Felt it was most appropriate to share a Midwest seafood recipe for this new year, since my family has been living on nothing but seafood for the last 6 days. We landed back in the Ozarks Saturday night, after a very soggy return, from Gulf Shores, Alabama. Thank goodness the big rains waited until the day we came home! We enjoyed several seafood dinners including those at our condo. We were sharing our favorite meals and the one we had at the condo, on Christmas Eve, seemed to tie with Felix’s in Southeast Mobile, right by the USS Alabama Battleship.
We had so much ‘stuff’ in our Santa Fe, I was unable to get the mini Christmas tree in with the luggage I could have used it, it felt odd being away from home on Christmas. Living in the holiday mecca of Branson/Branson West, we take all the lights, decor and spirit for granted. I would make this trip again, in the ‘off’ season, with no hesitation.
Enjoying seafood in the Midwest takes some trial and error in order to render a quality seafood dinner. First; let’s hit upon the fact that most shrimp is frozen before it ever returns to the docks. It’s a form of flash freezing, which freezes each shrimp individually. Even the fish at local fish markets have been flash frozen. Here at home, I like to boil and peel my shrimp. Why? Because the flavor is better quality, and….I also will be able to make my own seafood stock with the shells. If you are making a seafood chowder, gumbo, etc., you will adore the flavor the shrimp shells bring to your recipes.
When you boil shrimp remove them from the stockpot the minute they lift to the top of the water. Also consider doing this process the day before the seafood dinner, so the smell is out of the house, or do it very early that day.
There are lots of whitefish in the Gulf of Mexico, one that was introduced to me, but not eaten was ‘trigger fish’. The owner of the seafood shop told us it was her favorite whitefish. They usually sold for 8.– a filet. Somewhere between 19000 and 26000 people are involved in the fishing industry in the states bordering the Gulf of Mexico.
When we went to Panama City a couple of years ago there were few seafood shops, nothing like Gulf Shores, they were on about every corner. I remember them telling us in Panama City most of their shrimp came from the Gulf Shores area. If you haven’t experienced smoked Tuna Spread it’s on about every appetizer menu. This year I took a rather large serving of smoked salmon, with us, so we refrained from paying for ‘small’ bowls at the restaurants. We found a local restaurant with the best hush puppies ever.
We sampled lots of Gumbo and tried our first bowl of ‘swamp’ soup. Oh and we had turtle soup, I ate it, but probably won’t eat it a second time.
I’m planning a nice New Year’s dinner, and I’ll be serving the seafood casserole. The consistency of the recipe should be like a stuffing or dressing. Bake it in a deeper dish
pan too. I usually use shrimp and crab in mine, but there have been a few times where I’ve added quality whitefish or scallops. Make your celery and onion visible, not too small. What else am I serving for New Year’s Eve dinner? Pork Loin, onion pie, seafood casserole, a fresh vegetable and a salad . Dessert, is still up in the air. It may be a cookie and fudge tray, or something more unique in the dessert department. This year I have been craving many of my family holiday dishes. No, I haven’t made them all, because it would be overkill and ‘way’ too much food! But I’ve certainly spent a great deal of time reminiscing over them.
I hope 2025 opens new doors and opportunities for each of you. It’s the perfect time for new beginnings and adventures. Godspeed, The Covered Dish, Debbie.
Seafood Casserole
1 (6-7 oz.) can of lump crabmeat
1 lb. Pink shrimp, large, broken into chunks
7 ounces fresh sauteed mushrooms
3 stalks of celery, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 can cream of shrimp soup
8-10 saltine crackers, crumbled
1 box of turkey or chicken stuffing
1 egg, lightly whisked
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of Parmesan cheese shredded or Italian blend
clam juice or the broth from cooking the shrimp, added to mixture to achieve
dressing consistency
A few small pats of butter over the top.
Other fresh herbs could be added or dried spices. Thyme, parsley, herbs De Provence, paprika are all possible added spices.
In the original setting of this recipe I did not per-saute the celery, onion and mushrooms. Now I think I would, using olive oil. Mix all ingredients together and bake in an 8 x 8 greased baking pan. Put small pats of butter on the top before baking.
