Seafood Platter in Palm Coast

Our first morning in Palm Coast, we went down to Flagler Beach for breakfast and the Saturday Crafts Fair/ Farmers Market/ Fishing Tournament J

The others were more interested in the crafts but I went to the food area, especially after I saw the lady selling fresh fish – I bought shrimp, scallops, and cobia.  Then Bev & I went through the produce tent and picked up small potatoes, garlic, lemons, and salad ingredients – we stopped at Publix for a bottle on Newman’s Caesar Dressing for the salad and to marinate the cobia.

Our friends share the house with her brother and wife and they had lots stuff to cook with, but I still had to improvise a little with what they had on hand rather than buy what I might normally use.

I was talking with the guy at the fishing tournament tent who is a fishing guide and fish eater, so he gave me some cobia cooking suggestions. It got a two hour soak in the Caesar dressing then I topped it with a little S&P, garlic butter, onion & lemon slices, and fresh parsley - similar to the bluefish I cooked at home.  I wrapped it in foil and cooked over low heat, without flipping, until everything else was done – no meat thermometers were available, so I just guessed at cooking time.

I used Jenn’s method for the small potatoes – check "Jenn’s Food Journey" blog for her recipe and some great shots.  I tossed them in the on-hand salad oil and Italian spices, but put them directly on the grill grate to cook without marinating. I found the 3 minute nuke, per Jenn's recipe, was perfect for the size potatoes I had.

The scallops just got S&P and garlic/ lemon butter (lemon added after the cobia got some garlic butter).  I should have started with oil on them rather butter as they stuck a little.

The shrimp went on the grill last over high heat, and had been lightly sprinkled with Old Bay and then got a heavy coating of the lemon/garlic/butter and were flipped twice with more butter added to create the flame necessary for the charring.  Since I had no basting brush and spooned it on, I had plenty of flame so the shrimp came off pretty quick - I was a little surprised the fire department didn't show up J .

I plated everything, drizzled with a little more of the butter mixture and we dug in.

Other than the scallops sticking, everything was just right and we all thought it was delicious.  The cobia was perfect (blind hog finds an acorn theory) as it was flaky but still moist with a light sheen on the inside.  I’d never eaten it but it was mild enough for Bev and very tasty – I’ll look for it at the fish store at home from now on, at twice the price of course.

My fish-a-thon continues and I had a piece of cobia and a couple of shrimp for breakfast the next day – no eggs though for the second day in a row – no wonder I was cranky J

Photos best if enlarged by clicking on them.

Have a great day and thanks for stopping by Almost Heaven South.

Larry

4/28/13 meal date