A New England Seafood Thanksgiving
For Thanksgiving this year, we decided to do something non-traditional. We are hosting a New England Seafood Thanksgiving Dinner! My brother and his wife are traveling from Maine and providing a lot of the fresh seafood and I’ll be sourcing as much local Connecticut stuff as possible. Here are the recipes for all the dishes I’ll be cooking as well as my list of favorite places to source ingredients! All the recipes serve about 8 people.
Sourcing:
Seafood:
We are super lucky that my brother and his wife live in Maine, one of the best places to source seafood. They will be providing the seafood for our Thanksgiving feast. However, here is a list of other places I often get fresh seafood from.
Local CT Friends:
Tilden Seafood (Litchfield, CT)
West Shore Seafood (Bantam, CT)
Tony’s & Sons (Oakville, CT)
Another great place to get seafood from is Fulton Fish Market online. They ship nationwide and have an amazing selection of the freshest stuff.
Produce:
Locally, I love sourcing from our farms and markets. I always find great stuff at the Litchfield Farmer’s Market and love our CSA at Vibrant Farm. They have a year round CSA where you can pick up on site at the farm, at the market and also select exactly what you want. They also have an incredible selection of microgreens and edible flowers. I also shop at The Farm & New Morning Market in Woodbury for great local produce.
Cheeses:
My favorite local places to shop for cheeses are:
New Morning Market (Woodbury, CT)
The Dutch Epicure (Litchfield, CT)
Arethusa Farm (Bantam, CT)
Pies:
I love getting pies from March Farm in Bethlehem, CT. We will also be trying some pies from Dottie’s this year and my brother is bringing some from the famous Scratch Bakery in South Portland, ME.
Menu:
Appetizers:
Fall Harvest Cheese & Crudités Platter
Featuring Local Cheeses & Vegetables
Oven Baked Scallops with Red Miso & Ginger Butter
Ingredients:
For the Scallops:
16 sea scallops
1 stick of unsalted butter at room temperature
2 tablespoons red miso paste
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and grated
For Garnish:
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and finely chopped
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Juice from 1 lime
1 teaspoon lime zest
Chives, finely chopped for garnish
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. In a bowl, combine butter, miso paste and ginger. Mix well.
Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and place scallops on top with some space in between each. Spoon a small amount of the butter mixture on top of each scallop until all of it is used. Bake for 5 minutes.
While scallops are baking, combine apple, vinegar, lime juice and zest in a bowl and mix.
Remove scallops from the oven and serve on a platter topped with the apple slaw and chives.
Shrimp & Pumpkin Bruschetta
Ingredients:
16 shrimp, peeled, deveined and cooked with tails removed (you can start with fresh or frozen. My preferred cooking method is to boil mine in salt water until they turn pink)
1 cup canned pumpkin
½ cup diced red onion
1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese
Juice from 1 lemon
1/2 cup toasted pepitas
Baguette style french bread for toasting (16 slices about 3/4 inch thick)
1 cup microgreens
Honey
Olive oil
Sea salt
Directions:
In a large bowl, combine pumpkin, onion, goat cheese, lemon juice & pepitas. Mix well. Toast pieces of french bread until golden brown.
Spread pumpkin mixture on top of each piece of toasted bread with a silicone spatula. Add a piece of shrimp on each. Top with microgreens and a drizzle of honey, olive oil & sea salt. Serve and enjoy!
Soup:
Maine Lobster Bisque
Ingredients:
3 whole live lobsters (about 1 - 1.5 lb. each)
6 cups lobster stock (recipe below)
3 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 large yellow onion, finely chopped
4 carrots, finely chopped
4 celery stalks, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh thyme, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped
2 teaspoons chicken bouillon powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
4 tablespoons tomato paste
4 tablespoons flour
Salt & pepper to taste
1 cup sherry
1.5 cups heavy cream
Additional minced garlic & butter to toss with lobster meat
Minced chives for serving
Directions:
Fill a large pot with 6 cups water. Sprinkle in some salt and bring to a boil. Add lobsters and cover with lid. Let boil until bright red (takes between 12-18 minutes depending on size of the lobsters)
Remove lobsters, reserving the liquid in the pot. Allow lobsters to cool slightly and remove meat from the shells with scissors and a cracker.
Return lobster tail and claw shells back into the water in the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and let simmer for another 20 minutes to draw out as much flavor as possible from the shells, creating your stock. While stock is cooking, cut lobster meat into small pieces and place in the fridge.
For the bisque, in a large pot or Dutch oven, cook onion, carrots, celery and garlic with butter and oil on medium heat for 5 minutes. Add herbs, bouillon powder, cayenne and tomato paste. Stir until vegetables are evenly coated with paste. Season with salt & pepper. Sprinkle flour over the mixture and continue to stir for 3 minutes.
Add in sherry and lower heat to a simmer. Allow mixture to reduce for about 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in lobster stock and continue simmering for 30 minutes.
Remove from heat and use immersion or regular blender in batches and blend until bisque is silky smooth. Return to large pot or Dutch oven and heat on medium while stirring in heavy cream.
Reheat lobster meat in a saucepan with a little garlic and butter for a minute. Serve bisque in small bowls topped with lobster meat, chives and additional cracked pepper. Enjoy!
SALAD:
Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad with Pomegranate Seeds & Roasted Pistachios
Ingredients:
For the Salad:
2 lbs. Brussels sprouts
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds
1 cup roasted pistachios
1 cup shaved Parmesan cheese
For the Dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
Juice from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons maple syrup
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
1 small shallot, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Pepper to taste
Directions:
Shave brussels sprouts very thinly using either a food processor with the shredding attachment, a mandolin or a sharp knife. You can sometimes find them already shredded at the store. Place in large bowl and add pomegranate seeds, pistachios & parmesan.
Whisk all dressing ingredients together in a small bowl and pour over salad. Toss well and serve.
Entrée:
Maple Pecan Crusted Salmon
Ingredients:
3 lb. salmon fillet
3 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Sprinkle of salt & pepper
2 tablespoons stone ground mustard
1 cup raw pecans, finely chopped (or chopped in a food processor)
Directions:
In a small saucepan, melt butter on medium heat. Stir in maple syrup, Worcestershire sauce, salt & pepper and remove from heat. Allow mixture to cool. Place salmon fillets in a ziplock bag with butter maple mixture and refrigerate for 1 hour.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Remove salmon fillets from fridge and place on a baking sheet lined with foil. Season top of salmon with salt & pepper. Brush mustard on fillets and spoon chopped pecans on top, pressing down so they adhere to the fish.
Bake salmon for 20 minutes until salmon is cooked through and pecans are golden.
Sides:
Lump Crab Meat Stuffing with Old Bay Seasoning
Ingredients:
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 small yellow onions, chopped
1/2 cup butter
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh sage, finely chopped
1 teaspoon poultry seasoning
6 cups day old bread cut into cubes
2 eggs, beaten
1.5 cups chicken broth
1 lb. lump crab meat
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
Salt & pepper
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a skillet, sauté celery and onion in butter for 5 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl. Add herbs, poultry seasoning and bread and mix well. Allow mixture to cool. Add eggs, broth, crab meat, old bay seasoning and salt & pepper. Mix well.
Transfer to a greased baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 10-15 minutes until golden brown.
Lobster Mac & Cheese
Ingredients:
4 cups whole milk
1 stick unsalted butter cut in half (half will be used for the roux, and half for the breadcrumbs at the end)
1/2 cup flour
1 lb. your favorite pasta, cooked. Big, chunky ones like elbow macaroni, rigatoni or cavatappi work well
6 cups shredded cheese (I like to use a combo of sharp cheddar & Gruyere)
1 lb. cooked lobster meat cut into small pieces
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt & pepper to taste
Canola olive oil (to coat the pan)
2/3 cup Italian style seasoned bread crumbs
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Start by making a roux with milk, 1/2 the butter and flour. Warm milk on medium heat in a small saucepan. In a large pot, melt 1/2 stick of butter and add flour in slowly, stirring with a whisk constantly. Slowly add warm milk while continuing to stir until mixture thickens up. Remove from heat.
In the large pot, add cheese, cooked pasta, nutmeg and season with salt & pepper to taste. Stir in cooked lobster meat. Spoon mixture in a large baking dish coated lightly with canola oil. Melt the other 1/2 stick of butter in a saucepan and add breadcrumbs until they are mixed well together.
Spoon breadcrumb mixture on top of pasta in the baking dish. Bake for 30 minutes until the breadcrumbs are browned.
Acorn & Butternut Squash Mashed Potatoes with Ricotta, Honey & Sage
Ingredients:
1 acorn squash, cut in half with seeds scooped out
4 cups butternut squash peeled and cut into chunks
2 whole cloves of garlic, peeled
Olive oil
Salt & pepper
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon pure maple syrup
1/2 cup whole milk
1 cup ricotta cheese
6 fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped
Honey
Directions:
Heat oven to 400 degrees F. On a baking sheet lined with foil, place acorn squash, butternut squash pieces and garlic cloves. Season everything with salt & pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Roast for 30 minutes until soft and tender. Scoop out acorn squash and place chunks of butternut squash and garlic into a large bowl.
Add butter, milk, maple syrup and additional salt & pepper if needed. Use a masher, hand mixer or immersion blender to blend until smooth. Serve in a large bowl topped with ricotta cheese, sage leaves and a drizzle of honey. Sprinkle additional salt on top before serving.