By Sarah Fertsch
Staff Writer
New Jersey may be known as the garden state, but nothing beats fresh-caught seafood from the Atlantic Ocean. South Jersey has a great reputation for clamming and shellfish. Whether you consider yourself a local or spend a week down the shore every summer, prioritize tasting the delicious seafood. From net to table, wild-caught protein tastes like the ocean, salty and bright. Bring the ocean home and try your hand at cooking Jersey seafood. Here are four recipes straight from fishermen for your kitchen:
Quahog Chowder
Ingredients:
- 30 quahogs, scrubbed
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 celery stalk, chopped
- 8 anchovies, chopped finely
- 6 tablespoons of flour
- A handful of baby potatoes, quartered
- 2 cups of heavy cream
- 1 cup of whole milk
- 1 cup of vegetable broth
- ½ stick of unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon of thyme
- 1 teaspoon of garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon of salt
- 1 tablespoon of pepper
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the clams and steam until the shells open (7-8 minutes). Remove the clams with a slotted spoon and let cool. Remove the quahogs from the shell and chop them into bite-sized pieces. Reserve 3 cups of liquid for future use.
In a Dutch oven, melt butter over medium heat on the stove. Add the onion and let cook until translucent, then add the anchovies. Cook down for 3-4 minutes.
Add the celery to the Dutch oven and cook down for another 5 minutes. Add flour to create a roux. Once the flour and butter mixture turns caramel-colored, slowly stir in clam liquid. The soup should start to get thick.
Toss potatoes into the soup and cover, cooking for 15 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Add vegetable broth, milk and heavy cream. Stir in spices and thyme. Add the cooked clams.
Ladle into bowls and serve warm.
Steamed Blue Crabs
Ingredients:
- 20 live Atlantic Blue Crabs
- ½ cup of Old Bay seasoning
- ½ cup of salt
- 3 cups of distilled white vinegar
- 3 cups of beer
Before steaming the crabs, flip each crab onto its back and stick a knife through its shell just below the mouth.
Combine vinegar, beer and Old Bay in a large soup pot and bring to a boil over medium heat on the stove.
Place a steaming basket or colander over the boiling liquid, sturdy enough to hold the crabs, just above the liquid.
Place crabs in the basket and steam them for 20-30 minutes until the blue color is gone and the crabs become red or orange.
Serve with leftover Old Bay and melted butter. Enjoy!
Mussels in Lemon
Garlic Sauce
Ingredients:
- 1 pound of half-shell mussels
- 1 cup of heavy cream
- 2 tablespoons of unsalted butter
- 1 cup of dry white wine
- 1 lemon, juiced and zested
- 4 cloves of garlic, crushed
- 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes
- 1 yellow onion, finely diced
- ½ cup of fresh parsley, chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
In a large skillet, melt butter and add diced onion. Cook down until fragrant and translucent.
Add white wine and reduce by a third. Stir in cream and let simmer for 2 minutes.
Add mussels and let cook covered for approximately 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat. Add lemon juice, zest and crushed garlic.
Add red pepper flakes, parsley, salt and pepper. Serve warm with bread to dip into the sauce.
Sesame Ginger Grain Bowl with Mackerel
Ingredients:
- 4 ounces of fresh-caught mackerel, skin on
- 1 cup of brown rice
- 1 carrot, ribboned
- ½ avocado, sliced
- ½ large cucumber, diced
- 1 scallion, thinly sliced
- 1 teaspoon of sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon of grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon of low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon of hot sauce
- Salt
- Pepper
Prep and wash veggies. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place the fish on a baking sheet. Use a paper towel to absorb any excess moisture on the mackerel. Sprinkle it with salt and pepper and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. Bake for 8-10 minutes.
Fill a pot with 2 cups of water and rinse rice, then add to the pot. Cook over low heat on the stove until all the water is absorbed, which should take approximately 15 minutes. Cover with a lid to help the rice cook faster.
Once the rice is cooked, scoop ⅓ cup into a bowl and top with veggies. In a small bowl, mix together hot sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce and ginger.
Once the fish is fully cooked, use a fork to cut up the fish and scoop a serving into the bowl.
Top the bowl with the dressing and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Enjoy!
