Sautéed Herbed-Bacon Shrimp

This bacon and shrimp dish is sheer delight and a great leftover, giving everything the chance to marinate and exchange flavors. It’s perfect the morning after, tucked into an omelet. And if you are feeling adventurous, consider preparing this recipe with crabmeat, scallops, or lobster meat. It's spectacular stuffed into a halved baked potato. And if you are watching your waistband this holiday season, try this with lean turkey bacon and skip the butter altogether.

Sautéed Herbed-Bacon Shrimp
makes 4 servings

2 pounds large shrimp, shelled, deveined, and butterflied
2 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
1 teaspoon ground dried rosemary
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
5 strips bacon, cut into ½-inch cubes
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

In a large bowl, combine the shrimp, garlic, rosemary, oregano, salt, pepper, and olive oil. Toss until the ingredients are well combined. Set aside at room
temperature to marinate for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-low heat, cook the bacon until it begins to render its fat and starts to crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the bacon from the skillet, leaving the rendered fat behind. When the shrimp has finished marinating, turn the heat up to medium-high and begin sautéing the shrimp in batches of 10 or so, depending on the size of your skillet—don’t overcrowd. Stir the shrimp constantly and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer the cooked shrimp to a large bowl and continue with the next batch.

When all the shrimp are done, lower the heat to medium and carefully add the butter and lemon juice to the skillet. Quickly deglaze the skillet, scraping up the browned bits with a wooden spoon. Pour the result over the shrimp and add the bacon, tossing until the bacon and shrimp are well combined.
Serve immediately.

Scallop Cakes with Hummus: a twist on a classic

Scallop cakes or ‘scallop burgers’ are very delicate and should only be flipped once and with great care. If they should fall apart in the pan, simply push the ingredients back together. Scallop cakes can also be baked and instructions are outlined below. If you like this recipe, you can make cakes with just about any seafood.


Scallop Cakes with Hummus
Makes 4 servings

for the hummus:
½ cup your favorite hummus
1 tablespoon fresh parsley leaves, finely chopped
1 pinch chili powder, to your likening

For the scallop cake:
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoon Shallots, finely chopped
12 ounces Scallops
1 teaspoon minced Ginger (store-bought)
1 teaspoon Garlic paste
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh Chives Leaves
¼ cup crusted oyster crackers
1 egg
Optional: 4 burger buns, toasted or a wrap
1 handful of greens, divided among the 4 burgers


Prepare the hummus. In a medium bowl combine the hummus, parsley, and chili powder and mix until well combined. Set aside.

Prepare the scallop cake. In a large sauté pan over medium heat slick the pan with 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Sauté the shallots and for 7 minutes or until they soften. When the shallots are done, scrape them into a food processor. Wipe down the pan and set it back on the stove. Add the scallops, ginger, garlic, chives, oyster crackers, and egg into the food processor and pulse until a paste is formed.

When the scallop mixture starts to come together, create 4 equal burgers and fry them in 1 tablespoon of olive oil in the pan over medium low heat. Cook the burgers for 4 minutes with a lid, flipping half way through.

The burgers are done when the scallops are opaque and a golden crust is formed. Served on a toasted bun and a handful of greens or tucked in a wrap. Include a dollop of hummus.

To bake the scallop cakes instead of frying preheat the oven to 350F and bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown.

Tailgatin' Grilled Crab Pizza with Artichoke and Bacon

Tailgatin' Grilled Crab Pizza with Artichoke and Bacon is super easy to prepare and delicious hot or cold and perfect folded over like a sandwich and eaten with your hands. When grilling with crabmeat it’s important to note that it can dry out very quickly: to prevent this from happening make sure to drizzle the crabmeat with a little of the artichoke marinade. Another fun option would be to add a little ricotta cheese to the crabmeat and lightly mix it before placing it on the pizza.

Tailagatin' Grilled Crab Pizza with Artichoke and Bacon
Makes 4 servings

For the Pizza:
1 tablespoon flour, if necessary when rolling out the pizza dough
1 store-bought Pizza Dough (for an 12-inch pizza)
olive oil spray
16 ounces CrabPlace.com Crab marinara sauce (or regular store-bought marinara)

For the Toppings:
16 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese
½ pound fresh backfin crabmeat, picked through for shells
Handful of marinated artichokes quarters, sliced thin; reserve a little of the marinade to drizzle on the crabmeat
3 pieces of your favorite bacon

If you are using a charcoal grill, prepare the fire for medium high heat. If you are using a gas grill, turn it on medium high heat. Place a pizza stone on the grates leaving a little space for the bacon to cook. Make sure the grates are well-seasoned.

Prepare the pizza. On floured surface, turn out the pizza dough. Begin rolling out the dough with a floured wooden rolling pin to form a 12-inch circle or four 4-inch squares no thicker than ¼ inch. The crust should be very thin. Lightly spray the pizza pan with the olive oil spray. Transfer the rolled-out dough onto a pizza pan. Swirl the marinara sauce around the center of the pizza, leaving a ½-inch bare ring around the outside. Lightly spray the exposed crust with olive oil.

Cover the pizza with the shredded cheese, crabmeat and artichoke slices. Make sure the crabmeat is covered with a little of the artichoke liquid to prevent drying out.

Carefully place the pizza on the pizza stone and lay the bacon directly on the grates. Cook the bacon for about 4 to 5 minutes per side until it is cooked and slightly crispy. When the bacon is done remove it from the grill and chop it up and place it directly into the pizza (even if it is still cooking).

Grill the pizza for 15 minutes, or until the cheese has melted and the crust is cooked and golden brown. Depending on your grill, this cooking time may vary. When the pizza is done, remove it from the grill and serve immediately.