Seafood Tower For Two Recipe

Prepare shrimp

Bring a medium pot of salted water (about 1.5 liters) to a gentle boil. Add 1 tsp salt and the shrimp and cook 1.5–2 minutes until pink and just opaque. Immediately transfer shrimp to an ice bath to stop cooking, then drain and chill.

Prepare oysters

If using shelled oysters on the half shell, shuck them and place on a tray of crushed ice. If using pre-shucked oysters, chill in their liquor on ice. Keep covered in refrigerator until plating.

Prepare clams

Steam littleneck clams in a covered pot with 1/4 cup water over medium-high heat until shells open, about 4–6 minutes. Discard any that do not open. Remove clams from shells (reserve some in shell for presentation if desired) and chill; reserve a bit of the cooking liquid, chilled, for moistening if needed.

Season the chilled shrimp, oysters and clams lightly with 1/2 tsp black pepper and an extra squeeze of lemon at plating.

Cook potatoes

Place baby Yukon Gold potatoes in a pot, cover with cold water, add a pinch of salt, and bring to a simmer. Cook until just tender when pierced, about 12–15 minutes depending on size. Drain and let cool slightly, then halve or quarter larger ones so pieces are bite-size.

Sauté spinach, corn and jalapeño

In a large skillet over medium heat, warm 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter. Add diced jalapeño and cook 1 minute. Add corn kernels and sauté 2–3 minutes until heated through. Add spinach with remaining 1 tbsp olive oil and 1 tbsp butter, season with 1 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp black pepper, and cook, stirring, just until wilted, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and fold in cooked potato pieces. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Poach eggs

Bring 1 liter of water with 2 tsp white vinegar and 1/4 tsp salt to a gentle simmer in a wide shallow pan. Swirl gently to create a slight vortex. Crack each egg into a small bowl and slip into the water one at a time. Poach for 3 minutes for a runny yolk or 3.5–4 minutes for slightly firmer yolk. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towel, and keep warm on a low oven tray or under a loose tent of foil.

Make a warm-water double boiler

Fill a small saucepan with 2–3 cm of water and bring to a gentle simmer. Use a heatproof bowl that sits over the pan without touching the water.

Whisk yolks

Whisk the 3 egg yolks with the lemon juice in the bowl until slightly thickened and pale, about 1–2 minutes.

Cook gently

Place the bowl over the simmering water. Whisk continuously while slowly drizzling in the 6 tbsp hot melted butter in a thin stream until the sauce is thickened and emulsified, about 4–6 minutes. If it gets too thick, whisk in up to 1 tsp hot water to loosen. Remove from heat.

Season

Stir in the minced chipotle, 1/2 tsp adobo, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/8 tsp white pepper or a pinch cayenne. Taste and adjust lemon, salt or adobo for desired heat and acidity. Keep warm (not hot) until plating; if necessary, keep the bowl over warm water off the heat to hold texture.

Warm components if needed

If the seafood was chilled, remove from fridge 5 minutes before plating. Rewarm potatoes and vegetables briefly in a skillet over low heat for 1–2 minutes if you prefer them warm.

Build the tower

On two shallow wide dishes, place a base of the potato-spinach-corn mixture (about half the mixture per plate). Arrange chilled shrimp, oysters and clams on and around the base in an attractive stacked or concentric pattern. Nestle one poached egg on top of each tower.

Sauce and garnish

Spoon 2–3 tbsp of chipotle hollandaise over each poached egg so it drapes down the tower. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt, chopped chives, and scatter microgreens or arugula. Add lemon wedges to the side and serve immediately.

Serve: Present the seafood tower for two with extra hollandaise on the side and additional lemon wedges. Enjoy immediately while eggs are warm and seafood is chilled or slightly cool for contrast.