 | Marinated shrimp and artichoke salad |
Spring Picnic
Pack your basket with a fresh seafood salad and head out for a perfect day in the park.
MYNETTA’S COOKING TIPS Precooked and peeled shrimp and lobster meat (available from any upscale grocer) can be used if you’re short on time. When boiling shrimp and lobster, flavor the water with traditional crab boil spices: lemon, bay leaf, one or two garlic cloves, and white wine. Shrimp can be boiled in the shell or peeled before cooking. You’ll know the shrimp is done when the flesh turns opaque (about 3-5 minutes). While some people say to wait until the shrimp floats to call it finished, be careful as this can easily lead to overcooking. Bring lobster (about 11/2 pounds) to a gentle boil for 10-12 minutes until lobster shell turns bright red and meat turns opaque. Vinaigrettes and dressings can be made the day before. Add cooked seafood just before serving. |
Short of a weekend in Paris, a sunny afternoon picnic in Dallas is one of spring’s finer pleasures. Especially if it includes a picnic basket filled with scrumptious salads and wine. We asked Mynetta Cockerell, executive chef of Marty’s, to help plan the perfect picnic menu, and she immediately suggested a seafood salad with warm dill muffins and a light wine to round out the meal. Chilled white wines work best with seafood salads, she says. California chardonnay, fum blanc, or even chenin blanc would be ideally suited to these dishes.
While pre-cooked shrimp and lobster are quick and easy alternatives, Mynetta says the task of preparing fresh seafood is simple if you keep a few basic tips in mind. Shopping at a good fish market is first and foremost. Buy from a market you know and trust, she says, and, remember, specials are sometimes not the best products. (Mynetta buys her fish from The Net Result, a small, neighborhood market owned, operated, and attached to one of her favorite seafood restaurants in Dallas, 36 Degrees.)
The next thing you need to know is how to select truly fresh seafood. The shrimp we see in our markets have been previously frozen, then thawed, she explains. Shrimp can vary in color from pink to reddish brown to light gray. Look for meat and shells that are firm and shiny and feel full. Black spots are a sign of aging. When selecting fish, Mynetta says, make sure the flesh is firm, not slimy. And, no, it shouldn’t have much of a fishy smell. Fresh seafood should be almost odorless or smell like clean water and salt.
Now, dust off that picnic basket and whip up one of Mynetta’s fresh seafood salads. Soon you’ll be humming, I love Dallas in springtime….
Marinated Shrimp & Artichoke Salad
(serves 4)
1 pound medium shrimp, cooked, peeled, and deveined
1 7-ounce can water chestnuts, sliced
1 15-ounce can artichoke hearts, drained and quartered
1 medium red onion, sliced into thin half-circles
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 cup champagne vinegar
1 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Combine garlic, mustard, salt, pepper, sugar, and vinegar in a small bowl. Whisk well. Add olive oil in a slow stream, whisking constantly until the vinaigrette has thickened slightly. Fold in cilantro, shrimp, onion, artichokes, and water chestnuts. Refrigerate at least one hour before serving. Best served over salad greens.
Marty’s Lobster Salad
(serves 4)
2 cups cooked lobster meat
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 cup celery, chopped
2 tablespoons onion, grated
1 teaspoon tarragon, finely chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste
Place all ingredients in a medium bowl and combine gently until moistened. Do not over mix. Chill and serve. Best served over greens or with your favorite crackers.
Cottage Cheese-Dill Muffins
(makes 12 medium muffins)
In a large bowl combine:
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup milk
1 cup small-curd cottage cheese
2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped
2 tablespoons green onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
In a small bowl, combine:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
Combine wet and dry ingredients and fold together gently until just mixed. Spoon batter into lightly greased muffin pans. Bake at 400 degrees for 20-25 minutes. Remove from pan and cool on a wire rack.
| After nine years in bookkeeping and retail management, Mynetta Cockerell changed professions to follow her love of food and cooking. Twenty years later, she’s still happy. Mynetta has served as the executive chef of all of Marty’s food departments since 1997. Before joining Marty’s, she was the executive chef at Dream Cafe. Mynetta is a member of the American Institute of Wine and Food and a proud member of the Dallas chapter of Les Dames d Escoffier, a charitable association of professional women in the fields of food, fine beverage, and hospitality. Since its founding in 1984, the Dallas chapter has raised more than $600,000 in endowments, scholarships, and grants with its annual Raiser Grazer event. For more information, visit www.ldedallas.org. |
