Mariner’s Menu: Winter Wonders

Mariner’s Menu, North Carolina Sea Grant’s popular online seafood guide, features blogger and photographer Vanda Lewis’s pictures with hundreds of recipes that Joyce Taylor developed.

Enjoy these Wintertime treats!

BAKED PARMESAN CLAMS

• 2 cups of coarsely chopped clams
• ¾ cup of clam liquid
• 1 ½ cups of fresh bread crumbs
• 1 cup of grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons of minced fresh parsley
• ½ teaspoon of pressed garlic
• ¼ teaspoon of dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon of dried thyme leaves
• ½ teaspoon of dried basil
• ½ cup of dry white wine
• ¼ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon of salt
• 2 teaspoons of canola oil
• paprika
• chopped fresh parsley, optional garnish

Preheat the oven to 450° F.

In a medium bowl, combine the clams, clam liquid, bread crumbs, Parmesan, minced parsley, garlic, oregano, thyme, basil, wine, pepper, salt, and oil. Place the clam mixture in ramekins. Sprinkle it lightly with paprika. Bake until golden brown and clams are done, about 20 minutes. Garnish it with parsley.

BROILED STRIPED BASS WITH MEDITERRANEAN SPICE RUB

• 1 ½ pounds of striped bass fillets, skinless, cut into serving-size pieces
• ½ cup of sour cream
• 2 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro
• ½ teaspoon of pressed garlic
• ¼ teaspoon of freshly ground salt
• ⅛ teaspoon of freshly ground white pepper
• 3 tablespoons of butter, melted
• lime wedges

Place the rack in the top third of the oven, and preheat the oven to broil.

In a small bowl, whisk together the sour cream, cilantro, garlic, salt, and pepper. Cover and refrigerate it until it’s time to serve.

Prepare the Mediterranean Spice Rub (ingredients below).

Place the fish on a lightly greased broiler pan. Brush it with melted butter. Sprinkle it with the spice rub. Broil until the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 8 to 10 minutes.

Transfer the fish to a serving plate. Top each with a dollop of sour cream mixture. Garnish it with lime wedges.

Mediterranean Spice Rub

• ½ teaspoon of onion powder
• ½ teaspoon of garlic powder
• 1 ½ teaspoons of ground coriander
• ¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• ½ teaspoon of salt

In a small bowl, combine the onion powder, garlic powder, coriander, cayenne, and salt.

BAKED SPOTTED TROUT WITH PARSLEY BUTTER

• 3 medium spotted trout fillets
• 1 tablespoon of butter, melted
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• paprika

Preheat the oven to 400° F.

Prepare Parsley Butter (ingredients below), and set it aside.

Brush the fillets with melted butter. Lightly salt and pepper them. Sprinkle them with paprika. Bake for about 12 to 15 minutes or until done. Cut them into serving-size pieces, and serve with Parsley Butter.

Parsley Butter

• 4 tablespoons of butter, softened
• 1 ½ tablespoons of minced fresh parsley

Cream the butter in a small bowl. Blend in the parsley. Spread the butter over warm fish.

FRIED SHRIMP

• 1 pound of medium or large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• ⅔ cup of flour
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• ¼ teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper
• 1 egg
• ⅔ cup of fresh cracker crumbs
• oil for frying

In a shallow dish, combine the flour, salt, and pepper. Beat the egg in a small bowl. Place the crumbs in another shallow dish. Dredge the shrimp in the flour mixture, then in egg, and then in crumbs. Fry them in deep fat at 375° F until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes.

For hundreds more free recipes, visit MarinersMenu.org.