shrimp Archives - Taste With The Eyes

Old Bay Shrimp Cake Sliders

Old Bay takes the place of ordinary salt & pepper in these juicy, flavorful shrimp cakes. It is a classic seafood seasoning made of celery salt (salt, celery seed), spices (including red pepper, black pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves), and paprika. Originally created in Baltimore, Maryland over 75 years ago it is a classic for a good reason…it truly enhances the flavor of most shellfish, in this instance – shrimp cakes. Fans of Old Bay can read the interesting history here.

A toasty slider bun from the bakery is smeared with creamy mayonnaise then layered with a succulent shrimp cake, crunchy cucumber, tangy pickled red onion, sub-style oil & vinegar slaw, and just a sprinkle more of Old Bay.

We loved this sandwich for its petite size, the balance of textures and flavors and colors, and especially the absolutely delicious shrimp cake recipe. Thinking of using this shrimp cake in an Eggs Benedict dish soon….

Old Bay Shrimp Cake Sliders Recipe

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Alaska Spot Shrimp, Saffron Pea Risotto

Alaska Spot Shrimp are special, sweet, and succulent. And if cooked correctly, they are luscious and much more tender than the common variety. So if you serve these beauties of the Pacific, you might consider making them the star of the dish: front and center. You can bury them under a rich creamy sauce or a spicy salsa and they would be great, but you just might be covering up a best kept Alaskan secret…Spot Shrimp.

They are truly Southeast Alaska’s hidden gem. Not only one of the world’s most responsibly harvested shrimp—caught in pots by small-scale fishermen—they’re also a gastronomic treasure.

With their slightly briny hint of the sea, spot shrimp taste like a sweet-buttery cross between lobster and Dungeness crab. Seafood lovers will swoon.

Alaska Spot Shrimp Recipe

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A Curated Meal Kit Crafted by James Beard House Fellow – Part 2

A Curated Meal Kit Crafted by James Beard House Fellow

James Beard House Fellow

A Curated Meal Kit Crafted by James Beard House Fellow

First Course

Jerk Shrimp with Pico de Gallo and Avocado Crema

Main Course

Scotch Bonnet-Braised Beef Short Rib with Fall Greens and Polenta

Dessert Course

Peanut-Coconut Brittle Drops with Oloroso Sherry

The monthly Beard Box meal kit for two is shipped overnight and costs $100. The portions are generous, and it is a delight to experience the emerging chefs’ creativity while supporting the James Beard Foundation.

For decades, cooking at the James Beard House in New York City’s Greenwich Village has been an aspiration for many chefs and considered a career milestone. In May of 2021, they launched the Beard House Fellows program, which re-envisions the potential of the historic space into a hub of training and professional development for talented emerging chefs.

Each Fellow has a one-month residence at the Beard House where they receive hard skills training along with the opportunity to develop a meal kit that is available across the country.

Emerging Chefs

May 2021 – Nicole Merino

June 2021 – Mimi Chen

July 2021 – Theodore Coleman

August 2021 – Sofia Mendoza

September 2021 – Kencito Vernon

Curated Meal Kit by Chef Kencito Vernon

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Saffron Lemon Shrimp with Bucatini

Saffron Lemon Shrimp with Bucatini
Feta, Kalamata Olives, Oregano, Red Chile Flakes

These large plump shrimp have a striking golden hue. Here, the exotic flavor of saffron – that heady spice derived from the dried stigmas of a crocus – takes a simple shrimp and pasta dish to another level.

Traditional Greek ingredients – kalamata olives, oregano and feta play supporting roles as lemon “two ways” adds bright tangy notes and red chile flakes bring piquant qualities. And while spaghetti or linguini shapes would work just fine, those robust bucatini noodles magically weave this super-satisfying dish together.

Saffron Lemon Shrimp with Bucatini Recipe

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Michel Richard’s Asian Bistro Soup

Michel Richard's Asian Bistro Soup with Shrimp

Michel Richard’s Asian Bistro Soup with Shrimp

Last month another world-class chef joined Escoffier in the Grand Kitchen up in Heaven. Legendary Chef Michel Richard was 68 years old. I was introduced to the Chef’s innovative style of cooking over lunch with my old colleagues at his restaurant Citrus in LA back in the late 1980s and have been an ardent fan ever since.

After hearing of his sudden passing last month, I immediately pulled Happy In The Kitchen from my bookshelf and spent a good part of the day re-reading his recipes and perspectives.

Before each recipe the Chef writes a paragraph or two about the dish – from where the inspiration came; what is important for the cook to note; or his keen observations on taste, texture, presentation, what-have-you. Yes, he is a most accomplished chef, but he is also a very effective teacher – employing humor and ingenuity as skillfully as he does the knife.

Thomas Keller wrote, “Michel did something that’s almost unheard of in the pastry world: he crossed over and became a chef, opening one of the best restaurants in the country, Citrus, in 1987. It’s difficult to overemphasize how unusual this is. Pastry chefs and savory chefs rely on a completely different set of skills and use their intellects in different ways. Pastry chefs are mathematicians. Savory chefs, we’re like free-thinkers. Michel, amazingly, has been able to combine the precision of the pastry chef’s mind with the freethinking nature of the savory chef in a way that no other chef in America has done.”