Recipes by JOYCE TAYLOR

Share a taste of seasonal seafood with your friends and family this winter. Include these dishes in your next holiday dinner. Whether you have something traditional and filling like oyster stew in mind, or something more zesty and exciting like orange-nutmeg flounder, these recipes from Mariner’s Menu: 30 Years of Fresh Seafood Ideas by Joyce Taylor are sure to impress.

For more information on what fishermen are catching now, go to: www.ncseagrant.org/seafood or check the Mariner’s Menu blog at: marinersmenu.org. The Mariner’s Menu seafood resource book is available at many bookstores. To order a copy from North Carolina Sea Grant, call 919/515-9101.

—C.P.

Orange-Nutmeg Flounder in Parchment

Prepare 6 pieces of parchment. Lightly oil each.

In small bowl, mixjuice, zest, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Lay 1 fillet on each piece of parchment and sprinkle with equal amounts of the orange mixture. Close parchment. Place on baking sheet. Bake at 400 F until puffy and lightly browned, about 12 to 15 minutes. Place on individual plates. Serves 6.

Deviled Clams

Place clams and liquid in medium saucepan and simmer 5 minutes. Melt margarine in small saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, green pepper, celery and leaves, pepper and mustard and cook until vegetables are tender, about 5 minutes. Add to clam mixture. Stir in crumbs and mix well.

Grease clam shells or individual serving cups and place on bed of rock salt in cooking pan. Bake at 350 F for 20 minutes or until crumbs are nicely browned and mixture is bubbly. Serves 6 to 8.

Oyster Stew

In medium saucepan, melt margarine over medium heat. Add oysters and cook just until edges begin to curl, about 5 minutes. Add milk, salt, pepper and paprika. Cook over medium heat until thoroughly heated and oysters are done, about 8 to 10 minutes. Do not boil. Pour into serving bowls and sprinkle with parsley. Serve with oyster crackers. Serves 4 to 6.

This article was published in the Holiday 2011 issue of Coastwatch.

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