“I’ve never met a seafood that didn’t love lemon juice.”

Such are the wise words from Elizabeth Putnam, my grandmother and cook extraordinaire. Grandmother, as I called her, also “never met a seafood” she didn’t enjoy cooking and consuming. And as a culinary aficionado, she advised to always, always start seafood prep with freshly squeezed lemon juice, applied all over.

Since October is the month when the redfish run peaks and the recreational shrimping season ends, it is the right time of year to add some new recipes to your repertoire and to enhance the ones you have with a little flair. Besides being delicious, fish and shellfish are a boost to  healthy diets. The American Cancer Society recommends two servings per week, while nutritionists often advise eating fish at least five times a week.

Instead of serving chicken repeatedly, plan for more meals centered around culinary delights from the sea. Plenty of people are willing to share their favorite recipes, and we have a few quick and tasty ones featured here.

Crabmeat Remick

By Elizabeth Putnam

Submitted by Linda Royal

Grandmother’s Crabmeat Remick is a treat for all your senses. This dish is a seafood slice of heaven. Hope you savor it as much as I have!

10 4-inch scallop baking shells
1 1/2 pound jumbo lump crabmeat
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chili sauce
1 teaspoon English mustard
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Pinch celery salt
Dash Tabasco sauce
Dash tarragon vinegar
Parmesan cheese, grated

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Squeeze freshly cut lemons over the crabmeat and set aside. Combine mayonnaise, chili sauce, English mustard, celery salt, Tabasco, and tarragon vinegar. Fold in the crabmeat, taking care to not break up the lumps.

Lightly grease the 10 small baking shells. Spoon the crabmeat into the baking shells, dividing evenly. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over each serving. Bake until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Serve while hot.

Grilled Shrimp Fajitas

Submitted by John White

When the kids have full schedules in the fall, Kathryn, my wife, and I are always looking for easy meals that are healthy options for our family. One of our go-to meals is grilled shrimp fajitas. Over the years, I have experimented with different ways to marinate and cook shrimp, but I think I’ve finally come up with a great recipe that can be easily replicated.

1 pound medium to large shrimp (peeled and deveined)
1 cup lime juice
1 cup Dale's seasoning sauce or Allegro Original Marinade
1 teaspoon cumin
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
6 garlic cloves, crushed

Allow at least 30 minutes to marinate the shrimp; I usually use a gallon size plastic bag. Place shrimp in plastic bag and in a small bowl add lime juice, Dale's seasoning or Allegro Original Marinade, cumin, cilantro, and garlic cloves and mix together. Pour the mixture over the shrimp, close the plastic bag, and place in the refrigerator.

After the shrimp have marinated for at least 30 minutes, take them out of the plastic bag one by one and place them on skewers (usually 3 to 4 skewers are needed). Save some of the marinade to baste the shrimp during grilling.

Grilling the shrimp is a very fast process; it takes no more than 1 to 2 minutes per side on a hot grill. While the shrimp are grilling, I like to take some of the leftover marinade and brush the shrimp with it. This just gives the shrimp extra flavor!

Heat tortillas and serve grilled shrimp with whatever is preferred on fajitas. Kathryn and I enjoy sautéed onions, bell peppers, and our favorite salsa. Enjoy!

Garlic and Herb Roasted Shrimp

From the Barefoot Contessa

This classic shrimp dish is simple to prepare and can be enhanced with creativity. Add extra favorite ingredients or food items that happen to be left over in the refrigerator. It is a tasty brunch dish paired with grits or a wonderful family dinner on top of fresh pasta.

1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons garlic, minced (about 6 cloves)
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary leaves, minced
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, crushed
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 large lemons
2 pounds (8 to 10 count) shrimp, peeled with the tails on

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Melt the butter over low heat in a medium (10 inch) saute pan. Add the olive oil, garlic, rosemary, red pepper flakes, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, and cook over low heat for one minute. Off the heat, zest one of the lemons directly into the butter mixture.

Meanwhile, arrange the shrimp snugly in one layer in a large (12 inch) round ovenproof saute pan (or 10 by 13 inch baking dish) with only the tails overlapping. Pour the butter mixture over the shrimp. Sprinkle with the sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Slice the ends off the zested lemon, cut five (1/4 inch thick) slices, and tuck them among the shrimp. Roast for 12 to 15 minutes, just until the shrimp are firm, pink, and cooked through. Cut the remaining lemon in half and squeeze the juice onto the shrimp. Serve hot with toasted bread for dipping into the garlic butter.

Stuffed Flounder

Submitted by Ginny Peterson

I truly can’t remember the first time I made stuffed flounder, but I’ve shared this recipe with family and friends, all of whom rave about how easy and delicious it is. Don’t be intimidated about cooking flounder or about creating the pockets for stuffing. It’s easier than you think, and your family will love you for preparing this yummy fish.

6 whole flounders (about 1 pound each)
1 pound small shrimp, uncooked and peeled
1 pound crabmeat
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs (or to your liking)
1 cup sweet onions, finely minced
1/2 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon parsley
2 eggs, beaten
1/4 cup white wine
4 lemons
4 tablespoons butter
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven 350 degrees F. In a saucepan, melt 2 tablespoons butter with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and a dash of white wine. Set aside for basting. Saute onions, mushrooms, parsley, and wine in 2 tablespoons butter until tender. Toss in shrimp and cook until pink. Then add crabmeat. Pour mixture into bowl and add the eggs, breadcrumbs, and seasonings.

With a sharp knife, cut a slit down the dark side of the flounder, from top to bottom. Leave a little edge at both the top and bottom, then carve the pockets on either side along the backbone. Cut all the way to both the upper and lower fins without breaking through. Baste the flounder with plenty of the lemon juice, wine, and butter mixture followed by salt and pepper. Then fill the cavities with the seafood stuffing. Squeeze more lemon juice over the mixture as well as on the top of the flounder. In a large, lined and greased pan, bake uncovered for 20 to 30 minutes until fish is flaky.

Grilled Redfish

Adapted from Savannah Style, A Cookbook

October is peak time for the redfish running. I’m not sure which I enjoy more, catching them or eating them. So hopefully, after a great day in the creeks, you will have some nice fillets to grill for dinner!

2 pounds redfish fillets
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
1 teaspoon basil
1 teaspoon dill
1 teaspoon salt and pepper
2 orange or red bell peppers, seeded and cut into 1 inch slices

Combine lemon and lime juices in 2 quart glass bowl. Whisk in oil, garlic, and spices. Marinate the fish for 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Drain fish and reserve marinade. After the fish has marinated, grill the fillets alongside the bell peppers, basting both with the marinade about 6 to 8 times. Heat the remaining marinade and serve alongside the fish and peppers.

Beet and Herring Salad

Submitted by Linda Royal

I have to admit this recipe does not fit into the quick and easy, but it’s well worth the effort. And with beets making a popular resurgence, you will enjoy your efforts with this salad.

4 large salt herrings, skinned and boned to make 8 fillets
4 cups fresh beets, peeled, roasted, and finely diced
6 medium potatoes, boiled, skinned, and diced
3 medium Granny Smith apples, pared and finely chopped
1 small onion, minced
2 tablespoons white vinegar
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cups plain Greek yogurt, beaten until thin
Sugar to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
3 large eggs, hard boiled
Fresh dill, chopped

For the best texture and flavor, the herrings should be soaked whole but cleaned for 24 hours in several changes of cold water. If you buy the herrings in fillets, soak them for about 8 hours in 3 or 4 changes of cold water. Drain the fillets and pat them very dry with paper towels. Be sure all the fine bones are removed.

Dice the herrings, place them in a large bowl, and toss them gently with the beets, potatoes, apples, onion, and vinegar. Blend the mustard into the sour cream and fold it into the herring mixture. Season the salad with the sugar, salt, and pepper. Add more vinegar, Greek yogurt, or mustard to taste. Chill the salad 8 to 24 hours before serving, stirring it several times.

Separate the hard-boiled egg yolks and egg whites, rubbing each separately through a sieve over the top of the salad. Top with freshly chopped dill. Serves 8.