seafood Archives - Amy Hirsch

Fish Restaurant + Bar

We recently went to F.I.S.H. Restaurant + Bar on Bedford Rd. in Stamford and had such a memorable meal!

My husband and I enjoy trying various local restaurants. One place we love is F.I.S.H. Restaurant + Bar on Bedford Rd. in Stamford. The owners have two other restaurants (Quattro Pazzi and Osianna), and their experience in providing good food and good service is clearly evident. F.I.S.H. Restaurant + Bar has an interior that makes an immediate impression when you step inside — such a cool, edgy environment. The restaurant is small, but stylish, and has a little bit of a rustic attitude with a modern nod. It’s very appealing.

The food, of course, is what makes F.I.S.H. so memorable. The menu features a raw bar, several salads, a range of appetizers, main courses with things like chicken and pasta, and, my favorite, the Naked Fish selections. With the Naked Fish dinners, you choose your fish, the cooking method you prefer, and one of six incredible sauces. The fish also comes with your choice of a side.

My husband had the grilled octopus, which was so delicious. The mussels are a must have! My fish was really fresh, and I loved having the different options for preparing it. F.I.S.H. is open for lunch and dinner, as well as brunch on Sunday.

To see the full menu, visit the F.I.S.H. website. You can also find them on Facebook.

Lobster and Shrimp Salad

Last week I wanted to make a light and simple meal and, not being able to find just the right recipe, I decided to make a dish using lobster and shrimp

I am always looking for new recipes for easy meals, especially in the summer. Last week I wanted to make a light and simple meal and, not being able to find just the right recipe, I decided to make a dish using lobster and shrimp. I put together a Lobster and Shrimp Salad that tasted amazing! When placed on a bed of lettuce, it is a perfect summer dish for lunch or dinner, ideal on those days when it is just too steamy for a warm meal.

To make this dish, I used lobster meat and shrimp that were already cooked. You can certainly cook the seafood yourself, either just before making the salad or up to a day in advance. Keep in mind that if you buy raw seafood, you will need more than the following recipe calls for. The amount of each seafood can also be adjusted to your taste; for example, I prefer more lobster than shrimp.

The olives I use are from Whole Food, though you can use any that you prefer. Using fresh herbs, whether you pick them from your own garden or buy them, will always give your recipes more flavor. I strongly recommend using fresh herbs whenever possible!

Lobster and Shrimp Salad

Serves 2 (or 4 as a side dish)

Ingredients:

1lb lobster tails, cooked

½ lb large shrimp, cooked

½ cup pitted Mt Athos green olives with Sicilian herbs, cut into quarters

½ cup pitted black olives with Herbs de Provence, cut in half

½ cup olive oil

¼ tsp coarse ground black pepper

½ cup finely chopped fresh basil and parsley (total, adjust to taste)

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

romaine lettuce leaves, optional

Whisk together olive oil, lemon juice, black pepper, basil and parsley. Set aside.

Cut lobster tails and shrimp into small chunks and place in a medium bowl. Add olives to seafood, then pour on the olive oil mixture and toss to coat evenly.

Place salad over a bed of romaine lettuce and serve as a main course, or use as a side dish to compliment your favorite fish.

Enjoy!

Risotto

Risotto is an Italian dish that developed in the regions between the Alps and Tuscany, and is now appreciated all over the world.

Years ago I found an article on risotto, which described step by step how to prepare this delicious dish. Risotto is an Italian dish that developed in the regions between the Alps and Tuscany, and is now appreciated all over the world.

The type of rice best suited for cooking a good risotto is the Carnaroli, but Vialone Nano and Arborio are good choices as well. Depending on the ingredients used, risotto can be a first course, a complete meal, or a dessert. It can easily be prepared in about 30 minutes.

The base for a risotto is made using one of the three types of rice mentioned above, oil or butter, and a battulo, which is an ingredient used t0 flavor a recipe and can include chopped onion, garlic, celery and/or carrot. You also need a cooking liquid and one or more types of cheese.

With this base you can make many different risotto dishes depending on your choice of ingredients such as beef, chicken or pork, fish or seafood, vegetables, legumes, or truffles.

Making a risotto is as easy as following six simple steps. I like to make risotto with seafood. The following recipe also includes one of my favorite vegetables, asparagus.

Risotto with Shrimp and Asparagus

1 1/2 cups of rice
1 lb of large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup white wine
4 cups seafood stock
1 bunch of asparagus
1/2 cup finely chopped basil and parsley
2 tbsp butter
1/4 cup Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Prepare the shrimp by removing the shell and deveining, if necessary. Rinse under cold water, pat dry, and set aside.

Set a few asparagus stalks aside to use as a garnish. Cut the rest of the asparagus into 1-inch pieces on the diagonal, discarding the bottoms. Steam all of the asparagus for 5 minutes, then place under cold water to stop cooking. Pat dry and set aside.

Place the seafood stock in a saucepan and heat, keeping it warm while you begin the risotto.

In a deep skillet, warm the olive oil. Add the onion (which is the battulo in this recipe) and sauté till translucent.

Add the rice and toast for 3 minutes .

Deglaze the pan with the wine and cook until the liquid evaporates. Add the warmed stock in 1/2 cup increments, allowing each addition to be absorbed before adding more. Continue to cook, stirring, until the rice is tender and creamy, about 20 minutes in total.

Add the shrimp and cook till pink. Add the cut asparagus.

Add finishing ingredients, including the butter, cheese, basil, and parsley. Season with salt and pepper. Stir well to combine. Place the few whole asparagus on top of the dish with some parsley sprigs for garnish.

Serve this dish with your favorite crusty bread and a salad. Enjoy!

Linguine with Seafood

One of my favorite meals to make anytime of the year is Linguine with Seafood. This is one dish that we all enjoy as a family!

Guest post from Debbie Aidinis.

One of my favorite meals to make anytime of the year is Linguine with Seafood. This is one dish that we all enjoy as a family. I typically prepare this meal with clams, shrimp and lobster. When the local fish market has fresh cleaned calamari, I will add it as well. Mussels and scallops can also be used. I like that this dish can be done with a variety of seafood, with any combination being used depending on availability and preference.

Growing up, we always had the benefit of a garden with fresh vegetables, herbs and fruit. My Grandfather immigrated here from Reggio Calabria, Italy, and brought his knowledge of gardening, which has been passed down through the generations, with him. My family still has the garden, though it’s not as large as the original and there are always fresh tomatoes and vegetables to go around.

Knowing what a difference it makes, I like to use the freshest ingredients when I cook, using garden herbs that I grow. In the summer, I will use fresh plum tomatoes or cherry tomatoes. Using cherry tomatoes will give you a much lighter sauce, but you will need quite a lot. There is nothing like using fresh pasta and I highly recommend cooking with it. As always, I do not measure my ingredients so the following amounts are estimated and may need to be adjusted. The amount of seafood used may also be adjusted according to what is being used to make the dish.

Ingredients:

½ cup Olive Oil

A large bunch of Green Onions or one large Yellow Onion, chopped

½ tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

Course Black Pepper, to taste

Salt, to taste

1 cup of White Wine

½ cup chopped Parsley

½ cup chopped Basil

3 dozen Littleneck Clams, scrubbed

1 lb cleaned and deveined Large Shrimp

½ to ¾ lb cooked Lobster Meat {usually 3 cooked Lobster Tails)

3 to 4 lbs fresh plum tomatoes, chopped, or 1 can 35oz San Marzano Plum Tomatoes

3 to 4 pints fresh cherry tomatoes, whole, or 3 14oz cans Cherry Tomatoes

1lb Linguine

Locatelli Romano Cheese, freshly grated

1 loaf Ciabatta or crusty Italian Bread of choice

Optional:

Clove of minced garlic

1 to 2 lbs of Mussels

1lb of Sea Scallops

½ lb of cleaned Calamari sliced into ½ inch rings

Directions:

In a large, heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat,then add the onions (and garlic if including) and cook till tender. Add the coarse black pepper, and red pepper flakes. Let mixture cook for few minutes, then add wine and tomatoes and bring to a boil, then simmer. If using cherry tomatoes, leave them whole and let them cook until they eventually break apart. Add the parsley, basil, and salt to mixture and let cook, occasionally stirring sauce.

Wash clams and steam in a separate pot. Clean shrimp and set aside. Cut Lobster into bite-sized pieces and set aside.

Once the sauce has cooked for about 30 minutes, add the shrimp and cook until pink, then add lobster meat and transfer the steamed clams with shells into the sauce. If using mussels, calamari or scallops, add them in with the shrimp

Boil water for pasta and cook as directed, reserving some liquid from the pasta. Place the pasta into a large, shallow bowl; add just enough of the reserved liquid to coat the pasta. Spoon seafood with sauce onto pasta and mix. Sprinkle some fresh chopped basil on top.

Ladle into individual bowls and top with fresh grated cheese. Serve with your favorite crusty bread. Enjoy!