Fresh Seafood Recipe

Prepare ice bed

Fill a large serving platter or shallow bowl with crushed ice, creating a level bed to stabilize shellfish and keep them chilled.

Shuck oysters just before serving. Rinse any shell fragments, place each oyster on the half shell on the crushed ice, and keep chilled.

Arrange cocktail shrimp and littleneck clams on the ice around the oysters. Keep shrimp chilled; if shrimp are pre-cooked, serve immediately. Keep clams closed; discard any open clams that do not close when tapped.

Spoon chilled crab meat into a small bowl and nestle it on the ice with a few lemon wedges and a sprinkling of chopped parsley.

Serve mignonette, horseradish cocktail sauce and hot sauce in small ramekins alongside the platter.

Mignonette (if making fresh): whisk together 1/4 cup finely minced shallot, 1/2 cup red wine vinegar, 1 tsp cracked black pepper and a pinch of salt. Chill at least 30 minutes.

Cocktail sauce: mix 1/2 cup ketchup with 2 tbs prepared horseradish and 1 tbs lemon juice. Adjust hot sauce to taste.

Cut lemon into wedges and arrange around the platter. Chop remaining parsley and sprinkle lightly over the crab meat and shellfish for color.

Pat fish fillets dry with paper towels. Season both sides evenly with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Lightly dust each fillet with all-purpose flour, shaking off excess to leave a thin coating for a golden crust.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter. Once oil shimmers and butter foams, add fillets presentation-side down. Do not overcrowd the pan; cook in batches if needed.

Cook fillets 3–4 minutes without moving to develop a golden crust. Flip carefully and cook 2–3 more minutes, or until fish reaches an internal temperature of 60°C (140°F) and flakes easily.

Remove fillets to a warm plate and tent loosely with foil. Lower heat to medium, add remaining 2 tablespoons butter and minced garlic to the skillet. Sauté garlic 30–45 seconds until fragrant but not browned.

Deglaze the pan with dry white wine, scraping up browned bits. Simmer until wine reduces by about half (about 1–2 minutes). Stir in lemon juice and capers, then pour sauce over the fish.

Garnish with chopped parsley and a lemon wedge. Serve immediately.

Preheat oven to 200°C (400°F). Toss baby potatoes with 2 tbs olive oil and 1 tsp sea salt. Spread on a baking sheet and roast 20–25 minutes until tender and lightly golden, turning once halfway through.

While potatoes roast, toss baby arugula with white wine vinaigrette in a bowl and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve roasted potatoes and dressed arugula alongside the pan-seared fish and raw bar platter for a balanced seafood course.