Chef Bolek's Oyster Stew 2019

A little more than one year ago, I first encountered the Oysterfest.  A festival surrounding the oyster, the iconic shellfish of the Chesapeake Bay (and, yes, elsewhere, but as someone in the Delmarva, there is only the Bay). The very first thing that I did was serve as one of 500 judges in a taste testing of oyster stews.  I did a post about that experience, which you can find here.  I had such a great time trying the different entries of oyster stew, that I decided to make my own Chesapeake Oyster Stew.

One year later, I returned to the Oysterfest, ready to serve as a judge at the oyster stew competition.  There were only four contestants this year.  Oyster Stew A was very good, but it was lacking a little something in my opinion, although it is hard to explain what exactly was that "something."  Oyster Stew B was very good, and, it helped that I got a few full oysters that I was able to enjoy along with a slight kick in the background of the stew.  Oyster Stew C was good, in that it had the smoky notes that one can get using bacon.  The big drawback was that no one skimmed off the grease, which left a reddish film on the top of the stew. Oyster Stew D was somewhat avant garde, relying upon the flavor of the oyster liqueur than the oysters itself.  Overall, I decided that Oyster Stew B was the best.  As for all of the other judges, a majority chose Oyster Stew A.

After that event, I was inspired to create a new oyster stew for 2019.  I decided to draw from the avant garde nature of Oyster Stew D, but to use actual oysters.  I wanted to make an oyster stew without cream or milk.  That is truly thinking out of the box as that cream or milk is a fundamental characteristic of this type of stew.  The substitute came in a triumverate of liquids.  First, I decided to use white wine, and, in this case, a Chardonnay. The best wine would be an unoaked wine or a slightly oaked wine (which is what I used).  Second, I decided to use clam juice, which gives a taste that works well with seafood soups. (It is great when one cannot find seafood stock.)  Third, I did what every self-respecting cook does when making oyster stew, I used the oyster liqueur. 

The one other major change that I did is to use ham hocks, as opposed to bacon.  The difference is significant because, due to the high salt content of a ham hock, there is not as much grease in the pan as with bacon.  I crisped up the pieces of ham hock to provide some texture elements in the soup, but I had to add a little oil to prevent everything from simply burning.  

In the end, this so-called "avant garde" style of oyster stew was a great experiment.  The only thing that was missing is what I love in oyster stews ... that slight hint of smokiness that comes from the use of bacon.  Perhaps it will find its way back into the Chef Bolek's Oyster Stew 2020. 

CHEF BOLEK'S OYSTER STEW 2019

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 4

Ingredients:

16 ounces of oysters, with liqueur reserved

1 cup finely diced onion

1 cup finely diced celery

1 cup of red potatoes, peeled and diced

1 cup of clam juice

1 cup of white wine, such as Chardonnay

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped
2.5 ounces of ham hock (wiping off most of the salt), diced
3 tablespoons of butter
1 tablespoon olive oil

Directions:
1.  Saute the ham hocks and vegetables.  Add the oil and heat a medium sized pot on medium high.  Add the ham hock and saute, stirring occasionally, until it begins to crisp.  Add the onions, celery, potatoes, bay leaves and thyme.  Continue to saute until the onions become translucent, and the celery and potatoes begin to soften, about 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add more oil if the bottom of the pot becomes dry to avoid burning the ingredients.

2.  Add the liquid.  Add the wine and stir the ingredients.  Then add the clam juice and the oyster liqueur and stir again.  Bring to a simmer and then reduce the heat.  Continue to simmer for about 10 to 15 minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

3.  Add the oysters.  Add the oysters to the stew.  Cook for about three to five minutes until the oysters are opaque.  If your guests want their oysters cooked a little more, let it go for an additional minute or two.

4.  Finish the dish.  Pour the stew into individual bowls.  Add a few oysters to each of the bowls.  Serve immediately.

ENJOY!

Chesapeake Paella

Recently, as I get myself back into cooking, I have been wanting to make dishes for which I have a strong affinity.  It may be a particular dish, or, particular ingredients.  The problem is trying to find a recipe from which I could work to bring those beloved components together.  I often spend a lot of time looking at recipes, thinking about the preparation set forth therein, and how I could change it or adapt it to something that I want to make and eat.

That is the process that I used when I came across a recipe for a simple shellfish paella.  I love paella, and, I have made that dish a couple of times in the past.  Those efforts were more "earthy," with the use of turkey, artichokes and green beans.  The thought of cooking a shellfish paella was intriguing to me.  But, the thought did not end there.  I went on to think about how I could change the recipe to incorporate some of the flavors and ingredients that I like.  My thoughts turned to familiar shellfish and seafood, such as crab, clams and oysters, all of which can be found in my beloved Chesapeake Bay.

And, the result of my thinking process is a Chesapeake Paella. There are certain ingredients that play a central role in the culinary history of the Chesapeake Bay: crabs, clams and oysters. That triumvirate of seafood would be the center of my paella.  The Chesapeake Paella was ready, at least in concept.

Making that concept a reality, required the solution to a big problem.  Each of the  main three ingredients is that they have wildly different cooking times.  Unshucked oysters become plump morsels in a couple of minutes.  Clams take several minutes longer, depending upon the size.  Soft shell crabs ordinarily take a few minutes in a saute pan, but they would take much longer in the paella pan.  So, I decided on a particular order and process.  The clams would go in first and be covered to allow the heat to start the cooking process.  When the clams started to open, then I would add the oysters and cover again to cook both at the same time.  While the clams and oysters were cooking, I would prepare the soft shells in a separate skillet, adding them to the paella when the crabs were almost finished.

The end result of this effort was a very good paella that drew its essence from the Chesapeake Bay.  I really liked this paella, but, with practice, I think that this could become a really good paella.

CHESAPEAKE PAELLA

Recipe adapted from Simple Shellfish Paella 

by Andrew Zimmern

Serves 6-8

Ingredients:
2 cups of paella rice
2 teaspoons pimenton (hot smoky paprika)
1 minced onion
2 tablespoons minced parsley
3 minced garlic cloves
2 pinches saffron
4 cups seafood stock
2 cups of clam juice
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon of white wine
1 cup of clam juice
8 ounces jumbo lump crab meat
8 ounces of little neck clams
8 ounces of raw oysters
2 soft shell crabs
1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
6 ounces of Spanish chorizo sliced thin

Directions:

1. Begin the paella.  Place a paella pan (12 inch or 16 inch) over medium heat for 2 minutes.  Add the olive oil.  Immediately add the onion, garlic, saffron, pimenton, rice and stir, cooking until all of the ingredients become toasty and aromatic.  Keep scraping the bottom of the pan to avoid scorching or burning of the ingredients, but still working toward carmelization of the ingredients.  

2.  Add the liquid.  First, add the wine and stir as you go.  Then add the clam stock and stir as you go.  Finish by adding the seafood stock, continuing to stir as the liquids simmer and start to be absorbed into the rice.  Lower the heat and continue to cook for about 10 minutes.

3.  Add the seafood. Add the crab meat and stir gently so as to not break up the lumps . Add the clams and asparagus, cover for a few minutes, until the clams begin to open. Remove the cover.  Add the oysters and cover again for only a few more minutes, until the oysters begin to firm.  Remove the cover.  Continue to cook for about 5 minutes.  

4.  Cook the soft shell crabs.  While you are adding the seafood to the paella, heat the 1 tablespoon of white wine and butter in a separate small pan.  Saute the soft shell crabs until cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side. 

5.  Finish the dish.  Once the rice is just past "toothy" but not mushy, and the remaining liquid is like a sauce, remove the paella from the heat.  Season with salt to taste and sprinkle with the parsley.

ENJOY!

Rigatoni with Shrimp, Calamari and Basil

Recently, my parents came to visit and spend some time with us and our little guy.  My mother brought a recipe that she wanted to make for dinner.  The recipe was for Rigatoni with Shrimp, Calamari and Basil.  My mother found the recipe online through Epicurious.  The original source was a recipe by Chef Michael White, which was printed in Bon Appetit.

Chef White is the Executive Chef and Co-Owner of AltaMarea,  a restaurant group that includes Marea, which means "tide" in Italian.  Marea is Chef White's "ode to Italian seafood." Chef White describes Marea as "redefin[ing] the seascape of high-end Italian cuisine serving regional foods of Italy that are heavily influenced by ingredients drawn from the four bodies of water that surround the boot." Given the restaurant has two Michelin stars, as well as being part of Relais & Chateaux, one can assume that Chef White has done an excellent job of redefining the seascape of Italian seafood dishes.

This particular dish focuses on two seafood ingredients that are very common from Liguria to Calabria, Venice to Apulia, and all points in between: shrimp and squid.  These ingredients find themselves in a wide variety of dishes, including many that I have previously prepared, such as my Brodetto dei Pescatore di Abruzzo (Abruzzese Fishermen's Stew) and Seafood Risotto.

For this recipe, my mother and I used 16 to 20 count shrimp (i.e., there are approximately 16 to 20 shrimp per pound).  The recipe requires reserving half of the shrimp for a finely chopped mixture that is incorporated into the sauce, with the rest being sauteed and added to the pasta at the end.  After setting aside the requisite number of shrimp, I was still able to ensure at least three shrimp per serving.  You can use smaller counts of shrimp, such as 26/30, which will guarantee more whole shrimp for each dish.  I would not use shrimp any smaller than 26/30, because the smaller sizes take away from the presentation. 

My mother and I also used whole calamari bodies, but not the tentacles, as the recipe directs.  I really wanted to use the tentacles, because I think that the tentacles provide an interesting element to the presentation and that they are very delicious.  However, my mother disagrees on both counts.  So, we bought the squid bodies and prepared them in accordance with the directions.

When it came to preparing the shrimp and the squid, I got to work with my dad (who is also a very good cook himself).  We de-shelled and de-veined the shrimp, as well as double-checked the squid to make sure that it was thoroughly cleaned and prepped for use in the dish.

The best part of this recipe is the fact that I got to make it with my mom and dad.  Unfortunately, opportunities for me to cook with my parents are few and far between, because of time and distance.  I really enjoy the time that I spend with my mom and dad in the kitchen.  Since I started cooking, my mother has shared recipes, such as the Bolek Family Tomato Sauce and the Bolek Family Standing Rib Roast, that have become some of my most treasured recipes.  I wish that I had more opportunities to cook with my parents and to create more such enjoyable and memorable experiences. 

RIGATONI WITH SHRIMP, CALAMARI AND BASIL

Recipe by Chef Michael White, printed in Bon Appetit
Collaboration between Chef Bolek and his Mom and Dad

Serves 4

Ingredients:

1 pound uncooked large shrimp, peeled, deveined, divided

14 ounces cleaned calamari (bodies only, tentacles reserved 

     for another use)

12 ounces rigatoni pasta

6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

3 cups of thinly sliced leeks (white and pale green parts only, about 3 large)

3 large garlic cloves, thinly sliced

1/4 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper

1 8 ounce bottle of clam juice

1/3 cup frozen peas, thawed

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese

3/4 cup thinly sliced fresh basil

Directions:

1.  Prepare the shrimp and calamari.  Place half of the shrimp in a medium bowl.  Slice half of the calamari crosswise into 1/3 inch wide rings and place in a small bowl.  Coarsely chop remaining shrimp and calamari, place in processor.  Blend until shrimp mixture is finely chopped.  Transfer to another bowl.

2.  Cook the pasta.  Heat a large pot of salted water to boiling.  Cook pasta until just tender but still firm to bit, stirring occasionally.

3.  Make the sauce.   Heat 5 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.  Add leeks, garlic and crushed red pepper.  Saute until leeks are tender but not brown, about 5 minutes.  Add chopped shrimp mixture, stir until shrimp and calamari are just opaque, about 2 minutes.  Add clam juice and peas, simmer until flavors blend, about 3 minutes.  Stir in 3 tablespoons of butter.  Season with salt and pepper.  Set sauce aside, cover to keep warm.

4.  Saute the shrimp and calamari.  Melt remaining 1 tablespoon of butter with 1 tablespoon of oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium high heat.  Add reserved whole shrimp and saute for 2 minutes.  Add calamari rings to shrimp, sprinkle with salt and pepper and saute until just opaque, about two minutes longer.  Remove from heat. 

5.  Complete the dish.  Drain pasta and return to the same pot.  Add the chopped shrimp and calamari sauce, 1/2 cup cheese and 1/2 cup basil and toss to blend.   Divide pasta among 4 bowls.  Top each serving with sauteed shrimp mixture, sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of basil.  Serve with additional grated cheese.

Finally, the recipe suggested pairing  this dish with a dry white with a hint of acidity like a Benito Ferrara Greco di Tufo (Italy, $25) or a Falanghina dei Feudi di San Gregorio (Calabria, $15).

ENJOY!