Rhubarb and Cod

Bourbon Sweet Potato Pie with Molasses Meringue

December 21, 2021 No Comments

Welcome to the final dish of my 2021 Holiday Menu and my last post before Christmas. And what a recipe to go out on. This Bourbon Sweet Potato Pie features a slightly savory pecan-studded crust, a velvety bourbon-spiked filling, and a crown of toasted molasses meringue. This pie hits all the festive notes. Warm, cozy, and boozy with a dash of nutmeg for good measure. Now, obviously, this dish breaks with the seafood theme of my holiday menu. But I figure you’ll forgive me this slight deviation from the rules because a seafood dessert is hard to come by. And a good seafood dessert seems impossible. But prove me wrong. I would love nothing more.

Fish & Seafood, Holiday

Seared Scallops with Butternut Celeriac Mash

December 20, 2021 No Comments

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We’ve arrived at the main event of my 2021 Holiday Menu. After a round of Fried Oyster Sliders, a bowl of Miso Mussel Parsnip Bisque, and a side salad that thinks it’s a whole dang meal, you’ve got this plate of heaven. Yeah, all I can say is don’t wear restrictive pants. So what are you looking at? This beauty of meal features seared scallops and a velvety butternut celeriac mash, topped with crispy kale, and preserved lemon butter. It has all the makings of a fancy meal but luckily it’s quick and easy to pull off. I’ve already asked you to make three courses for this feast, I simply cannot ask anything too taxing of you. There is one potential timing dilemma with this recipe, but it’s also a fantastic opportunity to add a dash of culinary theatrics to your evening. So let’s dive in.

Fish & Seafood, Holiday, Salads

Shaved Fennel Salad with Maple Smoked Salmon

December 16, 2021 No Comments

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Welcome to the salad course of my 2021 Holiday Menu. Admittedly not my favorite course but a necessary course. As I’ve mentioned before, I am no great fan of salads. I do enjoy veggies but I find a bowlful of greens to be a daunting prospect. So generally, I like to distract myself with cheese, nuts, and hunks of bread. This approach works exceptionally well when you’re making a meal out of your salad. It’s not as successful when you’re putting together a salad for a multi-course experience. Consequently, today’s Shaved Fennel Salad is a little overwhelming. It could easily be a meal on its own. But hey, it’s Christmas, so going all out is kind of the name of the game even when it comes to salad.

Fish & Seafood, Holiday, Soups & Stews

Miso Mussel Parsnip Bisque

December 11, 2021 No Comments

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We’ve arrived at the soup course of my 2021 holiday menu, and I’m going to be honest, this is my favorite dish. It may seem anti-climatic to serve a scene-stealer as a second course but that’s just how it goes sometimes. It’s not the bisque’s fault it’s flawless. So what kind of bisque are we talking about here? This is a Miso Mussel Parsnip Bisque and it is exactly what it sounds like. This is definitely one of my more descriptive recipe titles. The dish is mussels and parsnips pureed into a creamy bisque finished with heavy cream. The surface of the bisque is accented with sesame oil, black sesame seeds, daikon microgreens, a mussel on a half shell, and yet more cream. And yes, it is as good as it sounds, so let’s get started.