Creole Seafood Mixed Grill

Chef Tory McPhail

Tory McPhail of Commander's Palace won the 2009 Great American Seafood Cook-Off with this recipe.
Cook/Prep Time: 1 HourServings: 6 to 8

Ingredients

1 pound Sheepshead fillets, boneless and skinless
1 pound 10 – 15 count head on Shrimp, peeled and deveined with heads and tails left intact
½ pound jumbo lump crabmeat, picked free of shells
4 ounce champagne or white wine
1 Tablespoon Hickory Sea Salt
Black Pepper, to taste
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons bacon fat, warmed
1 shallot, minced
1 jalepeno, seeds discarded and minced
1 ounce celery, minced
2 Cups corn, use a variety if available
1 Cup milk
1 Cup tomato concasse, small dice
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, picked and chopped
Salt and White pepper to taste
1 oz basil oil
½ Cup mixed herbs, or herb sprouts for garnish (optional)

Directions

Prepare a grill to medium heat and place a medium sauté pan on the stove over medium flame. Season the seafood on all sides and reserve.
Next place vegetable oil and bacon fat in the sauté pan and swirl. Add shallots, jalepeno and celery and sauté for 1 minute.
Add the corn and continue to sauté for 30 seconds.
Add the milk and bring to a simmer.
Next place 25% of the corn into a blender and puree for 20 seconds. Add the pureed corn back to the pan and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes or until corn is cooked through, and at sauce consistency.
Finish with fresh tomatoes, thyme and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set aside and reserve.
To cook the seafood, place the crab meat and champagne in a small sauce pot and place on the hottest part of the grill.
Heat the crabmeat for 3-5 minutes before placing the sheepshead and shrimp on the grill around the pot.
Cook the fish and shrimp for approximately 3 minutes per side, until cooked.
Make sure the crab meat comes to a simmer also and swirl to make sure its hot all the way through.
To finish: Spoon the corn into the middle of 4 hot entrée plates. Place the sheepshead down next and add 2-3 shrimp to the top of that.
Spoon the warm crabmeat over the shrimp and into the corn sauce. Drizzle remaining corn sauce around the plate and garnish with basil oil and fresh herbs.

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