Anna Sultana’s East Coast Seafood Chowder

Back in December, 2010, I posted the recipe for Ma’s Fritto Misto di Pesce. Don’t bother with google translate - it’s a recipe for a mixed fix fry.

I posted it because I had written about Italian and Maltese Christmas customs.

One of these customs involves eating seven fishes on Christmas Eve.

Back in Malta and Sicily Christmas Eve, also known as the Feast of the Seven Fishes, was a night of seafood splendour.

Most of these holiday customs began when families were larger than they are today, and it wasn’t unusual to have about thirty people around the table.

So, you - and six of the other women - could each prepare one dish, each guest could scoop out one piece from each dish, and, wall-ah!, tradition was respected.

As the years went by and younger family members got busy with their own nuclear families, our parents’ generation made a few adjustments in their holiday menus.

They wanted to keep up the traditions, but there was a limit to how much they could eat, and could fit in their refrigerators.

The fried fish is a bit heavy on a senior’s stomach, so they turned to making chowders.

The leftover soup made a nice light supper for two on Christmas Day.

Ah, tradition…

Hints:

For a smokier flavour, replace the butter with 3 slices bacon, chopped, and brown before adding the vegetables.

Add 1/2 Cup chopped carrots, red bell pepper or corn kernels with onions for extra flavour, colour and nutrition.

Want it a bit spicier? Add a pinch of fish seasoning spice blend.

Want some heat? Add 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes with the seasonings.

This recipe can also be used as a base for a turkey or chicken chowder. Just replace dill with thyme and stir in 2 Cups diced cooked turkey or chicken instead of the seafood.

Curious about other traditional Christmas recipes? 

Here's a post with links for Christmas / Holiday Favourites.

Happy Holidays!!

                                   East Coast Seafood Chowder

Place in a large pot

1 Tablespoon butter

Melt butter over low heat.

Add

1/2 Cup celery, diced

3/4 Cup onions, diced

Sauté for about 5 minutes, or until onions start to brown.

Deglaze the pan with

1/3 Cup white wine 

Scrape until liquid is reduced by half.

Stir in to form a thin paste

2 teaspoons cornstarch

Stir in 

3/4 Cup heavy cream

2 Cups milk

Simmer over low heat for 5 minutes.

Add

1 teaspoon dried dill or dried thyme

1/2 teaspoon salt 

1/4 teaspoon pepper  

3/4 Cup yellow fleshed potatoes, diced

Cook until the potatoes are almost tender.

While the potatoes are cooking, place in another large pot 

2 Tablespoons butter

Melt butter over medium heat.

Add

3 ounces salmon, cut into chunks 

3 ounces halibut, cut into chunks

Cook until fish is opaque and flakes easily with a fork.

Add

3 ounces lobster

3 ounces scallops

12 shrimp

12 scrubbed mussels

12 scrubbed clams

Once the clams and mussels have opened (discard any that did not open), transfer the seafood into the chowder base.

Simmer 3 minutes.

Ladle into bowls and place dill and a dab of butter on each serving (optional).

Serve with crusty rolls or bread.

Anna Sultana’s Linguine All’astice - Linguine with Lobster / how to butcher a lobster

Got an email asking if I have the recipe for Linguine All’astice.

Yes, I have the recipe.

And now you do, too.

Linguine All’astice is simply Linguine with lobster in a very basic sauce.

The sauce is a cinch.

The lobster… not so much.

I’ll let you in on a secret: Ma served this with frozen jumbo prawns.

The ones that are about 22 to the pound.

Much simpler.

Live lobsters are a bit intimidating.

Remember the boiling lobster scene in Annie Hall?

And Julie had to live with the guilt of being a lobster killer in Julie & Julia.

They just had to toss the lobsters into a pot and boil them.

Linguine All’astice calls for a butchered lobster.

Not fun, but it can be done.

First thing:

Knock back a few stiff drinks to steady your nerves.

DO NOT remove the rubber bands that keep the lobster claws shut.

Wear oven mitts to protect yourself.

Okay… here we go:

Place a LIVE lobster upside down on a cutting board.

Hold the lobster by the tail and plunge the point of a heavy knife into the body,

where the tail joins the chest, and cut off the tail.

Continue hacking up the lobster at the joints into 2 inch chunks.

Crack the claws.
That's one dead lobster.

Remove the rubber bands.

Frozen jumbo shrimp are smaller and a quicker cook.

Do the frying part until they're almost pink, then remove them from the pot.

Add the other ingredients and simmer.

Add the shrimp for the last 10 minutes.

Hints:

If the sauce is dry, add a little bit of the pasta’s cooking water.  

Don’t add too much.

If the sauce is too watery the sauce will taste mild. 

                        Linguine All’astice 

Serves 4

Prepare as above

2 lobsters (about 1 1/2 pounds each) 

For the Linguine

In a large pot place

4 quarts water

salt to taste

Bring to a boil.

While the sauce is simmering, add

1 pound linguine

Cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is al dente.

The pasta will get a bit more cooked in the sauce.

Drain and set aside.

For the Lobster

While waiting for the water to boil, start the sauce.

Into a large heavy saucepan pour

2 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

Add

1 clove garlic, chopped finely

Fry the garlic until it turns golden.

Add

the prepared lobsters 

Cook them until they turn orange, about 5 minutes. 

Add

1 Cup dry white wine

Cook another 2 minutes.  

Add

1 29 to 35 ounce can Italian tomatoes, chopped

3 Tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Turn the heat to low, cover and simmer  15 minutes.

Add

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Add

the drained cooked pasta.

Toss the pasta until it is coated.

Cook together for 1 - 2 minutes.

Arrange the pasta in a warm serving bowl or platter.

Sprinkle with

3 Tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Top with the lobster.

Drizzle with 

extra virgin olive oil

Serve immediately.

If you enjoyed Linguine All’astice you might also like Carmela Soprano’s Lobster Fra Diavolo / Jumbo Shrimp Fra Diavolo - Seafood in Spicy Tomato Sauce.

It has a bit more of a kick.

And, yes, it can also be made with frozen jumbo prawns.

Carmela Soprano's Lobster Fra Diavolo / Jumbo Shrimp Fra Diavolo - Seafood in Spicy Tomato Sauce

Cards sent…  

You know there'll be a surprise card on December 23 from somebody you barely know.

House clean… It's good enough.  Just allow visitors at night and use candles.

Gifts bought… Well, most of them.
On to step 2: shop the house.

It's time to think of the big day's main course.

Twelve days to the holy feast of Christmas.

Peace on earth, good will toward men.

Yeah, right...

Back to Jennifer's chapter:
Rage, Guilt, Loneliness, and Food in Artie's The Sopranos Family Cookbook.

Lobster in Spicy Tomato Sauce with Linguine looks about right.

What is it about Artie's book and my local grocery stores?

Both flyers mentioned there were deals to be had on lobster.

Yeah, well, not in this neighbourhood.

The guys in the meat department just love it when they see me.

When I ask for something a little special it just makes their day.

Live lobsters?

North End Winnipeg?

You gotta be kiddin'!!

And a ho ho ho to you, too!

Maybe there is something hilarious about live lobsters.

Remember the boiling lobster scene in Annie Hall?

And Julie had to live with the guilt of being a lobster killer in Julie & Julia.

They just had to toss the lobsters into a pot and boil them.

The method in Artie's book is a lot more violent.

Well, what do you expect in a Sopranos cookbook?

Okay… here's how Tony's boys do the deed:

First thing:

Knock back a few stiff drinks to steady your nerves.

DO NOT remove the rubber bands that keep the lobster claws shut.

Wear oven mitts to protect yourself.

Okay… here we go:

Place a LIVE lobster upside down on a cutting board.

Hold the lobster by the tail and plunge the point of a heavy knife into the body,

where the tail joins the chest, and cut off the tail.

Continue hacking up the lobster at the joints into 2 inch chunks.

Crack the claws.

Remove the rubber bands.

That's one dead lobster.

There's more than one way to feed the family something fishy and fancy.

Frozen jumbo shrimp.

No muss, no fuss, no lobster claws, no big knives.

Shrimp is smaller and a quicker cook.

Do the frying bit until they're pink, then remove them from the pot.

Add the other ingredients and simmer 20 minutes.

Add the shrimp for the last 10 minutes.

The spicy tomato sauce is good with lobster or shrimp.

Yeah, right, the sauce is red.

Ya got a problem with that?

                        Lobster Fra Diavolo 

Serves 4 to 6

Into a large heavy pot pour

1/3 Cup olive oil

Add

2 lobsters (about 1 1/2 pounds each) prepared as above

2 large garlic cloves, lightly crushed

1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Cook, stirring over medium low heat for 10 minutes.

Add

1 Cup dry white wine

1 29 to 35 ounce can Italian tomatoes, chopped

2 Tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

a dash of salt

Bring to a simmer.

Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thickened, about 30 minutes.

Remove the lobster pieces and keep them warm.

For the Linguine

While the sauce is simmering, in a large pot place

4 quarts water

salt to taste

Bring to a boil.

Add

1 pound linguine

Cook, stirring frequently, until the pasta is al dente.

Drain the pasta and add it to the sauce.

Toss the pasta until it is coated.

Arrange the pasta in a warm serving bowl or platter.

Top with the lobster.

Serve immediately.

Would I make Lobster Fra Diavolo?

Sure.  With shrimp.

And I better not hear any complaints.

I still have that big heavy knife.

One recipe down.  Sixty-seven more to go.