minute.
• Garnish with green onions and a dusting of cayenne pepper. Pour over rice in large, shallow bowls.

SEAFOOD GUMBO

Steps:

• To make a roux, heat oil, add flour and cook over medium heat until VERY dark but not scorched, stirring constantly. If using butter, be very careful because it burns easily. Set aside.
• In large dutch oven, saute onion, celery, and okra until limp.
• Add roux, broth, tomatoes, garlic, bay leaves, crab boil packet, and salt and pepper. (NOTE: If you can't find Crab Boil at your grocery, please refer to recipe # 3252 by Candie Yoder or # 34801 by Miller)
• Simmer for 2 hours.
• 10 minutes before serving, add all raw fish and seafood and the file powder.
• Simmer until done, but do not boil.
• Serve over bowls of rice.

CHEF RAY'S SEAFOOD TRINITY

Steps:

• Take a heavy aluminum 12 inch skillet, pour in the olive oil and heat it hot enough for frying. Drop in the shrimp and scallops (make sure they are drained well) and stir-fry them quickly until they start to bronze. Then immediately reduce the heat to medium and gently sauté the shrimp and scallops until the natural juices begin to render out(about 3 min). Do not over cook.
• Add the green onions and garlic and sauté then till the onions wilt slightly and the garlic starts to brown. At this point, remove seafood from the skillet with a strainer spoon, leaving as much liquid as possible in the pan and set them aside in a bowl.
• increase heat to "high" again. Pour in the heavy cream and dry seasonings and cook it at a quick bubble until it thickens. Make sure to watch the pan and continuously stir as it cooks because cream has a tendency to boil over easily.
• Boil pasta, drain and add a small amount of olive oil to prevent sticking. Set Aside.
• Place all the seafood, including crab and the Romano cheese into the pan and mix everything together well. Then drop in the pasta and thoroughly coat each strand with the sauce and serve piping hot. garnish with black olives.