MARINER’S MENU: No Leftovers, Guaranteed

Selecting any of these scrumptious seafood recipes could ensure satisfied guests and empty plates.

Oysters Rockefeller is a shellfish appetizer topped with a mixture of spinach, bread crumbs and butter. The oysters are baked on the half shell for about 10 to 15 minutes. This recipe serves up to eight people. You can prepare it ahead of time and refrigerate so it’s ready to go in the oven.

Cream of shrimp soup is a bowl of rich, comforting goodness. Retain extra flavor by cooking the shrimp in their shells before peeling and deveining. Purée shrimp with light cream and add to flour mixture before stirring in the rest of the milk and cream. Cook until the soup thickens. You will want to make this recipe again and again.

Look for North Carolina crabmeat when you try this crab Newburg recipe. To serve it as an appetizer, spread on toast points or crackers. Or present it as an entrée with a light salad and bread on the side. Either way, your kitchen will smell wonderful.

Find more great recipes like these in Mariner’s Menu: 30 Years of Fresh Seafood Ideas by Joyce Taylor. To order the book, visit North Carolina Sea Grant’s online store at ncseagrant.ncsu.edu/bookstore.

Visit the Mariner’s Menu blog at marinersmenu.org for more recipes. — V.L.

OYSTERS ROCKEFELLER

• 48 oysters

• 1 1/2 sticks margarine or butter

• 1 10-ounce package frozen chopped spinach, thawed

• 4 tablespoons minced onion

• 4 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

• 1/2 cup minced celery

• 1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves

• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

• 2/3 cup toasted, fresh bread crumbs

• 3 tablespoons margarine or butter, melted

• rock salt

Scrub oysters with stiff brush under cold running water. Shuck and drain.

Melt 12 tablespoons margarine in small saucepan. Add spinach, onion, parsley, celery, tarragon, cayenne, garlic powder, salt and Tabasco. Simmer about 5 minutes.

Spread layer of rock salt in baking pan. Place deep halves of oyster shells level on rock salt. Place oyster in each. Spread spinach mixture over each oyster. Combine bread crumbs and 3 tablespoons melted margarine. Sprinkle over tops. Bake at 450 F until oysters are done, about 10 to 15 minutes. Serves 8.

CREAM OF SHRIMP SOUP

• 1 1/2 pounds of shrimp, in shells

• 1 cup light cream

• 2 tablespoons margarine or butter

• 1/3 cup minced onion

• 1/2 cup minced celery

• 3 tablespoons flour

• 3/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon paprika

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

• 2 cups milk

• 1 cup heavy cream

• 1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley

Cook shrimp in salted water. Peel and devein. Purée with light cream in food processor or mince and combine with cream.

Melt margarine in top of double boiler. Sauté onion and celery until just translucent. Blend in flour, then salt, paprika, pepper and Worcestershire. Add shrimp mixture.

Slowly blend in milk and cream, stirring constantly until slightly thickened. Pour into individual serving bowls and sprinkle with parsley. Serves 6 to 8.

CRAB NEWBURG

• 1 pound backfin crabmeat

• 1/4 cup margarine or butter

• 1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper

• 2/3 cup sliced fresh mushrooms

• 1/4 cup flour

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 2 cups milk

• 1/4 cup dry white wine

• 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese

• paprika

• 3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Melt margarine in medium saucepan over medium heat. Sauté green pepper and mushrooms until soft. In small bowl, combine flour, salt, mustard and cayenne. Blend into melted margarine. Add milk gradually, stirring constantly, then add wine. Cook, continuing to stir, until thick, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Place crabmeat in 6 lightly greased individual shells or ramekins. Spoon sauce over each. Sprinkle with Parmesan, paprika and parsley. Bake at 350 F until lightly browned and bubbly, about 10 to 12 minutes. Serves 6.

This article was published in the Winter 2016 issue of Coastwatch.

For contact information and reprint requests, visit ncseagrant.ncsu.edu/coastwatch/contact/.