January 6, 2006
Florida’s Seafood Is A Culinary Treasure
Think of Florida and your thoughts immediately turn to sun, surf and succulent seafood. With over 80 different varieties, Florida’s seafood offers an unlimited variety of culinary treasures to savor, whether you are a professional four-star restaurant chef or an aspiring gourmet cook who just wants to cook like one. You will find that many of your favorite fish and shellfish rank in the top 10 ofFlorida species. Shrimp tops the list at No. 1, followed by grouper, blue crab, mullet, spiny lobster, king and Spanish mackerel, stone crab claws, shark, and oysters. Red and yellowtail snapper are also high on the list of all-time culinary favorites.
Let’s explore a few of these culinary seafood treasures that are so prized by seafood lovers and chefs worldwide and then you can try these celebrity chefs’ recipes to prepare your favorites.
Shrimp
Florida wild-caught shrimp is available fresh year-round. Since shrimp is the most popular and valuable seafood in the United States, it is good to know that it is also a naturally renewable resource. There are five types of wild-caught Florida shrimp harvested in the Gulf of Mexico and South Atlantic waters. Categorized by color they are pink shrimp, white shrimp, brown shrimp, royal red shrimp and rock shrimp.
Pink shrimp make up the majority of Florida’s wild-caught shrimp harvested in the Gulf and southern waters of Florida. Florida pinks, as they are called, are available fresh or frozen year round with a peak season March through May and October through December. White shrimp, harvested along the Northeast Florida Atlantic coast, are in peak season from October through December. Brown shrimp are found in both Atlantic and Gulf waters with highest yields June through August. Royal red shrimp are harvested in the Atlantic waters off the coast of St. Augustine with peak season in late summer through fall. Florida rock shrimp, a deep-water cousin of the pink, white and brown shrimp, is often called “the small lobster” and boasts the taste of shrimp with the texture of lobster. Rock shrimp derives its name from the rock-like hardness of its shell, which can easily be mistaken for a miniature lobster tail.
As a perennial chef’s favorite, shrimp can be presented as a solo entree or in a variety of combinations with other seafood, fruit and spices for a memorable dining experience. Succulent and sweet, Florida shrimp is an excellent source of high-quality protein that is low in fat and easily prepared steamed, broiled, baked, grilled or fried.
Chef Allen Susser, of Chef Allen’s in Miami, uses Florida seafood and Florida tropical fruits in recipes with a unique fusion of old world techniques and new world flavors. He has energized South Florida cuisine for more than 12 years at his signature restaurant, Chef Allen’s. A recipient of the James Beard Foundation Best Chef in America award, he is the author of two books: “New World Cuisine and Cookery” and “The Great Citrus Book.” His creative new world cuisine is clearly tasted in his innovative Florida shrimp recipe, Wild Florida Shrimp and Mango Curry. Caribbean flavors inspire this curry and the wild Florida shrimp add a wonderful, sweet briny taste. The addition of Florida mango balances the flavor of this curry with mild acidity.
Wild Florida Shrimp and Mango Curry
Chef Allen Susser
Chef Allen’s, Miami
2 tablespoons butter, unsalted
1 medium Florida onion, diced
1 tablespoon Florida garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
3 tablespoons Madras curry powder
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons fine sea salt
2 cups canned coconut milk
2 cups water
2 large sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into chunks
16 large wild Florida shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1 large Florida mango, peeled and diced
3 tablespoons Florida green onion, minced including green parts
3 tablespoons fresh Florida cilantro, chopped
To Prepare the Curry: In a large heavy saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Sauté
onions and garlic in butter until aromatic, about 3 minutes. Stir in the ginger, curry powder,
cayenne and 2 teaspoons of salt. Stir in coconut milk and water. Bring to a simmer and cook
for 5 minutes.
To Cook the Wild Florida Shrimp: Add the sweet potato to curry and simmer, uncovered, for
15 minutes. Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Add the shrimp and mango to the curry
mix. Bring back to a simmer and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until the shrimp are evenly pink.
Serve garnished with green onion and cilantro.
Serves 4
Nutritional Value Per Serving
Calories 437, Calories From Fat 282, Total Fat 31g, Saturated Fat 26g, Trans Fatty Acid 0, Cholesterol 58mg, Total Carbohydrates 32g, Protein 24g, Omega 3 Fatty Acid 0.18g
Grouper
Grouper is one of Florida's true seafood all-stars and menu headliners. Just the mention of this fish brings oohs and aahs along with instant stomach growls from seafood lovers everywhere. Anyone who has enjoyed this delicacy never forgets the mild, white succulent meat that lends itself to so many recipe presentations.
All groupers are members of the sea bass family, Serranidae, and are found in tropical and warm temperate waters worldwide. Black and red grouper are the most popular of these. Due to their preferred habitat around coral reefs, groupers are accessible primarily by hook-and-line fishing. Like all seafood in Florida, the harvesting of grouper is closely monitored and regulated to ensure healthy stocks as a naturally renewable resource.
Grouper has also become the choice of people concerned with healthy eating because it is nutritious in addition to being delicious. Four ounces of uncooked grouper has only 110 calories, 2 grams of fat (none of which is saturated) and only 55 grams of cholesterol. When you add the 23 grams of protein plus calcium and iron, grouper begins to look like the perfect food. Because the grouper meat is so low in fat, some basting may be necessary when grilling, broiling or baking. Florida grouper can be purchased fresh or frozen.
Seasoned seafood chefs agree that grouper is one of the best “real Florida” seafood culinary choices. It can be used in almost any seafood recipe and its unique flavor comes out beautifully with a touch of mild seasoning and fresh herbs. Chef Andrea Randazzo and Chef Frank Randazzo of Talula on Miami Beach know this well. They specialize in offering a variety of fresh Florida seafood in an eclectic American cuisine inspired by their shared Italian-American heritage and nuanced by flavors from Asia and the Southwest. Their Florida Black Grouper entrée highlights the grouper’s mild flavor and succulent white meat accompanied by those Italian favorites, gnocchi and pancetta.
Preserved Lemon and Thyme Baked Florida Keys Black Grouper with Roasted Garlic and Cracked
Black Pepper Gnocchi, Baby Spinach, Tomato-Shallot-Pancetta Ragout
Chef Andrea Curto-Randazzo
Chef Frank Randazzo
Talula, Miami Beach
4 tablespoons canola oil
4 6-ounce black grouper fillets
1 1/2 cups roasted Florida tomatoes
1/4 cup lemon zest
4 sprigs fresh Florida thyme
1 cup white wine
1/4 cup Florida lemon juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
salt and white pepper to taste
Preheat skillet on stove, add canola oil and seasoned grouper fillets. Sauté on one side until
golden, turn over and saute until golden on the other side. Place over fillets a layer of
roasted tomatoes, lemon zest, thyme, and finish with more tomatoes on top. Add white wine,
lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil to pan. Place pan in a preheated 375 degree oven and
bake for about 5 minutes or until fish is cooked through. Baste fish with cooking liquid
adjusting seasoning of sauce with salt and pepper, then place on black peppercorn gnocchi.
Serves 4
Nutritional Value Per Serving
Calories 470, Calories From Fat 266, Total Fat 30g, Saturated Fat 30g, Trans Fatty Acid 0,
Cholesterol 63mg, Total Carbohydrates 7g, Protein 34g, Omega 3 Fatty Acid 1.85g
Red Snapper
There are 17 types of snappers harvested from the Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean and South Atlantic waters. Two of the most commonly harvested snappers found in seafood markets and restaurants are red snapper and yellowtail snapper.
Red snapper is one of the best known and Florida waters yield the finest red snapper in the nation. With a fine textured, mild white meat, Florida red snapper is perfect for almost any fish recipe and will delight your gastronomic senses. Whether baked, broiled, grilled or fried, this mild-flavored fish always delivers a gratifying culinary experience and is also a very healthy food source. Four ounces of uncooked red snapper contain just 110 calories, merely one gram of fat, only 45 grams of cholesterol and no saturated fat. Red snapper is equal in protein to shrimp (23 grams) and also contains calcium and iron.
Chef Allen Susser of Chef Allen’s in Miami features fresh Florida red snapper in his signature entree combining it with Florida sapodillas and limes. Sapodillas, a tropical fruit native to Mexico and Central America, are grown in Florida and harvested February to June. Sapodillas have a light to dark brown juicy flesh with a sweet flavor that adds the tropical twist to Chef Allen’s Florida Red Snapper creation.
Sapodilla Florida Red Snapper with Pecan Butter
Chef Allen Susser
Chef Allen’s, Miami
1/2 cup flour
2 teaspoons hot paprika
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
3 tablespoons peanut oil
1/2 cup milk
4 6-ounce Florida red snapper filets
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup pecans, chopped
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1 pinch kosher salt
2 large Florida sapodillas, peeled, seeded and sliced
2 tablespoons Florida lime juice, freshly squeezed
2 tablespoons fresh Florida cilantro, chopped
To Prepare the Snapper: In a large bowl, stir together the flour, paprika, thyme and salt.
Heat the oil in a large skillet, over medium heat until hot, not smoking. Dip fish fillets in
milk, than in flour mixture. Cook in hot oil until golden browned, about 3 minutes. Turn fish
over and brown the other side about 3 more minutes. Remove to a platter and keep warm.
To Prepare the Sapodilla sauce: In a small pan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add pecans,
nutmeg and pinch of salt. Cook, stirring pecans until slightly browned. Add the sapodilla
stirring another minute or just until heated through. Remove from heat and stir in lime juice
and cilantro.
To Finish the Snapper: Place the snapper on an oversized colorful dish. Spoon some sauce over
each and serve immediately.
Serves 4
Nutritional Value Per Serving
Calories 468, Calories From Fat 190, Total Fat 21g, Saturated Fat 4g, Trans Fatty Acid .02,
Cholesterol 65mg, Total Carbohydrates 31g, Protein 39g, Omega 3 Fatty Acid 0.64g
Yellowtail Snapper
Yellowtail snapper’s name is descriptive in itself but the scientific name of the yellowtail snapper roughly translates to "swift-swimming golden fish." Characterized by a prominent lateral yellow stripe running from snout to tail, this snapper is considered by culinary experts to be one of the tastiest fish harvested fresh from Florida waters. This delicate, nutritious fish can be compared in texture and flavor to its cousin, the Florida red snapper and can be seasoned and cooked in a variety of ways.
Chef Dan Drayer is a Florida seafood aficionado who spotlights local Florida seafood prepared with a blend of Pan-Asian, Cajun, Pacific Rim, and Floribean flare. His restaurant, Moonfish, in Orlando features a fish-fusion cuisine with a unique selection of fish and shellfish from the world’s oceans. Chef Dan’s Pan Roasted Florida Yellowtail Snapper with Baby Spinach and Mustard Shallot Vinaigrette is a savory example and always a patron favorite.
Pan Roasted Florida Yellowtail Snapper with Baby Spinach,
Endive and Mustard Shallot Vinaigrette
Chef Dan Drayer
Moonfish
Orlando, Florida
Yellowtail Snapper
2 12-ounce fillets Florida yellowtail snapper
kosher salt to taste
coarse grind black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter, unsalted
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 yellow Florida beefsteak tomatoes, halved & seeded
4 red Florida beefsteak tomatoes, halved & seeded
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 ounces baby spinach
2 ounces Belgian endive
1/2 cup mustard – shallot vinaigrette (recipe below)
1 tablespoon fresh sweet Florida basil, julienne
Preparation of Yellowtail Snapper: Season fillets with kosher salt and black pepper. Place
ovenproof sauté pan over medium high heat, add butter and olive oil. Place fish in pan with
skin side down and cook fish until skin is golden brown and crispy – about 3 – 4 minutes. Turn
fish over, place in 350 degree oven and cook until fish is no longer translucent – approximately
4 -6 minutes. Do not overcook. Brush tomato halves with olive oil and grill 5 to 10 minutes cut
side down on low flame on a stovetop grill pan. Salt and pepper to taste. Sauté spinach and
endive in olive oil for 2-3 minutes until wilted. Place grilled tomatoes on entree plate, top
with sauté of spinach and endive. Place fish leaning on top of spinach, drizzle with mustard
shallot vinaigrette and garnish with basil julienne.
Serves 4
Nutritional Value Per Serving
Calories 470, Calories From Fat 266, Total Fat 30g, Saturated Fat 30g, Trans Fatty Acid 0,
Cholesterol 63mg, Total Carbohydrates 7g, Protein 34g, Omega 3 Fatty Acid 1.85g
Mustard Shallot Vinaigrette
1/2 cup whole grain mustard
1/4 cup shallots
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 1/2 cups olive oil
kosher salt
black pepper, coarse grind
Preparation of Mustard Shallot Vinaigrette: Combine first three ingredients in small mixing bowl.
Whisk in olive oil until thoroughly blended and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Oysters
Florida’s renowned Apalachicola Bay oysters are heralded by chefs worldwide for their mellow flavor, plumpness and balanced saltiness. Whether served au naturel on the half-shell or elaborately prepared in a delicate entree, oysters never cease to delight the senses. Perhaps more than any other shellfish, these humble creatures of the flats have graced hundreds of gourmet restaurants and filled pages of cookbooks and family recipes worldwide. Traditionally, oysters are named by the bay, region or town where they are grown. Apalachicola Bay, with its warm shallow water fed by the fresh water of the Apalachicola River, provides an excellent environment for oysters.
Oysters are a nutritious as well as succulent culinary delicacy. They are a low-calorie, low-cholesterol source of protein; an exceptional source of zinc, a mineral associated with strengthening the immune system; a prime source of omega-3, a fatty-acid linked to lowering the risk of heart attack, breast cancer, prostate cancer, and of stroke. Oysters can be fried, baked, steamed, broiled or microwaved and served as appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, salads or stews. When selecting fresh-shucked oysters, you should check for a clean, sea breeze aroma and a clear or slightly milky, light gray liquid called liquor.
Wine-Baked Florida Oysters with Florida Blue Crab
36 Florida Apalachicola Bay oysters, in the shell
1 pound Florida blue crabmeat, lump
1/4 cup Florida onions, chopped fine
2 tablespoons white wine or sherry
10 ounces low-fat Swiss cheese, grated
Wash oysters thoroughly. Shuck and place oysters on deep half of shell removing any remaining
particles of shell. Arrange oysters on baking sheet and set aside. Combine crabmeat with
remaining ingredients; mix well. Top each oyster with 1 teaspoon of mixture and bake in a
preheated oven at 450 degrees F for 10 minutes or until edges of oysters begin to curl.
Serves 6
Nutritional Value Per Serving
Calories 210, Calories From Fat 25, Total Fat 3g, Saturated Fat 0.5g, Trans Fatty Acid 0,
Cholesterol 120mg, Total Carbohydrates 8g, Protein 33g, Omega 3 Fatty Acid 0g
Note: People with compromised immune systems (those with liver disease, diabetes, cancer, other immune deficiencies, and chronic ailments) are at high-risk and should avoid consumption of raw oysters unless they have been treated with one of the post-harvest treatments that have been developed to reduce the bacteria, Vibrio vulnificus, to non-detectable levels. They can, however, consume thoroughly cooked oysters.
Spiny Lobster
Floridians and visitors alike have an ongoing love affair with Florida’s spiny lobster. Nothing says “Florida vacation” like a steaming broiled crab-stuffed Florida spiny lobster served with a baked potato, coleslaw and a slice of Key Lime pie. The memory of the first taste of that sweet, succulent lobster meat drenched in melted butter is one that always lasts, always lingers and is never quite forgotten.
Florida’s spiny lobster is caught off the Florida Keys and around the southern tip of Florida from the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. Unlike the northeast lobster, the spiny lobster does not have claws and is characterized by the numerous spines on its body and two large hooked horns over the eyes. The shell on the body and tail has a mottled coloring of yellow, brown, orange or blue that turns a bright red-orange color when the lobster is cooked.
Raw lobster, referred to as “green” lobster, can be boiled, steamed, grilled, deep-fried or broiled. Available as whole lobster, tail only, split tails or meat only, lobster is sold fresh or frozen, raw or cooked. The meat can be removed from the shell and used in a variety of recipes. Chef Travis Summers, Executive Chef at the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, features Florida lobster and Florida blue crab in this recipe that brings back that “Florida vacation” feeling.
Grilled Florida Spiny Lobster Tail with a Chanterelle Blue Crab Sauté,
Arugula
Mango Salad and Truffle Vinaigrette
Chef Travis Summers
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Tallahassee, Florida
Spiny Lobster
2 8-ounce Florida spiny lobster tails
salt and pepper
2 Florida limes
2 tablespoons olive oil
Heat grill to medium temperature. Cut lobster tails in half lengthwise. Season with salt and
pepper and fresh squeezed lime. Brush olive oil on the lobster tail to prevent sticking and
encourage definite grill marks. Grill until flesh is firm and shell has begun to take on a
slightly red hue. Remove meat from shell and slice into bite-size pieces. Arrange meat on
individual plates fanned around a serving of blue crab sauté and arugula mango salad. Spoon
truffle vinaigrette over lobster meat and serve.
Serves 4
Nutritional Value Per Serving
Calories 117, Calories From Fat 14, Total Fat 3g, Saturated Fat 2g, Trans Fatty Acid 0,
Cholesterol 74mg, Total Carbohydrates 5g, Protein 22g, Omega 3 Fatty Acid .43g
Chanterelle and Florida Blue Crab Sauté
1 pound chanterelle mushrooms
1 pound Florida blue crab, lump
8 asparagus spears, medium size
1/4 pound white acre peas
2 tablespoons shallots
1 medium Florida tomato
2 tablespoons extra light olive oil
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon fresh Florida lemon juice
1 teaspoon white truffle oil
salt and pepper
Wash mushrooms and pat dry. Pick and remove all shell fragments from the crabmeat; set aside.
Blanche asparagus and peas in salted water then shock them immediately in ice water until cool.
Finely dice asparagus. Finely dice shallots. Cut tomato in quarters and remove seeds, then
finely dice. Heat a large sauté pan to medium high temperature. Add olive oil and shallots,
followed by whole Chanterelle mushrooms. Cook for 1-1/2 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium temperature. Add diced asparagus and peas. Sauté one minute. Add
butter and lemon juice. Turn off heat. Stir in diced tomatoes and lump crab meat. Drizzle
with white truffle oil. Lightly sprinkle sauté mixture with salt and pepper; cool.
Serves 4
Nutritional Value Per Serving
Calories 243, Calories From Fat 35, Total Fat 4g, Saturated Fat .5g, Trans Fatty Acid 0,
Cholesterol 37mg, Total Carbohydrates 26g, Protein 21g, Omega 3 Fatty Acid .16g
Arugula and Mango Salad
1/4 pound Florida arugula
1 teaspoon extra virgin olive oil
salt and pepper
1 Florida mango, peeled and finely diced
Wash arugula and pat dry. Combine arugula, oil, salt and pepper. Toss gently. Garnish the
plated salad with diced mango.
Serves 4
Nutritional Value Per Serving
Calories 51, Calories From Fat 13, Total Fat 1g, Saturated Fat .2g, Trans Fatty Acid 0,
Cholesterol 0mg, Total Carbohydrates 10g, Protein 1g, Omega 3 Fatty Acid .08g
12 ounces grape seed oil
3 ounces Champagne vinegar
2 ounces white truffle oil
1 tablespoon shallots, minced
1 tablespoon Florida chives, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon chervil finely cut with scissors (or a very sharp knife) to prevent bruising
3 tablespoons Brunoise (finely diced) of truffle
1 tablespoons Brunoise (finely diced) of Florida tomato
salt and pepper
Combine all ingredients except salt and pepper. Wisk gently. Add salt and pepper. Let the vinaigrette rest for 30 minutes. Wisk gently and spoon over sliced lobster meat.
Serves 4
Nutritional Value Per Serving
Calories 190, Calories From Fat 188, Total Fat 21g, Saturated Fat 2g, Trans Fatty Acid 0, Cholesterol 0mg, Total Carbohydrates .7g, Protein .1g, Omega 3 Fatty Acid .04g
With such a bounty of Florida seafood treasures, you can explore an endless selection of recipes for a truly creative culinary experience year round. For more Florida seafood recipes and seafood information, go to the Bureau of Seafood and Aquaculture Marketing web site at www.FL-Seafood.com.
Note to editors: This release focuses on six of Florida’s most popular fish and shellfish accompanied by a Florida celebrity chef’s recipe for each. It is designed to be used as one article or segmented into separate articles or a series. Photos and additional recipes are available upon request.
For more information:
Barbera Turnbull
(850) 488-0163
turnbub@doacs.state.fl.us
