Yes, You Can

Written by Bakersfield Magazine

Believe it or not, there are still some people who are afraid to attempt cooking seafood at home. Maybe they’ve never been good at finding that magic minute; that minute the seafood is cooked all the way through, but not yet overcooked (rubbery shrimp comes to mind)

Or, maybe, they’ve just never found a recipe that inspires them to try something out of the ordinary—something flavorful and fresh. Well, those of you who fall into the latter category are in luck. Created by June Boerger, owner of The Orchid, and her talented chefs, this super-quick recipe is the perfect way to join the seafood-cookin’ club. One bite and you’ll be “hooked,” so to speak.

And for those of you who fall into the former category, we say, keep practicin’.

Seafood Salad

• 1 lb. mussels
• 1/2 lb. scallops
• 1/2 lb. prawns
• 1/2 lb. calamari

Dressing

• 1 tsp. sugar
• 2 tbsp. olive oil
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 2 tbsp. fish sauce
• 4 plum tomatoes, diced
• 1 small red onion, sliced
• 4 Serrano chiles, sliced
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Salad Base

• 1 lb. spring mix

Start by charbroiling (grilling) all the seafood. With a very hot grill, the prawns, calamari, scallops, and mussels won’t need much time at all to cook before they’re done (about three to four minutes a side).

Next, mix the salad dressing ingredients together in a large bowl. Then, make a bed of spring mix on each plate. Add the grilled seafood to the salad dressing and toss so each piece is coated well. Finally, top each plate of salad with the dressed seafood. Serves 4.

Article appeared in our 28-1 Issue - April 2011