Gulf Coast Shellfish Festivals

Fall shellfish festival season opens Labor Day Weekend.

Louisana

The shellfish festivals start with Morgan City’s popular Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival August 30th to September 3rd.

MISSISSIPPI

Mississippi’s Gulf Coast owns the action September 8-9 at Biloxi Seafood Festival.

TEXAS

The Galveston Island Shrimp Festival is September 28-30 where some 60 professional restaurant and amateur chefs compete for the best gumbo. A boat and RV show is also a festival attraction. The Pensacola Seafood Festival is also held the last weekend in September.

FLORIDA

On Florida’s panhandle, Panama City Beach takes a full week for its annual Lobster Festival & Tournament September 17-23, and we’re talking Florida lobsters.

Port St. Joe on the shores of St. Joseph Bay hosts the Florida Scallop & Music Festival October 5-6.  The Destin Seafood Festival along the Harbor Boardwalk will be the same weekend through October 7th. A week later, October 11-14, Gulf Shores, Alabama, hosts the Annual National Shrimp Festival.

Niceville, at the top of Choctawhatchee Bay in Florida, celebrates mullet with the Boggy Bayou Mullet Festival October 19-21. Down in Cedar Key, Florida, the Cedar Key Seafood Festival happens on the same weekend. This will be number 49 for the quaint island city.

Also, there are three events along Florida’s west coast the last weekend in October. St. Marks Stone Crab Festival is a biggie on October 27th and so is John’s Pass Seafood Festival October 25-28 in Madeira Beach. Naples Stone Crab Festival starts Friday, October 26th at Tin City, and stone crabs are served all weekend along the Old Naples waterfront.

Apalachicola is famous for oysters and caps off the shellfish festival season November 2-3 with the popular Florida Seafood Festival held at Battery Park at the mouth of the Apalachicola River. Watch the bands play, blue crabs race, and the oyster-shuckers shuck. See the fleet blessed, and shellfish lovers relish in their feast.

By Bill AuCoin Southern Boating August 2018

More Gulf Coast Updates:

Mote Marine Tracks Whale Sharks

Baked Coconut Shrimp

Make your guests feel right at home in ‘da islands’ with this quick and tasty Baked Coconut Shrimp. Recipe serves four.

Ingredients: 

1 Tbsp. oil
1/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp. each dry mustard and salt
1 egg
2 Tbsp. cream or evaporated milk
1/4cup sweetened flaked coconut
1/3 cup breadcrumbs
1 lb. large shrimp, peeled and deveined
Dipping sauce (duck sauce, Chinese mustard, sweet chili sauce or marmalade)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Lightly coat a foil-lined baking sheet with oil. Mix flour, mustard, and salt in a shallow bowl. Mix egg and cream in a second bowl, then mix coconut flakes and breadcrumbs in a third bowl.

Working with one shrimp at a time, dredge in flour mixture, then dip in egg mixture, and roll in the breadcrumb/coconut mixture making sure to coat the shrimp well. Place on the prepared baking sheet and repeat with the remaining shrimp.

Bake (or sauté with additional oil) five minutes, then flip shrimp and cook three minutes more or until shrimp are firm and coconut is browned. Serve on a platter with assorted dipping sauces.

By Lori Ross, Southern Boating May 2018

More Bahamian Recipes:

Arugula Pineapple Salad

Sky Juice

Baked Bahamian Grouper

Sweet Banana Cake 

Blessing of the Fleet in Darien, Georgia

This annual tradition in Darien, Georgia, is the largest Blessing of the Fleet on the U.S.
East Coast. Join the fun April 14-15 as this community blesses the shrimp boat captains
with a safe and prosperous season. The Blessing becomes a weekend-long festival
with a marine parade, live music, juried art show, 5K run, children’s events, and some
of the best seafood in the Southeast.

With more than 30,000 attendees expected throughout the weekend, the celebration has become one of Georgia’s largest and most anticipated coastal events. For seasonal cruisers heading north in April, Darien is only seven miles off the ICW with free municipal dockage that includes electric.

blessingofthefleet.com

By Bob Arrington, Southern Boating April 2018

More Southeast Seaboard Updates:

Blue Angels in Myrtle Beach

Quest for the Crest

Carolina Boat Shows

Shrimp Saganaki – a Greek-inspired menu

Bid your guests “Kali orexi” (Bon appétit!) with this Greek-inspired menu. 

Greek Marinated Olives

1 cup mixed green and black olives, drained

1 tbsp. olive oil

¼ tsp. basil, dried

¼ tsp. oregano, dried

½ tsp. orange zest, grated

In a bowl, combine ingredients and let them rest for 1 hour. Serve with a small bowl for olive pits.


 

Cucumber Yogurt Dip (Tzatziki)

1 cup Greek yogurt, plain

1 tbsp. lemon juice, freshly squeezed

1 tsp. dill, dried

2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

½ cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced

Kosher salt and black pepper, to taste

In a bowl, combine yogurt, lemon juice, dill, garlic, and cucumber. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.


 

Shrimp Saganaki (Garides Saganaki)

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 large onion, thinly sliced

2 cups fresh tomatoes, chopped or 16 oz. can tomatoes, diced and drained

½ tsp. kosher salt

Pinch of crushed red pepper

1½ lb. large shrimp, deveined and shelled

½ cup olives, pitted and coarsely chopped

¼ tsp. dill

½ cup feta cheese, crumbled

Crusty bread, for serving

In a large skillet, heat oil until shimmering. Add onion and cook over medium-high heat stirring occasionally until lightly browned (about 5 minutes). Add tomatoes, season with salt and crushed red pepper, and cook until softened (about 5-8 minutes). Add shrimp and olives stirring occasionally until the shrimp are cooked through (about 3 minutes). Stir in dill and half of the feta cooking just until the feta is hot (about 1 minute). Transfer shrimp and tomatoes into shallow bowls, sprinkle with the remaining feta and serve with crusty bread.


Meze Platter (Mezedes)

Marinated olives (from previous recipe)

Feta cheese, cubed

Artichoke hearts, jarred, marinated, drained, and quartered

Sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained

Anchovies and/or sardines, canned, whole and drained

Pickled pepperoncini peppers or sweet roasted red peppers, drained

Raw vegetables, such as celery stalks, sliced cucumbers, trimmed scallions, halved cherry tomatoes, or sliced young zucchini

Tzatziki dip (from previous recipe), served in a seeded, halved sweet pepper “bowl”

Hummus, served in another halved sweet pepper “bowl”

Heat the oven to 350 F. Lightly spritz baking sheet with cooking spray. Bake quartered pita bread for 4-5 minutes. Attractively heap all (or some) of the ingredients around a large platter, placing dips in the middle.


Greek Fruit Yogurt Cream (Frouta Ke Yaourti)

4 cups mixed fresh fruit, such as halved grapes, figs, pears, berries, melon, or peaches, cut into bite-sized pieces

¼ cup almonds, slivered

1 cup Greek yogurt, plain

3 tbsp. honey

1½ tbsp. lemon rind, grated

In serving bowl, gently combine fruit and half of the almonds and set aside. In a separate bowl combine yogurt, honey and lemon rind. Fill individual dessert bowls with fruit. Spoon yogurt mixture over fruit and top with remaining almonds and drizzle of honey.


Greek Sidecar

4 oz. Metaxa or other brandy

1½ oz. Cointreau

1½ oz. lemon juice

3 oz. orange juice

Orange or lemon peel, for garnish

Ice.

 

By Lori Ross, Southern Boating Magazine September 2016

Gambas al Ajillo (Garlic Shrimp)*

Gambas al Ajillo (Garlic Shrimp)*
6 tbsp. olive oil
4 cloves garlic, peeled
Pinch of crushed red pepper
24 large peeled shrimp
2 tbsp. sherry or white wine
Sprinkle each of smoked paprika and parsley

Heat garlic, pepper and olive oil in a sauté pan on medium high. Add shrimp and sherry and cook, turning every 3 minutes until pink. Add parsley and paprika and serve in shallow bowl with bread and toothpicks.
*Replace shrimp with canned or fresh mushroom caps or artichoke hearts for a veggie option!

 

Pan Con Tomate—sometimes called Pan a la Catalana (Catalan Tomato Bread)
1 baguette, sliced lengthwise
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and halved
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 ripe tomatoes or 2 canned whole tomatoes, drained

Toast bread until golden. Rub garlic cloves over cut surface of bread, and then drizzle with oil. Cut the tomatoes in half and rub on cut surface until coated with tomato juice and pulp. Slice each half into 6-8 pieces crosswise, and serve plain or topped with ham, anchovies, cheese, or sardines.

 

Chorizo al Vino (Chorizo in Wine)
1 lb. smoked Spanish Chorizo sausage, Kielbasa or andouille
3 c. red wine
½ tsp. smoked or regular paprika
1 bay leaf
Sprinkle of fresh or dried parsley

Cut sausages into thick round slices. Place in uncovered saucepan; add paprika, bay leaf and wine. Bring to a boil, and then simmer on low for 15-20 minutes until the wine reduces by about half and creates a thin sauce. Serve in bowl, topped with parsley and toothpicks.

 

Pinchos de Atún con Anchoas (Tuna and Anchovy Tapas)
8 oz. white tuna in oil or water, drained
¼ onion, minced
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
¼ tsp. black pepper
¼ c. mayonnaise
12-15 jarred anchovies or capers
12-15 slices of baguette

Mix tuna with mayonnaise, onion, vinegar, and pepper. Mound on bread slices and top each with anchovy or capers.

 

Fruit and Nut Bark
12 oz. chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (milk or dark)
1 c. dried fruit (raisins, chopped apricots, craisins, blueberries, cherries, currants)
1 c. toasted nuts (I like sliced almonds, pine nuts or hazelnuts.)
2 tbsp. grated fresh orange peel

Place chocolate in microwave-safe bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave at medium heat for 6 minutes or until chocolate is glossy.* Take out of oven and stir until smooth. Spread melted chocolate in a rectangular shape evenly over kitchen parchment or buttered aluminum foil. Press toasted nuts and dried fruit into chocolate, sprinkle with grated orange pressed lightly into chocolate bark. Chill until firm. Break into pieces to serve.
*My boat’s GE Profile microwave oven has a setting to melt chocolate without burning it. Check if yours does too!

 

Sangria
2 bottles dry rosé wine
¼ c. brandy
¼ c. Cointreau or other orange liqueur
¼ c. orange or apple juice
1 each unpeeled orange, lemon and apple, thinly sliced
Optional: 2 tsp. rosewater

Combine all with fruit in a pitcher and stir. Pour in wine glasses over ice.


 

Lori Ross, a communication professional and food writer, has been power cruising and sailing with husband Jim Ellis for more than 30 years. She has fed crew and entertained family and friends on her boats since 1982. 

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