1. West Indies Salad
Mobilian Lucy Lott shared her recipe for West Indies salad — perfect for dining outdoors on a hot summer day. It’s a classic Mobile-area recipe that is widely known and always appreciated. Featured in “Fourth of July Party on the Wharf,” July 2019.
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1 pound fresh jumbo lump crabmeat, picked through for shells
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup cold water
1 head Bibb lettuce leaves
1 sleeve saltine crackers
1. Line the bottom of a serving bowl with half the chopped onion. Add crabmeat, and top with remaining chopped onion. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Pour oil, vinegar and water one at a time over crab and onion layers. Do not stir. Cover and chill for 2 to 12 hours. Serve cold over Bibb lettuce, alongside crackers or both! Serves 10
2. Stuffed Crab
The stuffed crab is easy to freeze for drop-in company. This recipe makes the perfect stuffing for baked flounder, too. Recipe by Camille Turner. Featured in “Artist In Residence: At Home With The Turner Family,” September 2022
SERVES 4
6 oz. box of stuffing mix
½ cup butter
½ tsp. poultry seasoning
½ tsp. parsley flakes
1 cup crab meat (can substitute cooked shrimp or rotisserie chicken)
1 ½ cups water
Paprika, to taste
Chopped rosemary, for garnish
1. Combine all ingredients except crab meat
and paprika and cook according to stuffing
mix directions.
2. Add crab meat.
3. Scoop into ungreased muffin tin and freeze.
4. Allow to set, then drop in freezer bags and freeze until you are ready to cook.
5. To cook, place in custard cups or crab dishes with a pat of butter and a sprinkle of paprika.
6. Cook at 350°F for about 20 minutes until golden brown.
7. Garnish with chopped rosemary and serve.
3. Quick & Easy Fish Stew
Recipe adapted from Elise Bauer, Simply Recipes. Featured in “4 Seafood Stew Recipes,” November 2020.
6 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 14-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes
2 teaspoons tomato paste
8 ounces clam juice
1/2 cup white wine
1 1/2 pounds firm white Gulf fish, cut into bite-sized pieces
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/8 teaspoon hot sauce
Salt and pepper, to taste
1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add onion and cook 3 – 4 minutes until translucent. Stir in garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add parsley and cook 2 minutes more.
2. Combine tomatoes with juices and tomato paste with onion mixture. Reduce heat to medium and cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking.
3. Add clam juice, white wine and fish to pot. Simmer 3 – 5 minutes until fish is cooked through. Season with herbs, hot sauce, salt and pepper. Serve warm. Serves 4
Find more seafood stew recipes here!
4. One Pan Salmon and Potatoes with Crispy Brussels Sprouts and Arugula Salad
This wholesome dinner balances protein, fats and carbohydrates. plus one pan means minimal prep and easy cleanup! Featured in “Health in Every Season,” January 2023.
Serves 4
1⁄2 pound baby potatoes
4 cups brussels sprouts, trimmed and sliced into quarters
4 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
Sea salt and pepper, to taste
4 4-ounce salmon filets
1-2 tablespoons creole seasoning
1 tablespoon lemon zest
2 tablespoons lemon juice, divided
2 teaspoons red wine vinegar
1 cup arugula
1⁄2 cup basil leaves, roughly torn
Chili flakes, to taste
2 tablespoons grass-fed butter
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. On a large baking sheet, combine potatoes, brussels sprouts, 2 tablespoons of avocado oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss well to coat the vegetables, then bake for 15 minutes.
3. Rub 1 tablespoon of avocado oil on the salmon, then coat in creole seasoning.
4. Remove the pan of potatoes and brussels sprouts from the oven and place the salmon in the center of the pan. Bake everything together for 10-15 minutes or until your salmon has reached your desired doneness.
5. In a large bowl, whisk together the lemon zest, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, red wine vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of avocado oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add the arugula, basil and a pinch of chili flakes. Toss to combine.
6. Add the butter to a small pot over medium heat and melt. Once melted, allow the butter to brown until fragrant and golden, about 2-3 minutes. Stir often. Remove from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of lemon juice.
7. Serve the salmon, potatoes, and brussels sprouts together with the arugula salad on the side or on top. Drizzle the salmon with brown butter to finish. Serve warm.
5. Yaya’s Crab Claws
Elizabeth Damrich’s mother-in-law, Suzanne Damrich, passed down this easy, make-ahead crab claw recipe. It is high on Mediterranean flavors and goes down easy with a refreshing cocktail. Featured in “Entertaining at Home with Elizabeth Damrich,” June 2021.
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup white balsamic vinegar
1 small package dry Italian salad dressing mix (0.7 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon ground oregano
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon finely minced garlic
1/4 cup dried parsley flakes
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon vermouth
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 pound crab claws, cooked and shelled
Whisk olive oil and vinegar into salad dressing mix. Add remaining marinade ingredients and stir to combine. Gently fold crab claws into marinade. Transfer to a large plastic container with lid and refrigerate several hours or overnight, turning several times to allow marinade to coat well. Serves 6
6. Mexican Shrimp and Corn Street Tacos
Chambliss altered this recipe from her favorite weeknight cookbook, “Cook Once, Eat All Week: 26 Weeks of Gluten-Free, Affordable Meal Prep to Preserve Your Time & Sanity” by Cassy Joy Garcia. Featured in “Family Dinner,” March 2020.
2 tablespoons salted butter or avocado oil
3 cups cooked shrimp
1 1/2 cups cooked corn kernels, fresh or frozen
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (about 1 lime)
1 teaspoon coarse sea salt
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
12 miniature corn tortillas, or 8 regular-size corn tortillas
Kale Slaw (recipe below)
1/4 cup crumbled Cotija cheese
4 lime wedges, for serving
1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add shrimp and corn and cook for 2 minutes to warm through.
2. Add lime juice, salt, chili powder, garlic powder and paprika and toss to coat the shrimp and corn. Saute for 3 to 4 minutes, until the shrimp is slightly browned.
3. Place a small skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, put one tortilla in the pan at a time and warm for about 30 seconds per side, until the tortilla is pliable and begins to brown slightly. Remove and keep warm in kitchen towel. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
4. To assemble the tacos, top the warmed tortillas with Kale Slaw and shrimp filling and garnish with Cotija cheese. Serve with lime wedges. Serves 4
Kale Slaw
1 cup sliced kale
chipotle-lime dressing
1. In a small bowl, toss kale with chipotle-lime dressing until it is fully coated.
Chipotle Dressing
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon water
2 teaspoons lime juice
1/8 teaspoon salt, more to taste
1/2 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/8 teaspoon chipotle powder
1. Add all the ingredients to a small bowl and whisk together until smooth. Adjust seasoning to taste. Can be stored in the fridge for up to 3 weeks. Makes 1/2 cup
7. Barbecue Shrimp on the Grill
Featured in “Sunset Supper,” April 2020
juice of 2 lemons
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3 sticks cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 lemon, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
3 bay leaves
2 pounds jumbo head-on shrimp, unpeeled
French bread, for serving
1. Light a charcoal fire in an outdoor grill and let cool to medium heat.
2. In a large cast-iron Dutch oven, combine lemon juice, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, Creole seasoning and garlic, stirring to combine. Add butter, lemon slices and bay leaves to the pot and set over a medium fire. Bring to a boil and add shrimp, tossing occasionally until the shrimp are pink and cooked through.
3. Remove from heat and place shrimp in serving bowls, then top with juice from Dutch oven. Serve immediately with a hunk of French bread for dipping. Serves 4
8. Clifton Morrissette’s Fried Shrimp/Oysters
Featured in “Calling on the Queen,” February 2017.
16 ounces medium-sized Bayou la Batre oysters, shucked, in their liquor (or 1 pound peeled, tail-on Gulf shrimp, preferably 16 – 26 count size)
1 1/2 cups buttermilk
8 cups vegetable oil, or enough to fill a cast-iron pot with 2 inches of oil
2 cups Dixie Lily Fried Seafood Breader
1. Drain oysters. Place oysters in a large bowl and add buttermilk. Place in refrigerator and allow to soak at least 5 minutes and up to 30 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large heavy-bottomed pot or fryer with plain vegetable oil (not peanut oil) to 325 degrees. Do not allow oil to get above 350 degrees.
3. Pour the Dixie Lily Seafood Breader into a shallow baking dish. Remove seafood from milk and drop into the breader. Toss to coat and immediately place oysters into the hot oil.
4. Fry until golden brown, 3 – 5 minutes, then drain briefly on paper towels.
5. Serve immediately with cocktail, remoulade or tartar sauce for dipping. Serves 6 – 8.
9. Battles Wharf Trout Amandine
“Mr. B,” William Bullock Inge Jr., always loved to fish for anything, but perhaps his favorite catch was speckled trout. This recipe is his hedonistic version of trout amandine that his wife, “Miss” Ippy Inge, prepared for him often. Featured in “6 Go-To Summer Seafood Recipes,” June 2020
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
6 trout fillets
1 1/2 cups self-rising flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup melted butter, divided
1 1/2 inches of vegetable oil for frying
2 lemons, cut into halves
1/2 – 1 cup sliced almonds, toasted
1/3 cup minced parsley
1. Preheat the oven to warm.
2. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with a fork until fluffy. Add the milk and beat well. Place the fish in the egg mixture. Let soak for a few minutes.
3. Mix the flour and salt together on a sheet of waxed paper. Remove the fish from the egg mixture, one at a time, and dredge in the flour mixture. Shake off the excess flour.
4. Dredge in the flour again, making sure the fillets are well coated and the excess is shaken off. Place floured fillets on a sheet of waxed paper.
5. Heat 6 small serving platters in the oven. Pour a small amount of melted butter onto each platter and keep warm. Reserve remaining butter.
6. Heat 1 1/2-inches of vegetable oil in a cast-iron skillet. Add 2 – 3 fillets at a time to the skillet. Do not overcrowd. Fry until the fillets are golden brown.
7. Place the fried fillets on warm buttered platters. Squeeze the lemons over the fillets. Sprinkle with toasted almonds. Drizzle with the remaining melted butter and sprinkle with parsley. Serves 6
10. Shrimp Remoulade
A classic cold, delicious starter and a guaranteed crowd-pleaser, this dish is a favorite menu special at Regina’s Kitchen. Featured in “Regina’s Family Kitchen, ” May 2016.
2 pounds medium-sized shrimp, boiled and peeled
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise
3 tablespoons Creole mustard
3 tablespoons hot sauce (Mary Ann and Regina prefer Crystal.)
4 tablespoons capers, drained
1/2 purple onion, minced
large handful flat leaf parsley, chopped
3 ribs celery, finely chopped
fresh cracked black pepper, to taste
Creole seasoning, to taste (Mary Ann and Regina use Tony Chachere’s.)
1. Toss all ingredients together until well combined. Refrigerate for about 3 hours before serving. Serves 6.
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