Sunday, April 17, 2011

Seafood with Swiss Chard and Mixed Greens Salad with Arugula Seed Pods


Our arugula went to seed and I happened to see a show called Chefs 'A Field that said that you could eat the seed pods as well as the flowers. I thought it would be fun to experiment.


Everyone in our family loves seafood, so we are always looking for new ways to prepare it. Quality Seafood is our favorite place to pick up seafood and we get a 5% discount when we use our Go Local card. Clay enjoys our trips to Quality Seafood because he is usually treated to a personal lobster tank tour or some cooked shrimp and ketchup. Wheatsville is also a great option for seafood as they only stock sustainable seafood. 


As it turns out, this recipe was a success. Jarred and I looked at eachother in amazement as Clay pretty much inhaled his dinner. You can put any type of fish or seafood on his plate and he won't hesitate before grabbing a forkful.


Seafood with Swiss Chard and Mixed Greens Salad with Arugula Seed Pods
Adapted from Jamie Oliver's Pan Cooked Asparagus and Mixed Fish

1 small Texas black drum fillet, Quality Seafood (Don't forget your Go Local Card for 5% off)
1/2 lb. sea scallops, Quality Seafood
1 lb. mussels, Quality Seafood
1/2 lb. Texas Gulf shrimp, Quality Seafood
proscuitto, julienned, Salt & Time available at Antonelli's Cheese Shop 
sea salt and black pepper
chocolate bell peppers, We had some in our freezer from our farm box in the fall from Johnson's Backyard Garden, but more coming soon in our garden!
2 bronze fennel tops, our garden
swiss chard, julienned, our garden
thyme, our garden
Texas Olive Ranch olive oil
chicken stock, we used our homemade chicken stock, but any will do and you could also use vegetable stock
lemon


For salad you'll need arugula seeds pods, mixed greens, sliced beets (candy striped and golden are my favorites) and radishes and chopped swiss chard stems and your favorite dressing. 


1. Start with a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add a little olive oil and toast the arugula seeds for your salad. Once they are blistered, set aside for later and do the same with the proscuitto. 


2. Sprinkle sea salt and pepper on the fish, shrimp and scallops and make sure they are cleaned and ready to go. Add a little more olive oil if needed and add the fish skin side down on medium. Cook until they are golden brown and cooked all the way through. 


3. Set the fish aside, add more olive oil or butter if needed and add the shrimp and scallops. Watch the scallops carefully and take out when they are starting to turn golden. Shrimp should curl up when done. Set aside.


4. Saute the swiss chard briefly with the herbs, add the mussels on top of the swiss chard, then add about a 1/4-1/2 cup of chicken stock (you want just enough so that it causes steam to cook the mussels. Cover for a few minutes until the mussels open and the swiss chard is steamed. Remember to throw out any mussels that did not open. 


5. In shallow bowls, add the fish, shrimp, scallops, mussels and add some of the swiss chard. Top with the crisp proscuitto, thyme, fennel and a drizzle of olive oil and fresh squeezed lemon. I also used a microplane grater to add lemon zest. 










No comments:

Post a Comment