Fabulous, amazing, blow me away seafood dinner idea needed.

[gourmanda]

I want to make a really nice dinner this weekend for 2 of us to go with a great bottle of Willakenzie Pinot Noir. While I realize that fish doesn't take long to cook (generally), I don't mind spending a lot of time on a great sauce, side, etc. Probably halibut, tuna, mahi will be my first choices available; will make swordfish, marlin or grouper if I need too (but prefer not these over-fished fish). Salmon is out of the question.

I know something great is out there; will you share?

[gourmanda]

Many thanks for all of the suggestions. I found each to be delicious-sounding and will be prepared in the coming weeks. Sam, I agree that simple is sometimes best so I simply seared the fresh tuna steaks with a little bit of a black pepper coating; served with a mustard cognac sauce on the side which was lovely but not necessary with fresh Hawaiian fish. Potatoes Lyonnaise and carrots with thyme went on the side. The suggestion of the seafood sausage will be my T-giving appetizer and I'm making the suggested Mahi Mahi recipe tonight with golden tilefish (that I belatedly found to be a not-fishery-friendly fish). I am anxious to try the halibut if I get some before the season ends. Ruth your dinner report sounds very special indeed; trout isn't one of my faves though my DH likes it and that sauce makes me want to try it again--butter, champagne, cream...how can you go wrong?! Many thanks to all!!

[Sam Fujisaka]

Mmmmm. Sounds great. Sounds like what my first wife and I would prepare when we lived in Eugene so long ago. Back then, however, there were no Willakenzie Pinot Noirs.

[gourmanda]

Eugene to Cali, Colombia? An interesting route for sure.

I always enjoy your posts--cheers!

[heredia76]

Pinot is an interesting choice for seafood compliment, mahi, swordfish or tuna would pair well. I make a great dish of pan rst. halibut over baby bok choy w/shrimp dumplings, baby gold beets and a miso-lemongrass broth. This is a spring dish though and pairs well w/a pinot grigio or a good proseco. This is one of my favorite seafood dishes and hope you find what ur looking for.

[Sam Fujisaka]

Thank you. The route from Eugene to Cali has been long and twisted. Meeting people like you along the way makes it even better.

[Sam Fujisaka]

I do fancy sauces with frozen white fish fillets or with some of the fish I catch around here (from the Amazon Basin). But if I were to have a nice fresh halibut, tuna, or mahi my preference is to do it as simple as possible - salt, pepper, lime juice, maybe some grated ginger and then sear and finish in the oven or broil under the salamander. With great fish speaking for itself and your Pinot, I'd serve with fresh young asparagus poached for 30-45 seconds and dressed with Pec - Rom or Parm dissolved in a bit of lime juice (just stir together) or with artichokes and a dip made of home made yogurt, mustard, salt, pepper, dash of olive oil; and with plain white rice or couscous. Pear poached in red wine for dessert. Maybe start with a seared scallop on a bed of frisee.

[MMRuth]

This won't really work with your wine, I think, but I'm posting it for you for another time, as it does fit the 'fabulous, amazing, blow me away' categories, in case you want to try it another time:

Sea Trout in Champagne Sauce
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/4818...

[FoodChic]

This is a blow me away recipe. It is simply heavenly with some green onion mashed potatoes and some nice green beens or asparagus.

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Almond-C...

[bakerboyz]

Don't know if it's "blow me away" but I loved a recipe that I got off the food network website, that was a BBQ Mahi Mahi with a Red Pepper Cilantro Pesto. In addition, if you want a knock your socks off seafood appetizer, I have a great recipe for a Seafood Sausage made with shrimp and scallops with a tomato cream wine sauce.

[gourmanda]

Please! Please! Please! That sounds very interesting!

[bakerboyz]

Which one? I am at work and recipe for Seafood Sausage is at home but if you give me an email address, I can email it to you in the morning. The BBQ Mahi Mahi can be found at foodnetwork.com and then do a search for BBQ Mahi Mahi, it was a Bobby Flay recipe and it's delicious.

[bakerboyz]

Just found it, here it is: it's long but don't be intimidated, email me at [e-mail] with any questions.

1. It's kind of long but it isn't as complicated as it looks and it is truly worth the results. Here goes:
Sausage:
1/2 lb scallops
1/2 lb shrimp, reserve shells
1 egg white
1 c heavy cream
salt and white pepper
cayenne pepper
1 tb sherry
1 tb oil
1 tb ketchup
heavy duty foil
Sauce:
1/2 c dry white wine
1 shallot, minced
reserved shrimp shells
1 tomato, peeled, seeded and diced
1 1/2 tsp, tomato paste
sugar to taste, about 3/4 tsp
1/2 c heavy cream
salt
w pepper
nutmeg
3 tb unsalted butter
Sausages:
1. Heat oil in pan and cook 1/4 of shrimp until 3/4 cooked; coarsely chop and set aside.
2. puree remaining shrimp and scallops in processor; blend in egg white; slowly add cream; balance with salt, w pepper, cayenne, sherry and ketchup;
3. fold in coarsely chopped shrimp and chill 1-2 hours;
4.. butter 2-3 pieces of heavy duty foil, spoon mixture onto foil, roll and enclose by twisting ends to seal;
5. In large, heavy pot, bring large volume (enough to cover sausages) of water to a simmer;
6. add sausages, cover and simmer 20 minutes;
7. turn off heat and let sit in water 10 minutes.
Sauce:
1. Combine wine, shallots, shrimp shells and simmer til reduces by 1/2; strain and return to pan;
2. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, and sugar and reduce a little more;
3. add cream and simmer 5 minutes;
4. balance with salt, w pepper and nutmeg;
5. puree in blender and return to sauce pan;
6. reheat and whisk in butter, 1tb at a time;
7. taste and adjust seasoning.
Slice sausages and put a little sauce on top. I usually serve as an appetizer with about 3 slices on a small plate.

[MrsCris]

That looks amazing! I'm very interested in this recipe. Tell me, what is the texture like? I am looking at the whole cup of cream in the sausage mix, and thinking that would make it lovely and rich, but also runny. Does it firm right up?

[bakerboyz]

When it's processed and then chilled it becomes more like a paste and is fairly firm and easy to spoon into foil and wrap/roll up; once it is poached, it slices beautifully into firm, round slices.

[gourmanda]

Thank you! That does look lovely. One question--did you mean "cook 1/4 of shrimp" or cook 1/4 pound of shrimp.

And I did find the mahi...love the sound of that pesto! Thanks again :-)

[bakerboyz]

No, cook one quarter of your 1/2 lb until three quarters cooked. To be clear, if you have 16 shrimp, cook 4 of them 3/4 the way cooked. I hope that helps.

[gourmanda]

BB-

This might sound like a dumb question, but would a 1/2 recipe make enough for a light hors d'oeuvre for 4 people. I want to make this Thursday to have with pre-dinner drinks. Thanks!