So, here is Illinois, we are obviously land locked. However, that does not mean that we cannot have and make some amazing seafood! We are so lucky today to be able to get wonderful, fresh seafood anywhere in the country. Now that the weather is warming up it is awesome to eat lighter and fresher than ever! Seafood is a great way to do that. Also, right now, you may not be able to get to your Summer vacation because of what is happening in the world. It’s ok, you can bring the sea and the seafood to your backyard!

These are three of my favorite Summer seafood dishes. The first one is a classic mussels dish which is perfect for any Summer dinner or light lunch with a great salad and some crusty bread. The second dish is a seafood boil! This is the beach in your backyard for sure! This is great for a week night, weekend or Summer gathering dish that everyone will love! Lastly, we have a classic Lobster roll. This is an east coast classic and is just sooooo Summer!

What do you need to know when buying and cooking Mussels?

When you are buying fresh Mussels,(all shellfish or fish really) they should smell fresh like the ocean or sea air. They should not smell fishy at all. You only want to cook live shellfish, which means that they are closed. If you get any open shells prior to cooking, give them a little tap on the counter and give them a few seconds to close. Any that do not close, discard them. Should you get any Mussels that are chipped or cracked, discard those as well. Prime Mussel season is October-May, however, I love me a giant bowl of Mussels with crusty bread and a garlicky white wine sauce on a hot Summer day! After you cook your Mussels, if you have any that did not open while cooking, discard those as well.

What is in a Seafood Boil?

Well, it depends on who you ask. An East coast boil is going to be a lobster boil. A Louisiana boil is going to be a crawfish boil. Then there are shrimp boils. This is mostly a low country boil, which is from the South. I love it because it has my favorites all together. This has shrimp, crab legs, corn and potatoes. It is great for a beach dinner or back yard BBQ for the family or friends. There is something for everyone and the seafood flavors the potatoes and the corn amazingly.

Key to making an awesome Lobster roll

You need three main things to make an amazing lobster roll. First and foremost, you need fresh lobster. I like to use whole Maine lobster for this. You steam them and remove the meat. You need top split hot dog buns. If you have a local bakery that makes these, use those! You can also make your own, they are not that hard to do. Last, but not least, you need to use good mayo,(homemade is best for this), don’t use too much. Fresh crunchy veggies. You need the crunch and texture to make this great!

Chef’s Tip-Whenever you are buying seafood, buy it from a reputable store or vendor. Always smell it and use your nose for your guide. If it smells off, it is! Use sustainable seafood and buy from responsible vendors. When cooking seafood or shellfish, don’t cover it up. Let the flavors you add to the shellfish or the seafood compliment it, not over power it.

Spicy White Wine Mussels

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Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American, French

Ingredients

3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 Spanish onion thinly sliced
4 large garlic cloves chopped
1 small fennel bulb cut the white part into thin slices and saved the fronds for garnish
1 teaspoon dried crushed red pepper
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt plus more for seasoning
1 cup dry white wine
2 lemons sliced into 1/4 thick slices
1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 1/2 pounds fresh mussels scrubbed, debearded
1/2 cup chopped/crushed tomatoes seeds drained
8 slices crusty Italian bread sliced 1/2-inch thick
Olive oil

Instructions

Heat grill to high.
Heat oil in heavy large pot on the grates of the grill. Add the onion and cook until soft. Add the garlic and fennel, crushed red pepper and salt and cook for 3-5 minutes.
Add wine, lemon slices, and 1/4 cup parsley; bring to boil. Add mussels and tomatoes. Cover pot and cook until mussel shells open, stirring once, about 6 minutes; discard any mussels that do not open. Using slotted spoon, transfer mussels to large shallow bowl. Boil broth in pot until reduced to 1 cup, about 3 minutes; season, to taste, with pepper. Pour broth over mussels. Sprinkle with remaining parsley and fronds.
Brush bread on both sides with oil and season with salt. Grill until golden brown on both sides. Serve mussels with bread for dipping.

Keyword Mussels, Seafood

Low Country Boil

This is a super fun dish to make when you are having some friends over on a hot Summer evening. It pairs really well with some ice cold beer or chilled white or rose' wine.

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Course Main Course

Cuisine American

Ingredients

A few tablespoons seafood seasoning such as Old Bay, to taste
3 pounds new potatoes
Two 16-ounce packages andouille sausage cut into 1-inch pieces
8 ears fresh corn shucked and cut into halves or thirds
4 pounds frozen king or snow crab legs
4 pounds fresh shrimp shells on and deviened

Instructions

Heat a large pot of water over medium-high heat indoors or outside. Add the seafood seasoning to taste and bring to a boil. Add the potatoes and sausage and cook until the potatoes are fork-tender, about 10 minutes. Add the corn and cook until cooked, about 5 more minutes. Add the crab and cook another 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and cook until they turn pink, another 3 or 4 minutes.

Keyword Seafood boil, Southern Cooking, Summer Seafood

Lobster Rolls

These are the perfect Summer sandwich. I have also made these as sliders for parties and they are perfect!

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Course dinner, Main Course

Cuisine American

Ingredients

Two 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 pound lobsters boiled or steamed
3-4 tablespoons good mayonnaise
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
freshly-squeezed lemon juice
Kosher salt and freshly-ground black pepper
4 leaves lettuce
4 to p-split flat-sided hotdog buns "New England" style
2 tablespoons unsalted butter softened

Instructions

Steam or boil your lobsters. Remove tail, knuckle, and claw meat from the lobsters and cut into 1/2-inch chunks. You should have about 1 pound of lobster meat. Refrigerate until chilled.
Drain lobster meat, discarding any liquid. Gently toss lobster with 3 tablespoons mayonnaise and celery (if using). The lobster should be coated, but not weighed down by the mayonnaise. Add an additional tablespoon of mayonnaise, if needed.
Taste the lobster salad. Some brands of mayo have more tang than others. If the salad needs more brightness, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. Season to taste with salt (if needed) and pepper.
Cover the lobster salad and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to 6-8 hours.
When ready to serve, preheat a griddle over medium heat. Butter the sides of the hotdog buns and grill 1-2 minutes on each side, until toasted.
Place a leaf of lettuce (if using) into each griddled hotdog bun and mound each with 1/4 of the lobster salad.