A fresh catch for New Year’s Eve

Chef Dan Smith
McCormick & Schmick’s
Seafood Restaurant
414-475-0700
mccormickandschmicks.com

“Fresh” comes to mind when I think of the seafood at McCormick & Schmick’s. The slightly briny oysters taste like they were just harvested and served at a seaside bistro instead of a restaurant landlocked in a shopping center parking lot. Chef Dan Smith uses a light hand in seasoning and saucing the daily menu’s 30-some varieties of fresh catch.
“I love New Year’s Eve,” says Smith, “because people are ready to go out and have an awesome time and it’s almost a given that you’ll have no complaints, you’ll have happy people [who] want to be wined and dined and eat fussy food. So I usually pull out lobster, filet and truffles and truffle oil and morels because people are willing to pay for it.”
Smith, who opened Envoy at the Ambassador Hotel in 2005 and spent 20 years cooking in San Francisco, including a stint with the renowned Jeremiah Tower’s Stars Restaurant, has fun cooking for his appreciative holiday customers. You will too when you try his special New Year’s Eve menu.

Ginger Vodka Cooler

Ginger-infused vodka gives this cocktail a refreshing flavor.

1.5 oz ginger-infused vodka
3 oz ginger ale
1 oz cranberry juice
Dried cranberries
Candied ginger
Fill your favorite holiday glass with ice. Add home-infused ginger vodka (recipe at vitalsourcemag.com!). Add in the ginger ale. Top with the cranberry juice and garnish with dried cranberries and candied ginger. Enjoy!

Ginger-infused vodka

Perfect for your holiday entertaining or give as a gift! Find a good-looking glass jar large enough to hold a little more than 750 milliliters of liquid. Fill with your favorite vodka (the higher grade the better). Grate or peel about 1.5 teaspoons fresh ginger and add to the vodka. (Peel the ginger in long curly pieces for a festive look.) Tightly seal your jar and store for a few days, then open and stir your vodka. Seal it up again and store for a few more days. Your vodka should be ready to spice up your holiday cocktails in about a week.

1 cup mayonnaise
4 large eggs, beaten
1 T old bay seasoning
1 t ground black pepper
1 t dry mustard
1 t kosher salt
1 t Worcestershire sauce
1 lb-loaf white bread, crust removed, diced
2.5 lbs lump crabmeat, pasteurized
1/3 cup chopped parsley

Combine mayonnaise, eggs and seasonings in a bowl. In a separate bowl, mix bread, crabmeat and parsley. Gently fold sauce into crabmeat mix, taking care not to break up or mash crabmeat. Chill at least two hours. Form four- or eight-ounce cakes.

Pan fry or deep fry the crab cakes until golden brown. Serve with lemons, tartar sauce or your favorite condiment.

Phyllo Wrapped Smoked Salmon with Crème Fraiche Mousse

3 phyllo sheets
9 oz smoked salmon
2 oz crème fraiche
1 oz capers
1 oz egg white

Lay phyllo on a flat surface and lightly brush with butter. Shingle 5 ounces of smoked salmon on bottom half of phyllo dough. Place salmon mousse (below) along bottom of phyllo. Roll up and refrigerate for 20 minutes. Bake in 300 degree oven until brown.

Salmon mousse

In a food processor, add 4 oz smoked salmon, 2 oz crème fraiche, 1 oz capers, 1 oz egg whites and blend until thick. Add more crème fraiche if too thick.

Crème fraiche is a naturally matured, slightly sour-flavored raw cream. To make your own, add one tsp buttermilk to one cup cream and heat to 85 degrees, then let stand at a temperature of 60 to 85 degrees until it is thickened. Stir, then refrigerate until ready to use.

8 oz quartered mushrooms
4 T butter
8 oz small shrimp
8 oz bay scallops
4 cups cooked elbow macaroni
1.5 cups cheese sauce (recipe below)
3 T chopped chives
4 T grated Parmesan cheese
4 T bread crumbs
Pinch of salt and pepper to taste

Sautee mushrooms in butter until lightly browned. Add seafood and sauté for 1 to 2 minutes. Add cooked macaroni and stir. Add cheese sauce and blend thoroughly. Season with salt, pepper and chives. Place mixture in a casserole dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and the Parmesan cheese. Brown the scallops, add them to the top of the mixture and serve. Makes a great side dish for the holidays!

Cheese sauce
3 T butter
3 T flour
1 ½ cups milk
1 cup sharp Wisconsin cheddar, grated
1/2 t salt
1/2 t dry mustard
1/8 t paprika

Melt butter in saucepan, then stir in flour until blended. Add milk slowly, constantly stirring until sauce is smooth and thickened. Add in cheese, stirring until completely melted. Season with salt, dry mustard and paprika.