Enjoy summer evenings and celebrations with simple recipes featuring fresh caught shellfish.
Here are some suggestions for savoring the tastes of the sea all season long:
Oysters
Simply prepared with nothing more than lemon juice, vinegar or cocktail sauce, raw oysters are a delicacy that raises the bar of any party. Roche Bros. Hammer Island Oysters are locally grown in the pristine waters of Duxbury Bay. Try them in fun recipes for Oyster Shooters – including a Bloody Mary version with vegetable juice, vodka, horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, fresh lemon juice, salt and hot sauce, poured over an oyster in a shot glass. Or enjoy them grilled, baked or glazed.
Shrimp
Shrimp is so quick to cook that you want to be sure not to overcook it. It’ll take on the flavor of anything it’s boiled in. Season your boiling water with salt, lemon, peppercorns and a bay leaf. Bring the water to a boil and leave it for a few minutes, to give the flavors time to infuse the water. Add the shrimp and return the water to a boil. It’s ready when the shrimp turn pink and one or two shrimp float to the top. Serve the shrimp as is, dipped in cocktail sauce or sprinkled with Old Bay®. Add it to chilled gazpacho, along with cilantro and avocado. Or sear raw shrimp in a skillet with chopped mangoes, fresh lime juice, minced garlic, chopped red onion and red pepper flakes.
Clams
Count Neck Clams, farm-raised in Wellfleet and available in our seafood department, boast a sweet, buttery flavor. Serve them on the half-shell, with a classic mignonette made with red or white wine vinegar, freshly ground peppercorns, minced shallots or onions and salt. Steam them and serve with hot, melted butter and a cup of the hot broth they cooked in. Or mix them into a simple, light bowl of linguine with clams, white wine, clam juice, crushed red pepper, olive oil, butter and fresh basil.
Mussels
Mussels are great for a quick, flavorful, simple one-pot dinner. Fresh mussels take on the taste of their broth. You’ll know they’re cooked once they open in the pot. For a classic Mussels Marinières, combine wine, parsley, onion and butter. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer for two minutes. Add mussels, cover and raise heat to high. Cook, tossing and stirring once or twice, until mussels have opened and are cooked through. Discard any mussels that do not open. Change up the broth with tomatoes, fennel and saffron or a pale ale and Dijon mustard.