Seafood For Two Recipe

Rinse all shellfish under cold running water. Scrub littleneck clams to remove grit. Keep oysters in their shell on ice until ready to plate. Pat shrimp dry; leave tails on for presentation.

If the Maryland colossal crab is whole and chilled, split the body and legs for easier access to meat. Arrange on a tray and refrigerate until plating. If pre-picked, keep chilled in a small bowl.

Make poaching broth

In a medium saucepan, combine 4 cups water, 1 cup dry white wine, bay leaves, crushed garlic, Old Bay seasoning, and the halved lemon (squeeze in juice, then add halves). Bring to a simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes to infuse flavors.

Cook clams and shrimp

Add cleaned littleneck clams to the simmering broth, cover, and cook 4–6 minutes until clams open. Remove opened clams with tongs to a bowl. Add jumbo shrimp to the hot broth and poach 2–3 minutes until shrimp turn pink and are just cooked through. Remove shrimp and immediately plunge into an ice bath (or rinse under cold water) to stop cooking and firm the texture.

Discard any clams that do not open after cooking. Reserve about 1/2 cup of the poaching liquid, strain it, and set aside to drizzle lightly over the crab or to thin sauces if needed.

Mignonette

Combine 3 tbs red wine vinegar (or similar), 1 tbs finely minced shallot, pinch of coarse salt and a grind of black pepper. Stir and refrigerate until service. Quantity listed in ingredients is total portion; portion out 3 tbs for plating.

Cocktail sauce

Spoon prepared cocktail sauce into a small serving ramekin (3 tbs per ramekin). If making from scratch, mix ketchup with prepared horseradish, a splash of lemon juice and a few drops of Worcestershire to taste.

Lemongarlic butter

Melt 3 tbs unsalted butter gently and stir in 1/2 tsp finely grated garlic and 1 tsp lemon zest (or a squeeze of lemon juice). Keep warm until serving to brush over shrimp or to serve with crab meat.

Arrange house pickles in a small bowl or on a garnish plate (approx. 4 pieces total) to accompany the seafood; these refresh the palate between bites.

Build a bed of crushed ice on a shallow serving platter large enough for all components (approx. 4 cups crushed ice). This keeps cold items chilled. If you prefer a warm presentation for crab and shrimp, skip the ice and keep items warm; this recipe is intended as a chilled raw/cold/warm mix per menu style.

Arrange oysters on one side of the platter on the ice, 4 to a row. Spoon 1 tsp mignonette over each oyster or serve the mignonette in a ramekin. Place littleneck clams (opened) next to oysters.

Nestle the chilled poached shrimp near the clams; brush lightly with lemongarlic butter just before serving (or serve the butter warm in a small ramekin). Position the split Maryland colossal crab prominently; if whole, crack the legs slightly so diners can access meat. If crab is pre-picked, mound meat on a small dish and drizzle a little reserved poaching liquid or lemongarlic butter to keep moist.

Place cocktail sauce in a ramekin and house pickles on a small dish on the platter. Garnish the platter with lemon wedges and sprinkle chopped parsley over the crab and shrimp. Finish with a light sprinkling of coarse sea salt over the crab.

Serve immediately with small forks, shell crackers or mallets, and napkins. Provide an extra small bowl for shells and a finger bowl with lemon water if desired.