Rock Shrimp, Pacific Halibut and Paella

Hey Y'all,

Happy Masters Weekend! I'm not a golfer but stories from the Masters are so much fun that even I can sit still long enough to watch parts of the tournament. How about that ball landing in a lady's shopping bag?!? We may be sneezing our heads off, but visitors to Augusta National must surely think they have walked into a horticultural paradise. Mother Nature is surely strutting her stuff this weekend.

FIN MAIL:

From Jenny:

Kathleen, the grouper we had last night was spectacular! Jackson cooked for us, pan-fried with a panko and pecan crust - YUM! Perfectly moist and sizeable filets. Thanks so much! He enjoyed his visit to your shop and meeting you. Thanks for the personal touch!!

Thanks, Jenny. Grouper is a store favorite and pan-fried with a panko/pecan crust sounds just delicious.

And from Elaine:

I stopped by the store to pick up my crab meat today. I also got two beautiful pieces of halibut, I seared it in butter with lemon juice and capers and served it over sweet corn risotto! It was amazing!! 

Thanks for continuing to bring us the best fish ever!!

Thanks, Elaine, for the nice note. We do have the best fish but it also helps to be an awesome cook!

Casey was the first to order our new Catch Coastal Boil so I asked for as much feedback as possible to be sure that it was as good as I hoped it would be. Turns out the only issues they had were that we included too much cocktail sauce (!), the corn on the cob could be cut in half, and the bread was overdone based on my heating instructions.

We loved the boil. The balance of ingredients was excellent. We thought it would be good for the corn to be cut in half but the amount of corn and potatoes was great for the expected head count... The corn was excellent, potatoes cooked perfectly…so good!

Thank you Casey! Your comments were duly noted and we will make the adjustments you suggested!

I include these nice comments in my emails to you occasionally to remind you of what you are missing in case you haven't been in our store in a while. We still have the BEST seafood in town and if it's been a while since we've seen you, what are you waiting for?

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This Week's Special Pacific Halibut 6 oz. $19.95 each

Weekend Special! Rock Shrimp! $24.95/lb. Speaking of the Masters, I believe rock shrimp is on the menu in Augusta this weekend. Fresh from the northeastern coast of Florida, delicious rock shrimp are available at the Catch too! Known for their similarity to lobster in flavor, rock shrimp are a premium, specialty delicacy. Like Royal Reds, these delicious shrimp cook quickly! Rock shrimp have a very hard shell (hence the name). The hard shell and their flavor are why they are called mini-lobsters.

Here's a recipe:

Nobu's Rock Shrimp Tempura with Creamy Spicy Sauce

Serves 4 to 6

Creamy Spicy Sauce

1 egg yolk

½ teaspoon sea salt

½ teaspoon white pepper

1 teaspoon rice vinegar

100ml grapeseed oil, or other mildly flavoured oil

2 teaspoons chilli garlic sauce (Toban Djan)

Tempura Batter

1 egg yolk

200ml iced water

100g all-purpose flour

1.5lbs peeled and deveined rock shrimp

Yuzu juice or lemon juice

Vegetable oil for deep frying 

METHOD

Start by making the sauce. Whisk together the egg yolk, salt, pepper and vinegar, then very gradually whisk in the grapeseed oil. Start with just a few drops to create an emulsion, then increase the amount of oil, whisking all the while. Once all the oil has been added and your sauce is nice and thick, stir through the chili garlic sauce.  

Whisk all the batter ingredients together and combine well.

Heat around 5 inches of vegetable oil in a pan suitable for deep frying until it reaches 180°C or 355°F. Working in batches of 2-3 small handfuls, coat the shrimp in the tempura batter and gently drop into the hot oil, frying for a few minutes until golden. Remove the shrimp from the oil and place onto a paper towel-covered tray to drain. Repeat the process until all the shrimp is cooked.

Transfer the fried shrimp to a large bowl, pour over the sauce and toss to coat. Finish with a splash of yuzu or lemon juice and garnish with chopped chives.

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Paella

 Bo made Paella last week. Apparently, like everything Bo makes, this turned out perfectly.

From Bo: I added 6 or 7 clams and 1 amberjack fillet which I sliced into thin pieces and put around the edge of the pan. It was a great addition! I lightly salted them before putting them in.

Click Here for Bo's Paella Recipe!

On the Lookout

My search for Yellow Lake Perch is on hold until May. If you are interested in any, go ahead and get in touch and I will put you on the list to contact as soon as it is available.

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 In Our Cases

Rock Shrimp Polynesian Marinated Salmon Sable Amberjack Whole Branzino Swordfish Yellowfin Tuna Red Snapper Rainbow Trout Steelhead Trout Atlantic Salmon by Verlasso Mahi Sea Scallops Fluke Flounder Corvina  Ora King Salmon Monkfish Red Grouper Chilean Seabass

Chilean Sea Bass Striped Bass Wild Georgia Shrimp Swell Oysters Blue Point Oysters Savage Blonde Oysters Mookiemoto Oysters James River Oysters Beausoleil Oysters Littleneck Clams Black Mussels Crab Fingers Kaluga Caviar Golden Osetra Caviar Classic Osetra Caviar Salmon Roe Siberian Sevruga Siberian Beluga

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FREE Wine Tasting On Saturday, 3:00-5:00 pm!

Come see us this weekend for our free wine tasting on Saturday afternoon from 3:00-5:00. This weekend we're sampling a pair of my favorite reds and another new white that people have been asking me to bring in.

Easton Amador County Zinfandel, 2018 - $27.99

Sierra Foothills, CA

Wine Enthusiast Rating- 92

Pure, polished and deep, this excellent wine starts with a wild-sage and chaparral aroma, then pours on concentrated raspberry and blackberry flavors, accented with a hint of cocoa. — Jim Gordon

Pedroncelli Mother Clone Zinfandel, 2022 - $23.49

Wine Spectator Rating - 92

Home Ranch Vineyard, Dry Creek Valley, CA

91% Zinfandel, 9% Petite Sirah

Tasting Notes-Our Mother Clone is a classic Dry Creek Zinfandel with aromas of ripe red berries with a touch of cinnamon and white pepper. Jammy berry and cherry flavors combine with vanilla, licorice and baking spice. The dynamic berry-spice combination brings together round tannins and a zesty finish which are a hallmark of our style. Enjoy now or cellar for three to five years.

Benito Santos, 2024 'Saiar' Albarino - $28.29

Rias Braxias, Spain

Benito Santos is a central figure in the modern history of Albariño and the Rías Baixas D.O. He began working in his grandfather's vineyards in the 1930s and made wine for serving in his bar - wines that repeatedly won prizes in the annual Fiesta de Albariño in Cambados. He was instrumental in the creation of the Rías Baixas D.O. in the 1980s. All of the vineyards are now certified organic - a rarity in rainy, mildew-prone Rías Baixas - and winemaking uses only native yeasts and minimal sulfur. Benito Santos wines are salty, mineral, and structured, with ample fruit but none of the overly tropical flavors of many industrially-produced Albariños.

And Finally, 

15 years after his older brother was born, Moses Alexander Waterman arrived Easter Sunday.

Blessings,

Kathleen