Seafood (fish, shrimp, or scallops) in lime dill butter sauce - original recipe
by Barry L. Kramer, 2007
No shortage of flavor. If you like this, try also the similar variant "Easy
fish or shrimp in garlic sauce".
Try with most seafood (fresh fish including salmon or steelhead trout), scallops,
or shrimp, 1/2 to 1.5 pounds
1/2 of a lime - always use fresh fruit
5 or 6 sprigs of fresh dill - remove and finely chop leaves; discard stems,
use about 1 T or more
2 T or 3T butter
2C water + 1 t Minor's Chicken Base
1 T olive oil
2/3 C white wine
1 T crushed or chopped garlic
a dash of hot sauce (Sriracha hot chili sauce
or Tapatio) or a very little cayenne pepper, don't use tabasco
1. Clean/skin fish (see Hint, bottom) or shell/devein shrimp or rinse scallops; put in a large bowl and add 1 t olive oil and all of the juice of half of a lime. Add about 1 t of the chopped dill; mix thoroughly and allow to marinate for 15-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Place about 2 t olive oil (or butter) in frying pan and add garlic into
the oil and heat at medium low; sizzle the garlic for a few minutes but don't
brown it. Then add the following:
2C water + 1 t Minor's Chicken Base
2/3 C white wine
a dash of hot sauce (Sriracha brand Korean hot chili sauce or Tapatio) or a little cayenne pepper, don't use tabasco
1/2 t of the dill.
3. Boil this mixture at medium to medium high heat until it starts to thicken. Do not completely reduce it yet. Stir frequently during reduction. Reduce heat to low at end of reduction and be careful not to burn the sauce mixture at any time.
4. Move garlic to the very edge. Add 2T or 3T butter; melt. Add the seafood and all of its marinade liquid. If using fish, first cook the nicest looking side down (so the nicest side is visible after you turn it). Cook at medium until done, turning once (shrimp or scallops cook quickly; fish requires a little longer). Shrimp and scallops can be tossed after both sides have been cooked. If it looks dry, add a little olive oil or butter and water to keep moist. Don't overcook.
5. When seafood is cooked, remove it to a bowl and cover with foil to keep hot. Continue heating at medium to reduce liquid until thickened. The seafood that was removed will have some liquid in it - pour the liquid into the pan when it starts to thicken. When the reduction is complete (that is, you have a thick sauce rather than a liquid), lower heat, put seafood back, sprinkle with the remaining fresh dill, and combine; turn shrimp or scallops as needed to evenly disperse sauce and spices on all surfaces of the seafood. If serving with vegetables or pasta, add to the pan to soak up flavors, but only after the seafood is thoroughly covered with the sauce and/or removed.
Portobello mushrooms sauteed in olive oil and white wine and angel hair pasta with butter or olive oil and grated parmesan cheese (I prefer 'Bel Gioso' brand) is good with this.
This is a very good, easy recipe that works well with a variety of ingredients.
Hint: to skin thick fish fillets easily, heat a large nonstick pan on high until very hot. Spray with cooking spray. Quickly put fish in, skin side down. The high heat will very quickly allow the skin to be removed by running a fork between the meat and the skin. It doesn't take long (10-30 seconds). You must do this very quickly. Remove the fish as soon as the skin separates easily, remove the skin quickly, and then wash the fish fillet under cold water to avoid cooking it. The intent here is to heat the skin really hot really fast so it separates, but get it off before the heat transfers into the fish and cooks it. Ideally, you will have skin removed and the fish still completely raw. Works best for steelhead trout, and good for salmon. Once the skin is off, you can marinate it.
