"Good food is the difference between living and living well."
- David Farrow
(recipes & David Farrow quote excerpted from 'The Boathouse Tales and Recipes from a Southern Kitchen')
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Shrimp Pilau
This is the Lowcountry version of a ragout or paella. Carolina Gold Rice, a native crop, is best for this homestyle dish, but basmati rice can be substituted. This dish is classic Charleston!
30 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
4 cups chicken or clam stick (canned is okay)
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups Carolina Gold Rice
3 slices apple wood smoked bacon, diced
1 large onion, 1/4-inch dice
2 celery stalks, 1/4-inch dice
1 red bellpepper, 1/4-inch dice
2 teaspoons chopped garlic, about 2 - 3 cloves
1 bay leaf
2 - 3 sprigs thyme, chopped
5 tomatoes, chopped
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
Peel shrimp, reserving the shrimp shells. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add shrimp shells and saute until they become light pink. Add the stock and bring to a simmer for about 10 mintues. Straint he stick and return the liquid to the same pan. Bring the broth to a boil and stir in rice. Cook the rice covered, until tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the rice from heat and allow to steam.
In another large skillet over medium heat, cook the bacon until slightly crispy, about 5 - 7 minutes. Add onion, celery, bell pepper and garlic, then saute for 5 minutes. Add shrimp, along with the bay leaf and thyme, then cook for 7-9 more minutes or until the shrimp are just cooked through.
Discard bay leaf. Gently stir the rice into the shrimp mixture. Remove from heat and fold in tomatoes and chopped parsley. Serve in a large bowl or dinner plate.
Southern Country Punch
Popular party punch to be sipped at the fall steeplechase.
1 cup Jack Daniel's whiskey
1 cup Triple Sec
1 cup sweet and sour mix
4 cups Sprite
Mix all the ingredients together and serve over ice.
Boathouse Red Rice
(Serves 6 as a side dish)
Lowcountry cooks worth their salt have a recipe for red rice. At the Boathouse, we are proud of our recipe that has garnered rave reviews from our customers. This is another dish that says "Lowcountry".
1/2 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil
1/4 pound applewood smoked bacon, diced
1 large onion, diced
1 each red, green and yellow bellpepper, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 jalapenos, seeded and diced
1 poblano chile, seeded and diced
2 bay leaves
3 thyme sprigs
1 cup long grain rice
2 cups peeded, seeded and chopped tomatoes (canned is okay out of season)
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup chopped parsley
In a large pot, heat the oil over medium heat and add the bacon. Cook bacon until slightly crispy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add the onion, bellpeppers, celery, jalapenos and poblano chile and continue to cook the vegetables until they are tender, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the bay leaf, thyme, rice and tomatoes. Stir the mixture so the rice is coated with all ingredients. Add the stick and bring to a slow simmer. Simmer the rice for 20 to 25 minutes, covered with a lid. Once the rice is cooked, remove from heat and leave covered for 10 minutes. Add parsley and serve.
Grilled Mahi-Mahi (Dolphin) with Boathouse Grits and Tarragon Butter (serves 6)
Mahi-Mahi is a Hawaiian term that has come into vogue as a reference to dolphin. No - it's not related to the mammals called dolphin frequenting the creeks and rivers inshore. This dolphin can be found offshore and is one of the most beautiful fish in the ocean, with an iridescent bluish green and gold body. You'll love the delicate flavor of this firm, white-meat fish.
FOR THE TARRAGON BUTTER:
4 tablespoons, chopped fresh tarragon
1/2 cupp red wine vinegar
1 cup white wine
2 shallots, minced
1/2 pound softened butter
Combine the chopped tarragon with the vinegar, white wine, and shallots, simmering until almost all the liquid has been cooked out. Set aside and allow the mixture to cool. Combine the cooled tarragon mixture with the butter and beat until light and fluffy.
FOR THE GRILLED MAHI-MAHI:
6 6-ounce mahi-mahi filets
Salt and fresh-ground black pepper
Olive oil for brushing the fish
3 cups cooked Boathouse Grits (from page 51)
Preheat the grill to medium high. Season the mahi-mahi with salt and fresh ground black pepper. Brush the fish with olive oil and then brush or wipe the grill with olive oil as well. Cook the mahi-mahi, skin side up, on the grill for 3 - 5 minutes. Turn the fish to the other side and continue cooking for another 5 minutes. Remove from grill, and cool for 1 minute. Serve the fish over grits and top with the softened tarragon butter.
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