Dinner Party | Alaskan Harvest Seafood Blog

Menu: Obama’s Inauguration Luncheon

Okay, so word on the street is that Barack Obama’s favorite foods include pizza, chili, and pumpkin pie - further proof that he is, after all, “a man of the people.” On the healthy side, he’s into trail mix, spinach, and broccoli, which may in part explain the fit physique of the next Commander-in-Chief. So, as a cook and as a person with a thing for dinner parties, I have to ask: what do you serve one of the most eagerly anticipated Presidents-elect on his big day? Wouldn’t you know - the Inaugural Luncheon includes nothing other than seafood stew. Feel like cooking along? We’ve got the recipe, so you can celebrate January 20th in truly Presidential style. Note - this serves 10, so invite your cabinet.

Obama‘s Seafood Stew

You will need:

6 Maine lobsters (1 lb.)
20 medium sea scallops
36 large shrimp (2 lbs.), peeled, cleaned, and tail removed
10 1-oz. pieces of black cod
1/2 cup peeled, diced carrots
1/2 cup diced celery
1/2 cup thinly sliced leeks
1/2 cup cubed russet potato
kosher salt
white pepper
nutmeg
1 quart heavy cream
1 cup dry vermouth
10 5-inch puff pastry rounds (available in most freezer sections)
2-3 egg whites, beaten lightly with a splash of water
10 soup ramekins

1. In a large soup pot, boil one gallon of water. Poach the lobsters, then remove them from the water with tongs. Set aside. Poach the shrimp, and remove. Next, add the cod to the water - do this carefully, to keep it from flaking apart. Finally, remove the cod and poach the scallops.

2. Keep the water boiling, and add the vegetables, cooking them until they are tender but not mushy. The potatoes will be the best judge of doneness; do not overcook. Remove the vegetables, allowing the water to continue to boil until most of it has cooked off, creating a light stock.

3. When only a quart of liquid remains, add the vermouth and heavy cream, and allow the entire broth to reduce by half. Season it with salt, pepper, and nutmeg to taste. When the sauce will cover the back of a wooden spoon and not drain off completely, the desired thickness has been reached. Set the sauce aside to cool.

4. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Cut the seafood into bite-sized pieces, and gently fold them into the cooled sauce. Scoop this resulting mixture into the ramekins, taking care to distribute the seafood evenly and not to allow the pieces to break apart.

5. Cover each ramekin with a piece of puff pastry cut to size. Brush the tops with egg wash, and then set the dishes in the oven to bake for 8-10 minutes, or until the pastry is golden. Allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving.

Barack Obama’s inaugural menu also includes: molasses whipped sweet potatoes, winter vegetables (including asparagus - a veggie Obama claims not to be crazy about), and a cinnamon apple sponge cake (even though his children say he doesn’t enjoy sweets other than pumpkin pie). The menu was designed, after all, not according to Obama’s tastes, but to those of one of his role models: President Abraham Lincoln, who was fond of seafood, among other things. As reported in the New York Post, ”It’s always good to model yourself after a great president,” said Eric Foner, a professor of American history at Columbia University. “The proof will be in the pudding.”

For those of you who are cooking at home and don’t happen to have the “brace of American birds” on hand to roast with sour-cherry chutney - the Presidential main dish, following the seafood - try something lighter. Steam some broccoli and serve it chilled with lemon juice, a splash of nutty olive oil, and a pinch of salt as a lighter side to your stew.

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Incredible Oyster Stew

Filed under: Oyster Recipes, Seafood Recipes — Tags: Add new tag, cold weather recipe, dinner party, oyster, oyster recipe, oyster stew, oyster stew recipe, Seafood, seafood recipe, soup, soup recipe —

In my family, oyster stew is reserved for holidays: elegant, somehow “fancy” - we usually save it for Christmas Eve. Our traditional version is thin and loaded with oysters; this version is a little thicker and more hearty.

I made this stew last night for a small dinner party, and it was a lovely and relatively simple dish for a cold autumn night. The richness of the broth is full of warmth and comfort, and pairs well with a crisp salad of winter vegetables like cabbage or Brussels sprouts and spiced nuts. We served this with crusty Italian ciabbata bread and an excellent white rioja, but it would stand up to any robust white wine without too much oak.

You will need:

About 1 ½ lbs. shucked fresh oysters, with 1 cup of the liquor set aside. I like to use small to small-medium oysters; too large and they have to be bitten in half, which doesn’t work well for soups
1 ½ sticks butter
a handful of flour
4 ribs celery, thinly chopped
½ bulb garlic (6 to 8 cloves), peeled, smashed, and coarsely chopped
1 large onion, minced
½ cup finely chopped curly parsley
salt, pepper, cayenne
dash of Worcestershire sauce
3 cups milk
1 cup heavy cream

1. Pour the liquid out of the oysters and set it aside. Carefully rinse and strain the oysters to remove any bits of shell or grit.

2. Combine the oyster liquor with 1 cup of water in a large soup pot. Heat the liquid to a simmer, and then add the oysters, cooking just long enough for their edges to curl and for them to plump up – about 2 minutes. Strain the oysters from the liquid (put a bowl under a sieve) and set both aside to cool separately.

3. Return the soup pot to the heat and add the butter. Once it melts, toss in a handful of flour and whisk it around until it is completely absorbed. Cook the roux until it is golden brown, then add the chopped vegetables. Sautee in the roux until the celery and onion are very soft, about 20 minutes, stirring frequently. Some of the milk can be added to prevent things from sticking.

4. When you are nearly ready to serve, add the milk, cream, oysters, and liquor to the vegetables and stir it all together. Allow the milk to thicken – about 5 minutes.

5. Season with salt, pepper, cayenne, and Worcestershire to taste and ladle into soup bowls. Serve immediately.

I found this recipe in the November, 2008 edition of Saveur; I have adapted it somewhat – my version has bolder flavors and less cream.