Seafood boil and BBQ ribs

 Crab boil and BBQ ribs

Old Bay Seafood Boil

This seafood boil recipe with Old Bay is the absolute best way to enjoy seafood. The lemon, thyme, and seasoning really make the boil. The potatoes, corn, and sausage are mouthwatering for anyone who is not a big seafood lover. Enjoy in the summertime or pull this recipe out on Christmas and take time to relax with the family. Serve with fresh lemons, Bloody Marys, cold beer, crusty bread, and plenty of napkins.

Submitted by Brian Sapp

 Tested by Allrecipes Test Kitchen

Prep Time:

 

30 mins

Cook Time:

 

1 hr

Total Time:

 

1 hr 30 mins

Servings:

 

14 

Ingredients

• 4 lemons, halved

• 2 medium sweet onions (such as Vidalia®), quartered

• 4 serrano chiles, split in 1/2 lengthwise and seeds and membranes removed

• 2 heads garlic, peeled and halved

• 
  

  2 bunches fresh thyme, tied with string

• 1 ⅔ cups seafood seasoning (such as Old Bay®), or more to taste

• 6 teaspoons kosher salt, or more to taste

• 6 bay leaves

• 3 pounds medium red potatoes, cut in 1/2

• 5 (13 ounce) packages smoked kielbasa sausage, cut into 2-inch pieces

• 6 ears sweet corn, halved

• 30 littleneck clams, scrubbed

• 4 pounds jumbo shrimp, deveined, tail on

• 2 ½ pounds Alaskan king crab legs

Directions

1. Fill a very large stockpot fitted with a basket insert with about 8 quarts of water, or about halfway full. Squeeze lemons into the water, tossing the halves in too. Add onions, chiles, garlic, thyme, seafood seasoning, kosher salt, and bay leaves; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

2. Stir potatoes into the pot and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.

3. Next, add sausage and corn; cook another 5 minutes, making sure everything stays covered with the liquid.

4. Add clams and boil until they open, about 8 minutes. Toss in shrimp and shut off the heat. Cover the pot and let shrimp steep in the flavor for 10 minutes, adding crab in the last 5 minutes (press them into the liquid).

5. Drain and spread crab, shrimp, sausage, clams, corn, potatoes, and onions out on a newspaper-covered table or on three large serving trays. Sprinkle with a dusting of Old Bay or provide for individual use.

Cook’s Note

You need a very large pot for this. I use a turkey fryer. You can also divide it into two stockpots or cut the recipe in half. The water level will rise when you add the ingredients, so keep this in mind as you fill. I fill mine about halfway.

You should be able to smell the broth with plenty of salt and spice. Taste and add Old Bay and kosher salt accordingly. You want the broth to be strong so some of the flavor can penetrate and get absorbed by the potatoes and sausage.

A lot of people will want to skimp out on the littleneck clams, but trust me, don't. They add a lot of flavor and have a very pleasant taste. Buy them the day you plan to use them and keep them in a bowl of ice, open, so they don't die — don't let the grocery store clerk seal the bag.

I also keep some of the boiling liquid on the side. It's great to pour over the shrimp as you eat.

Editor's Note: 

Nutrition data for this recipe includes the full amount of simmering liquid. The actual amount consumed will vary.

Coq au vin

Coq au Vin  ( chicken with wine)

Ingredients

• 4 Chicken thighs

• 4 chicken legs

• 2 C. dry red wine

• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

• 8 oz. slab bacon, cut into 1/2-inch dice

• 3 T. evoo, if needed

• 1 med onion, finely diced

• 8 cl. galic, thin sliced

• 10 white pearl onions, peeled

• 1/2 lb. small cremini mushrooms

• 3 T. AP flour

• 1 T. tomato paste

• 2 T. Cognac

• 1 chicken liver, coarsely chopped

• 2 bay leaves

• 5 sprigs fresh thyme

I used 4 thighs and no legs.  I used about half the bacon, half an onion, Snow oyster mushrooms instead of cremini, left out the pearl onions by oversight and the chicken liver because I wasn't sure how Charlie would like it. I know he doesn't like chicken liver by itself.  He said we should have it again.

Directions

1. Marinate chicken in bowl with wine to cover. Cover, marinate 8 hours. or     overnight in refrigerator 

2. Preheat oven to 325º,  pat chicken dry, salt and pepper.

3. Cook bacon in Dutch oven until crisp, about 20 minutes. Set aside, reserving fat.  Add more oil if less that 3 T. bacon fat in pan.

4. Brown chicken in Dutch oven  over med. high in batches, flipping until browned all sides…4 to 5 minutes.

5. Add onion and garlic, cook 4-5 minutes, Add garlic, cook 2 minutes, Add      pearl onions and mushrooms, cook 3-4 minutes.

6. Add flour & tomato paste, cook 2 minutes.  Add Cognac & cook, stirring 1 minute.

7. Return bacon and chicken to pot, pour in reserved wine, add chicken liver and herbs. Bring to a simmer.

8. Cover and bake until chicken cooked through and veggies are tender, 45 min. to an hour. Discard herbs and skim fat before serving.

Mashed Potatoes were red potatoes, cooked, mashed with salt, butter and half and half.

Garlic & Spinach

Ingredients

• 1 pound baby spinach
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3 garlic cloves minced
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Instructions

• Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the minced garlic and saute for 30 seconds. You don't want the garlic browning too much.
• Add the baby spinach to the pan. It will be a big mound, and you can use your hands to pack it in. Use tongs or a spatula to carefully flip the spinach over, so that all of the pieces get covered in oil and garlic. 
• Cover the pan for a minute to let it steam, then stir again. Repeat this process until the spinach is wilted down, about 5 minutes later.
• Season with salt and pepper, then serve.
  
  

 

Pork Bulgogi

 

I did not make this very often when it involved getting a pork shoulder roast and cutting it up, especially if it had a bone.  It took around 45 minutes just to cut it up and avoid the really fatty parts. I discovered the Koran grocery we had started going to sold pork bulgogi that they had made in store at the meat counter and did that for a while but then I also found out that they sold both ribeye beef and pork shoulder cut up in just the right size for bulgogi and when I made them with recipes I had found,  Charlie said they were a lot better than  the grocery store, even better than his mom's versions. So now whenever I go there, I pick up some beef and pork for the freezer.  The other day, I made the marinade for the pork, then divided it and put half in the freezer for next time.

Jeyuk Bokkeum (or Spicy Pork Bulgogi) 

Charlies birthday Aug 2,2024  

Spicy Korean pork bulgogi marinated in a gochujang based sauce with lots of fresh garlic and ginger!

Prep Time 10 min Cook Time 10 mins Marinating time 1 hr Total Time 15 mins

Servings: 4 Author: Hyosun

Ingredients

• 2 pounds thinly sliced pork shoulder or butt (or a combination of  pork shoulder or butt and pork belly)
• 1/2 medium onion, sliced
• 3 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces

Marinade:

• 6 tablespoons gochujang
• 1 or 2 tablespoons gochugaru
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons rice wine (or mirin)
• 2 tablespoons sugar (or brown sugar)
• 1 tablespoon honey (or more sugar)
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 1/2 small apple grated, 3 - 4 tablespoons (or 2 T plum syrup, maesilcheong)

Instructions

• Thinly slice the meat, if not pre-sliced.
  
• Mix all marinade ingredients well in a large bowl. Add the meat and toss everything well to evenly coat the meat with the marinade. Add the onion and scallions and toss again. Let it sit for about 30 minutes. Ours sat overnight.
  
• Grill or pan fry in a skillet (in 2 batches) over medium high heat until slightly caramelized. Adjust the heat as necessary.

Lasagna

A few days ago Charlie asked if I would make lasagna. I said I'd do it tomorrow but totally forgot about it.  I said I'd do it today and forgot about it again until he reminded me.  I went to the store around 2, started cooking about 3 and finished at 7.  I am getting too old for that much to make that much effort in one day.  I am in the precess of rewriting the recipe to cut it down and combine some of the steps in assembly and planning so it doesn't have to get done from start to finish in one afternoon.

Lasagna my variation on Patsy's meatball lasagna

Béchamel

 1 C. heavy cream

 1 C. chicken stock

 2 T. butter (3 T.)

 2 T. flour ( 3 heaping T.) 

(add salt) 

( + a little nutmeg) 

Melt butter, stir in flour.  Add heated chicken broth a little at a time.  Add heated cream, whisking often, bring to boil and let thicken.  Set  aside.

Meat filling

1 med. onion,chopped

3 cl. garlic, minced

1 1/2 lb. ground beef (1 3/4 lbs)

3T. fresh chopped italian parsley

3 T. fresh chopped oregano

1 1/2 lb. mild or sweet Italian sausage (1 lb. Hy Vee plain bratwurst -4 wursts, skinned)

1 1/2 C. grated Pecorino Romano cheese

salt and pepper

Oil for frying

Sauté onion and garlic in oil until soft.  Add meats and cook until done but not browned.  Stir in cheese, parsley and oregano.  Set aside

Cheese filling

1 1/3 C. fresh grated Parmesan cheese

1/4 C. fresh chopped basil

1 1/2 -2 packages fresh mozzarella

16 oz. whole milk ricotta (13 oz + approx.  4 oz cottage cheese)

Marinara pasta sauce (from a Jar)

Package shredded mozzarella

12 lasagna noodles, cooked (only needed 9)

Preheat oven to 400.  Put some marinara on bottom of lasagna pan.  Put 4 lasagna (3 noodles per layer is all the pan would hold) noodles on bottom, overlapping each one.  Add half the meat mixture, 1/2 the béchamel, 1/3 the parmesan, 1/2 the basil, 1/3 the ricotta and 1/3 the marinara

 

Korean Fried Chicken Wings

Charlie had some friends over, I made Korean chicken wings for them. You can use cornstarch instead of potato starch and corn syrup instead of rice syrup.  I found potato starch with Bob's Red Mill section and rice syrup at an Asian market.

Korean Fried Chicken (yangneom-tongdak Maangchi YouTube

Ingredients For 3 to 4 servings

• 2 pounds chicken wings 
• ½ teaspoon kosher salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ cup potato starch
• ¼ cup all purpose flour
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

For the sauce

2tsp vegetable oil

• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• ⅓ cup ketchup
• ⅓ cup rice syrup
• ¼ cup gochujang (Korean hot pepper paste)
• 2 teaspoons white vinegar
• 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
• corn (or vegetable) oil for frying
• For a side dish, pickled radish (chicken-mu), optional

Directions Fry chicken

heat 2 inches of oil to 330-350.

• While the oil is heating, combine chicken, salt, ground black pepper, starch, flour, baking soda, and eggs in a bowl. Mix altogether well by hand.
• Add the coated chicken to hot oil one by one. Fry them for 12 minutes until the all sides of the chicken are crunchy, turning over with tongs.
• Add the coated chicken to hot oil one by one. Fry them for 12 minutes until the all sides of the chicken are crunchy, turning over with tongs.

Make seasoning sauce:

1. Heat the 2 teaspoons vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Stir in garlic until light brown for about 30 seconds. Add the ketchup, rice syrup, gochujang, vinegar and stir well with a wooden spoon. Reduce the heat to low and stir until bubbling. Remove from the heat.
2. Start the second fry:
3. Let the oil heat up for 2 minutes over medium high heat until it reaches 330-350ºF.
4. Fry the chicken one more time, turning over with tongs for about another 12 minutes until very crunchy.
5. Reheat the sauce over medium high heat until it’s bubbling again. Add all the hot crunchy chicken and mix well with a wooden spoon and tongs.
6. Finish and serve:
7. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and transfer to a serving plate. Serve with chicken-mu (pickled radish) if you have it.