How about a shrimp party?

Hi there, Michael LaDuke here. A lot of our readers go to their local Red Lobster's and buy shrimp party platters. They then ask us how they can spice them up a little, or make their party a little nicer.

Start by making your shrimp platter the centerpiece of a salsa bar type of table. Surround the platter with various flavored wraps or tortillas, and some of your favorite store bought or home made salsas.

An easy way to make it stand out is to add a few dipping sauces I have listed a couple of my favorites below; Chili Spiked Mayonnaise, Sweet Mustard Dipping Sauce, Pico de Gallo (really just a fresh Salsa), and a Blackberry BBQ.

As far as meats go, grilled chicken breast is a great match. You can serve it chilled as well, and create a "build your own" cold bar. If you do not like cold tortillas, you can also find pre-baked tostada shells and use them as the plates.


Chili Spiked Mayonnaise
1 cup Mayonnaise
1/4 cup Chili Sauce (sold in markets usually near ketchup and hot sauces)
1/2 tsp Salt

To taste Hot Sauce (use your favorite to add as much spice as you like!)

Combine ingredients in bowl and mix well. Store covered in refrigerator.

Sweet Mustard Dipping Sauce
1 cup Dijon Mustard
1/2 cup Honey
2 tbsp Soy Sauce
1 tsp Ground Black pepper

Combine all ingredients in bowl and mix well. Store covered in refrigerator.

Pico de Gallo
2 each Tomatoes, Diced
1 each Jalapeno, Small diced
2 tbsp Red Onion, Diced
1 tbsp Cilantro, Chopped fine
1/2 tsp Salt
Pinch Black Pepper

Combine all ingredients in bowl and toss lightly. Store covered in refrigeration for 24 hours prior to serving. If a spicier version is desired, you can add an additional jalapeno, or a tsp of your favorite hot sauce

Blackberry BBQ
2 cups BBQ Sauce (use your favorite, preferably plain, not flavored)
1/2 cup Blackberry preserves (you can use jelly or jam)
1/2 cup Sweet Thai Chili Sauce (in Asian section of market, do not use the tomato based version sold near ketchup)
1/4 cup Soy Sauce

Combine BBQ, Chili Sauce, and Soy Sauce in heavy sauce pot over medium heat, bring to a simmer, stirring constantly with a wire whisk. Add blackberry preserves, and continue to stir until they are completely incorporated into sauce.
Place sauce in container and store covered in refrigerator
Remove sauce from refrigerator and allow to come to room temperature before service


The shrimp platter is always a great start to a fantastic party. Enjoy your shrimp, experiment and have fun at your next party!

I would love to hear how your seafood party goes, so email us at chefsblog@redlobster.com. Also leave us a message below and we will do our best to answer as many emails and comments as we can. And don't forget to stop by your local Red Lobster and see what's fresh today.

Healthy or not healthy? That is the question...

Hi, Michael LaDuke here and the one question I get more than anything else these days is what is really healthy when it comes to fish?

With all the media, the fads and all the information out on the internet there's one thing that is for certain when you talk about health. Seafood, fresh fish especially, is the healthiest of foods.

Some scientists now say that seafood may be the single most important food to consume to stay healthy. There are benefits for people of all ages, from expectant mothers and their new children, to the very quickly growing aging population of America.

The benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids have been well publicized. It has become so popular that people pay hundreds of dollars to buy Omega-3 supplements that they could simply get by eating two portions of salmon a week.

The truth is the best way to stay healthy is to use common sense, and eat responsibly in combination with exercise. Of course always consult your doctor before starting any type of diet or exercise program.

It is also easy to stay healthy by making seafood a regular part of your diet. Eat a great piece of grilled fresh Salmon once a week, try a Cajun seared Tilapia, or Blacken some Scallops and serve over rice or Couscous. The possibilities are endless, and the results will be priceless.

Stay away from the fads, and remember the facts from the scientists' study, seafood may be the single most important food you can eat to stay healthy.

So the next time you are at Red Lobster, take a look at Today's Fresh Fish, pick a new fish and have it grilled, broiled, or blackened, or pick from one of our Chefs Specials.

The Fresh Fish Menu is the best way not only to have a great meal, but have a meal that is great for you. Thanks for stopping by the chef's blog and we look forward to seeing you back here soon.

Email us anything you want to see or know about at mailto:chefsblog@redlobster.com
Also leave us a message below and we will do our best to answer as many emails and comments as we can.

And don't forget to stop by your local Red Lobster and see what's fresh today.

Taste of the Nation

Hi Darryl Mickler here and one thing that the chefs and I enjoy is the opportunity to get out and take our culinary "show" on the road.

Tomorrow night, August 18th, LaDuke, the Chef team and I will be cooking at the Taste of the Nation event here in Orlando.

We will be preparing a sample of our Maple and Cherry Glazed Shrimp and Salmon (which is currently featured in our restaurants) and a trio of amusing seafood dishes that we call a seafood "bar" - they are a Lobster Margarita, a Grilled Shellfish Mojito and a Shrimp Bloody Mary. These items will be accompanied by some great wines as well.

This event is in support of Share Our Strength and it is the nation's oldest and largest event dedicated to ending childhood hunger in America. Every year over 4,000 of the nations top restaurants come together in more than 70 cities across the country to serve great dishes and paired beverages, all while supporting a worthy cause.

These events offer an incredible opportunity to sample the best your city has to offer so come on out and enjoy a great evening for a great cause. For events in your area check the Taste of the Nation web site.

Thanks for stopping by the chef's blog. If you stop by the event in Orlando, come by and say hi and let us know what else you'd like to see on the blog. You can also email us anything you want to see or know about at chefsblog@redlobster.com. Also leave us a message below and we will do our best to answer as many emails and comments as we can.

And don't forget to stop by your local Red Lobster and see what's fresh today.

Simple Spice Rubs for Fabulous Fish

Hello it's Darryl Mickler and delicious fresh fish can be enhanced by many preparations ranging from the simple to complex.

One simple, yet delicious method for creating new flavors in your kitchen is to use spice rubs.

Indian cooks are experts at coating fish with tasty spice blends. They can either be coated with spice rubs an hour or two before cooking as a marinade or added immediately before cooking for a more subtle flavor.

One of the best things about spice blends is that they allow for endless experimentation. With a little practice, you can take one of our recipes below and create your own signature recipe that will have your guests begging for your secret.

The most important thing to remember about spices is the fresher the better! Never buy more than you can use in six months and try to purchase them from a store that turns their inventory over regularly.

Indian and Middle Eastern stores often have the freshest spices. Always store them away from heat and light in an air-tight container. For maximum flavor, consider grinding your own spices as you need them. When I am cooking, I lightly toast whole spices in a dry saute pan by tossing them over moderate heat until they are fragrant (don't let them scorch). Then I let them cool slightly and grind in a small electric coffee grinder that I keep just for spices. Coat the fish to your taste then grill in a lightly oiled grill or bake in a moderate oven.

Try some of these recipes the next time you bake or grill fish. Feel free to experiment!

Lemon Pepper:
5 lemons
1 cup black peppercorns
Preheat oven to 225 degrees

- Zest lemons then place the zest on a dry baking sheet and bake in oven until dry (1 hour or so).
- Combine lemon zest and black pepper in a grinder and grind until the mixture is the consistency of ground pepper.
- Store in an airtight container away from heat and light.

Blackening Spice:
2 Tablespoons Sweet Paprika
2 teaspoons Onion powder
2 teaspoons garlic powder
3/4 teaspoon ground coriander
3/4 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon white pepper

- Combine all, coat fish as desired.
- Sear in a dry or lightly oiled pan until done.

Asian Style Spiced Salt:
2 Tablespoons star anise
2 cinnamon sticks, broken
3 Tablespoons Szechuan Peppercorns
2 Tablespoons cloves
2 teaspoons cumin seed
1 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 cup kosher salt

- Toast the whole spices together until fragrant.
- Grind all the spices together until they have the consistency of ground pepper. Add the salt and pulse grinder to mix thoroughly

Curry Style Spice Blend:
2 cups whole coriander seed
1/4 Cup whole cumin seed
1/8 Cup whole fenugreek
1/8 Cup whole fennel seed
1/4 Cup whole mustard seed
1/2 Tablespoon. whole white peppercorn
3/4 Cups whole cloves
1/2 tablespoon ground turmeric
1/8 cup ground cayenne Pepper

- Toast all the whole spices, cool, then grind together
- Season your favorite fish with curry powder and sea salt.
- Sear, bake or grill until done.



Thanks for stopping by the chef's blog and we look forward to seeing you back here soon. Email us anything you want to see or know about at chefsblog@redlobster.com. Also leave us a message below and we will do our best to answer as many emails and comments as we can.

And don't forget to stop by your local Red Lobster and see what's fresh today.

Crab Cakes are everywhere!

Hello it's Darryl Mickler and I have always loved crab and especially crab cakes.

I grew up on the Gulf Coast of Florida and the Eastern Blue Crab was a common site on the dinner table. It was the rare bridge or pier where you would not see someone dropping crab traps.

A picnic tale spread with newspapers and boiled crabs make for a great feast, but for the best crab experience nothing rivals a great crab cake. As a chef I have always had a habit of ordering crab cakes wherever I saw them offered. It's a practice that has led me to taste cakes from the sublime to the ridiculous and all points in between.

Crab cakes are enjoyed around the country today, Dungeness versions on the Pacific coast can be excellent and many chefs have reinterpreted the crab cake with international influences, but they do have distinctly Southern roots.

They have been most often associated with the Chesapeake Bay area in Maryland in particular. John Mariani, in his Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink, identifies the first use of the term crab cake in 1930 in Gaige's New York World's Fair Cook Book. They are called "Baltimore Crab Cakes." However, recipes for items that are crab cakes in all but name can be found in English cookbooks as far back as the late 1600s.

Crab cake lovers will all agree that the key to a great crab cake lies in the balance between the crab cake holding together and it's having too much binder. At its best the cake is a temporary alliance of ingredients which barely manages to stay together long enough to deliver the crispy/creamy cake to the mouth.

Come by Red Lobster to try our crab cakes. If you would like to make one at home, give the following recipe a try. It's great with a spicy remoulade or even just a squeeze of lemon.

Crab Cakes:

3 pounds lump Crabmeat
1 cup mayonnaise (use regular mayonnaise, low-fat types may not work in the same way)
4 eggs, lightly beaten
4 tablespoons Dijon or stone-ground mustard
1 tsp Tabasco or Pete's Hot Sauce
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
2.5 - 3 cups crushed crackers (Ritz or Saltines) or bread crumbs
4 tablespoons finely diced red bell pepper
4 tablespoons finely diced green pepper
3 tablespoons parsley
2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
Salt/Pepper to taste.

1. Combine the crabmeat with mayonnaise, egg, hot sauce, diced peppers, parsley, and seasonings.
2. Add crumbs to crabmeat mix until it just holds together.
3. Scoop to crabmeat mix into 3 ounce portions (roughly 1/3 cup). Place on wax paper, cover and refrigerate until firm.
4. Heat oil or clarified butter until hot but not smoking. Add crab cakes and press lightly. Crab cake should roughly 3/4 of 1 inch in thickness.
5. Saute both sides until crispy and hot throughout (roughly 3 minutes per side).
6. Hold warm and drain excess grease on paper towels. Serve with remoulade and lemon.

This is simple recipe to experiment with and add your own ideas. Some tasty alternatives can be adding capers, roasting the peppers or trying alternative seasonings.

Email us anything you want to see or know about at chefsblog@redlobster.com. Thanks for stopping by the chef's blog and don't forget to stop by your local Red Lobster and see what's fresh today.

Enjoy and good eating!

American Seafood Adventure is fun for all

Hello it's Darryl Mickler and our American Seafood Adventure promotion is always fun for the Red Lobster Chefs and me to work on.

We research historical American recipes, food trends and practices from around the country. The diversity of the American palate is always inspiring. I am from the Gulf Coast of Florida and my culinary style tends to be strongly influenced by the great food traditions of the American South.

But I also enjoy learning about and experimenting with other regional foods-styles such as those of the Pacific Northwest or the New England States.

Our current American Seafood dish, the Maple Glazed Salmon and Shrimp is a great example of this process. We looked at traditional flavors of many regions of the country and we were really excited about Maple Syrup.

This is a classic flavor that is becoming increasingly popular. We combined it with dried sweet red cherries and found that it was a great match to the complex flavors of salmon as well as grilled shrimp. Try is soon at your local Red Lobster.

Thanks for stopping by the chef's blog and we look forward to seeing you back here soon.

Email us anything you want to see or know about at chefsblog@redlobster.com Also leave us a message below and we will do our best to answer as many emails and comments as we can.

And don't forget to stop by your local Red Lobster and see what's fresh today.

Down the Cape with the Chefs

Hello all, Michael and Darryl here. Here's our first videocast that we shot while up in Boston. Take a look at what a great fish market looks like.


Thanks for stopping by and please email us at chefsblog@redlobster.com or post to the blog any questions you have about preparing seafood or cooking ideas you'd like to share. Thanks for stopping by and seeing what's fresh today at Red Lobster.

Labels: Chef_Videos

Make your own Crab Wontons

Hello it's Darryl Mickler and I wanted to respond to a request for a classic Red Lobster appetizer that we served some years ago but is no longer on the menu.

We have recreated the item for you to enjoy at home. On the menu these were called Crab Wontons, but they are really a version of a popular Chinese style appetizer that is often found in American style Chinese restaurants called Crab Rangoon.

This item uses Asian ingredients, but it is not a traditional type of Asian item. This is particularly obvious as it uses cream cheese, which, along with most dairy, is not typically used in Chinese kitchens. Though the origins of Crab Rangoon are a mystery, the name is from the former capital of Burma (now Myanmar), they are very tasty!


1 pound lump crab meat
1 1/2 teaspoons minced green onion
1/2 pound softened cream cheese
1 tablespoons Soy Sauce
1 tablespoon Dry Sherry or Chinese Rice Wine (Shaosing)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 beaten eggs mixed with 1 teaspoon water

Wonton Wrappers (50)

1. Mix together the lump crab meat, green onion and cream cheese.
2. Add Soy sauce, wine, garlic and sugar.
3. Spoon 1 teaspoon of mixture into center of wonton wrapper.
4. Brush edges of wrapper with egg mixture and fold over, sealing edges, to form a triangle.
5. Deep fry wontons for about two minutes until nicely browned. Drain on paper towels.

Ginger Dipping Sauce:

1 tablespoon Sherry Vinegar
6 tablespoons cold water
1 1/2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons shredded ginger.

1. Simmer together all ingredients except ginger until sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add ginger and allow to cool for 1 hour.

The sauce is a thin ginger dipping sauce. Alternatively, Chinese Plum Sauce could be used (one might need to thin some varieties with a little water).

Thanks for stopping by the chef's blog and we look forward to seeing you back here soon. As always, you can email us at chefsblog@redlobster.com or leave us a message below and we will do our best to answer as many questions as we can. And don't forget to stop by your local Red Lobster and see what's fresh today.