All the best flavors from the sea, lobster, shrimp and scallops cooked in a rich and slightly spicy tomato sauce
We are just back from a well earned, though certainly not long enough, vacation in Maine
This was our first time in Maine and all I can tell you is it was fantastic. The views, the beaches, the trails… I could go on and on
Like almost everyone, I love beaches, but to visit a beach that also has cliffs, grottoes, islands and pine trees just seems to add to the majestic beauty
Now let’s talk about our favorite subject on this blog
Eating!
Well, as they say, when in Maine eat lobsters and we did as much as we could. We even brought some home!
Even though all the lobsters we ate were great, our favorite lobster dinner was from this one restaurant we visited. It had such an amazing view!
Imagine seeing this while enjoying a delicious meal
Their lobster dish inspired this recipe, so I hope you will join us on our vacation and enjoy this as much as we did!
We are starting with the claws and tails of 2 whole steamed lobsters, 1 pound of peeled and deveined shrimp and about 1/2 pound of large sea scallops
We are going to approach this dish in steps, so let’s start with the lobster
We actually had these steamed in Maine, packed on ice and we brought them home
I pulled the meat from the claws but left the tails with the shell on
I cut these in half
Set the lobster aside and lets work on the shrimp
We are going to season these with 1/2 teaspoon each of kosher salt, ground black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and 1 tablespoon of paprika
Mix the seasonings and shrimp together and set aside
Now for some scallops
Not much needed here, just a sprinkle of kosher salt and ground black pepper, then set aside
Now let’s start with the base for a great Fra Diavolo sauce
What is fra diavolo sauce?
Fra diavolo is Italian for “From the Devil”. This spicy sauce is most commonly served with pasta or seafood. Most versions are tomato-based and use crushed red pepper flakes for spice
We started off with 1 onion, 1 carrot, 1 celery stalk, 3 garlic cloves, 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt and ground black pepper, 1/2 to 1 whole teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes (based on your tolerance) and 2 bay leaves
Peel the onion, carrot and garlic and give everybody a chop
Chope the celery as well
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat
Add in the crushed red pepper and bay leaves and cook 2-3 minutes until they start to release their fragrance
Add in the garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes
Next add in the onions, carrots and celery
Cook for around 10 minutes or until the veggies start to soften and the onions start to look translucent
Next we will need 2 cups of seafood stock (you can also use chicken or vegetable) and 28 ounces of crushed tomatoes
You can click on our link to make your own homemade Seafood Stock
Add the stock to the pan, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 6-8 minutes
Next add in the crushed tomatoes, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes to allow all the flavors to meld
While the sauce is simmering, let’s put a little crust on the scallops to add some depth of flavor
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil until it starts to smoke and sear the scallops for 1-2 minutes
Flip and cook for 1 minute then remove from the heat and set aside
Next, we will need around 2 tablespoons of butter and about a 1/4 cup of fresh parsley
Cut the butter in chunks and chop up the parsley
Add the butter to the sauce. This adds a little richness
Then add in the shrimp and cook for 2 -3 minutes or until the shrimp start to turn pink
Next, add in the lobster
Remember the lobster is already cooked, so we really just need to heat it through at this point
Toss the lobster around a bit to help heat it
Add in the seared scallops and allow them to cook around 2 minutes
Top with some fresh parsley
Can you say yum?
Now you can serve this with some form of your favorite pasta, but we think this is good enough on it’s own with some toasted bread!
Enjoy!!!
Simply Sundays! ~ Seafood Fra Diavolo
Ingredients
2 steamed lobsters
1 pound of shrimp (peeled and deveined)
1/2 pound of sea scallops
Seasoning for the Shrimp
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon of onion powder
1 tablespoon of paprika
Seasoning for the Scallops
1 sprinkle each of kosher salt and ground black pepper
For the Sauce
1 onion
1 carrot
1 celery stalk
3 garlic cloves
2 bay leaves
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon of ground black pepper
1/2 – 1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
2 cups of Seafood Stock
28 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
2 tablespoons of butter
1/4 cup of fresh parsley
3 tablespoons of olive oil
Directions
Start with the claw meat and tails of 2 steamed lobsters. Cut the tails in half and set aside Season the shrimp with 1/2 teaspoon each of kosher salt, ground black pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and 1 tablespoon of paprika, give them a mix and set aside
Sprinkle the scallops with kosher salt and ground pepper. Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil until it starts to smoke and sear the scallops for 1-2 minutes. Flip and cook for 1 minute then remove from the heat and set aside
Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add in the crushed red pepper and bay leaves and cook 2-3 minutes until they start to release their fragrance. Add in the garlic and cook another 2-3 minutes
Next add in the onions, carrots and celery. Cook for around 10 minutes or until the veggies start to soften and the onions start to look translucent. Add 2 cups of seafood stock to the pan, bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer 6-8 minutes. Then add in a 28 ounce can crushed tomatoes, bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 8-10 minutes to allow all the flavors to meld, then add in 2 tablespoons of butter and stir until incorporated
Add in the shrimp and cook for 2 -3 minutes or until the shrimp start to turn pink. Add in the lobster and toss it around a bit to help heat it, then add in the seared scallops and allow them to cook around 2 minutes. Top with some fresh parsley and serve with toasted bread
Tools used to make this recipe
© Simply Sundays 2016
All rights reserved