Ocean girl that I am, I love seafood!
This is my “go to” recipe for a warm winter meal for my family — or for a sunset patio party with friends.
This is two different recipes — Seafood Stew and Cheddar Bay Biscuits, so please look at ALL of the ingredients for both before you begin cooking!
Also, I have made this in smaller portions for my book club. Next time I do that again, I will post a photograph!
Seafood Stew Ingredients:
2 sticks of butter (not margarine)
1 half gallon of half-and-half
1 lb. of fingerling potatoes, cut into bite-sized pieces
4 slices of raw bacon, cut up into 1″ pieces
2 medium peeled and diced white or yellow onions
2 cups frozen corn niblets
1 pint shucked oysters, undrained
2 cans of minced clams, undrained
1 pound medium-sized fresh shrimp
1 pound fresh sea scallops
1 pound fresh cod cut up into 1″ cubes
Salt and Pepper to taste
Seafood Stew Directions:
Boil potatoes on the stovetop.
Drain and stir in 1 stick of butter, cut in pieces.
Melt the other stick of butter in large stew pot over low heat.
As butter melts, add in onions and then bacon; caramelize both.
Add the potatoes to the large pot of onions and bacon.
Simmer for ten minutes.
Add in half gallon of half-and-half and allow stock to warm up til it’s steaming hot. Do not allow stock to boil.
Preheat the oven to 400F for the biscuits.
Reduce heat and add in oysters and clams with their natural juices into the stock.
Add shrimp, scallops and cod. Allow stock to warm, for perhaps 10 minutes.
Add corn, salt, and pepper.
Turn heat up to medium, stirring occasionally, heating until hot but not boiling.
Turn heat off and allow stew to cool for 20 minutes.
While the stew is cooling, whip up these easy biscuits. You know for sure that if a major seafood chain restaurant serves these with every meal, they have to be good with seafood. If you can purchase the boxed mix at your local store, then go ahead and do that. But here’s the recipe if you want to make it from scratch. It’s easy and fast!
Cheddar Bay Biscuit Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons sugar
A pinch or two of salt
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon Creole or Cajun Seasoning (optional)
4 ounces unsalted butter – melted
1 cup whole milk
1 cup grated mild cheddar cheese
1 teaspoon dried parsley
4 Tablespoons butter
Cheddar Bay Biscuit Directions:
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Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
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In a large mixing bowl combine the dry ingredients: flour, sugar, salt, garlic powder, baking powder and the Creole or Cajun Seasoning.
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Gently stir the melted butter and the milk into the dry ingredient mixture until all is moistened and holds together (like a ball). Add the cheese and fold in with a spoon.
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Scoop the dough with a cookie scoop and drop two inches apart on cookie sheet.
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Space them out equally across your prepared baking sheet and bake for about 10-12 minutes
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While the biscuits are baking, combine the remaining butter in small mixing bowl. Microwave 20-30 seconds. Add parsley. Mix well.When the biscuits are done, brush the butter-parsley mixture on top.
As I said, I have made this for my book club. We usually do “little plate” or tapas-style food. I just ladled to stew into mini ramekins and made mini-biscuits (baking them for slightly less time).