Florida Keys "Good Karma" Fishing

Greetings from the Florida Keys!

 

We hope everyone had a very good Christmas and are enjoying the holidays. We had amazing weather over Christmas, so Melinda & I decided to go offshore fishing. During the fishing trip we were discussing what we should name our new charter fishing boat.

 

"Good Karma"

 

Several names came up during the course of the fishing trip, however when the name “Good Karma” was tossed out as a possibility the Florida Keys fishing Gods must have liked the name, because it was fish on! We reeled in a nice blackfin tuna for dockside sushi ashing down with some beers and it was final.... “Good Karma.”

 

Have a Safe and Happy New Year!

 

Capt. Ryan

Florida Keys Living: Key West Pink Shrimp and Florida Lobster Tails Sautéed with Hot Key Lime Butter Sauce

About 80% of vacationers ask me how I cook seafood now compared to when I lived in Minneapolis, MN.

I tell them, not much has changed except that I am a much happier cook. Mainly, because I following my 8 simple rules for Florida Keys cooking:

1. Keep it simple

2. Do not be afraid to screw up.

3. Take a risk.

4. Ask for help.

5. Don’t be in a hurry.

6. Be yourself.

7. Have a back up plan.

8. Relax

This recipe is sure to be a hit around your dinner table this holiday season!

8 tablespoons (1 stick) butter plus 2 tablespoons

1 tablespoon of your Favorite Hot Sauce

1 ½ tablespoon Key Lime Juice

½ tablespoon minced garlic

2 pounds medium Key West Pink Shrimp (21-25 count), peeled and deveined

1 ½ pounds of spiny lobster tails (about 4 small tails) removed from the shells removed from the shells and coarsely chopped.

1 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced

¼ cup of white wine

6 cups of pasta or rice.

Prepare the Sauce early in the day: Place 8 tablespoons butter in a small bowl and allow it to soften at room temperature. Add hot sauce and lime juice; stir to mix well. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate this until needed.

Melt 2 tablespoons plain butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add Key West Pink Shrimp and Florida Lobsters and sauté, stirring frequently, until shrimp just turns pink, about 2 to 3 minutes. Do not overcook. Reduce heat to medium. Add mushrooms, scallions, and wine. Sauté, stirring frequently, until tender, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add key lime hot sauce butter and stir until the butter melts and is well blended with seafood. Serve with hot pasta or rice.

Enjoy!

Ryan
www.seafoodlobstercrabs.com

How to Cook a Whole Fish

Winter came early in November of 2009 in Minnesota. It was my last fishing trip on the Mississippi River before moving to the Florida Keys. My fishing buddy and I pulled the boat onto the happy hour sandbar so his dog could stretch his legs, while we drank Old Style beer and cooked Wisconsin brats over a fire.

 

As we stood over the fire cooking the brats that day I said, “We should try cooking whole fish this way”.

 

The brats absorbed the smoky flavor of the fire with little risk of burning and the meat stayed moister than cooked over direct heat. So I applied this same cooking technique to whole fish. It takes a little bit more energy, but not much if you follow these instructions:

 

I have found that the best fish for grilling whole are flat saltwater fish, like Yellowtail Snapper, Mangrove Snappers, and Mahi-Mahi.

 

1. First, gut and scale the fish. Rinse to get rid of any remaining blood or viscera, and pat it dry inside and out with paper towels.  
2. With a sharp knife split the fish upward to the dorsal fin to separate the meat into halves still attached by skin. Run a sharp knife along one side of the backbone to the dorsal fin. Be careful not to cut through the skin. The bones will be easy enough to remove once the fish is cooked
3. With your knife, splice three or four slits partially through each side of the fish to ensure even cooking (this step is unnecessary with small fish).
4. Baste the fish inside and out with coarse sea salt and pepper then rub it with a bit of olive oil, peanut oil or butter (for both flavor and to prevent sticking). Flavor the meat, by lining cavity with thin slices of lemon, key limes, diced onions, peppers, butter, minced garlic, and basil.
5. Sew the fish shut with wet kitchen twine.
6. Lump the hardwood coals in the grill opposite side you will be cooking the fish directly over with about 6-8 quarts of hardwood coals. This will be your direct heat source. To prevent the fish from sticking to the grill, oil the grate.
7. Preheat the grill on low heat. Place the fish on the grate on the opposite side of the lump of hot coals (away from the direct heat grill heat (hot coals piled up opposite the fish).
8. Cover the grill. Grill until the fish turns dark and crisp, depending on the size of the fish, this may take 15-60 Minutes.
9. Make sure the fish is fully cooked by pressing the fish with your finger. The area around where you pressed will break into firm flakes and it should pull away easily from the bones. (If you like a bit of charring, set the finished fish directly above the hot coals for a minute or two. )
10. Use a spatula to slide the fish off the grate and onto a serving platter.