A quick trip into the past with Clark Dexter…and the how to video links

Last week I had the unique opportunity to recreate the past on my tv show, Inspired Cooking.   Be sure to tune in Friday at 4:30 and Sunday at 11:30 to see the show!

I have fond memories of eating at Dexter’s Hearthside in Essex when I was younger and always remembered the baked stuffed shrimp.  It is no secret–baked stuffed shrimp is one of my favorite things to eat of all time.  Simple stuffing, big shrimp, butter, lemon–that’s it–perfection.

And that is what I got to cook with Clark Dexter in his gorgeous kitchen last week.  We made a stuffing for shrimp that we also used for lobster–YUM–here is the recipe for the crumbs and how we prepared the shrimp and lobster!

Here is the recipe, straight from the Chef himself, for the famous crumbs they used at Dexter’s Hearthside:

Bread and Cracker Crumb Stuffing

4 cups fresh breadcrumbs (from about 8 slices fresh white bread)-Clark used Pepperidge Farm white

2 cups milk cracker crumbs (like Milk Lunch crackers) about 20 crackers

1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

3/4 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 teaspoon celery seed

1/2 teaspoon onion powder

1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning (which consists of marjoram, thyme, rosemary, savory, sage, oregano and basil–if you have fresh you can use them)

In a food processor, process crackers until chopped.  Add slices of bread to processor and pulse until combined

Melt butter in a large pan.  Add onions and garlic and saute until soft, about three minutes.  Add seasoning, turn off heat and add crumbs.  Stir until all of the butter mixture is absorbed.

A note on the recipe from Clark:

“This stuffing can be used for many fish dishes including baked stuffed haddock, cod, scallops, crab meat, lobster and shrimp and many more.  If you have any left over stuffing it can be frozen for up to six months.  You can add crab meat, diced shrimp, diced scallops, chopped clams and cheese to this stuffing to make something for your own taste.  Enjoy.”

Here is the video link for the stuffed shrimp:

youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QFAyb111c8g

During the show, we used these crumbs to stuff two lobsters and 12 shrimp and still had some left over.  Clark showed me a trick to keep the shrimp moist which was to bake them with their shell on.  He ran a knife down the back of the shelled shrimp, removed the vein and opened up the shrimp to stuff, leaving the shell on.  We packed the stuffing well into the shrimp and baked for 12-15 minutes in a 375 oven until the crumbs were golden brown and the shrimp was cooked through.  Allow them to cool to the touch and slide the meat and stuffing off of the shell with a knife.  Serve with lemon and drawn butter.  Enjoy!

For the lobster:

First, here is the how to video from the show:

youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDroWiWyXFM

Remove the tentacles and the claws.  Place the claws in boiling water for 10-12 minutes.  Turn lobster over and slice from the head end all the way to the tail.   Open up and remove the stomach and intestinal track.  Make a horizontal slice across the tail of the lobster just above the flippers so that the tail does not curl up during cooking.  Remove roe if using a female lobster.

When the claws are cooked, cool them and remove the meat.  Chop in to bite sized pieces and place in the cavity of the lobster.  Lightly pack lobster bodies and tails with the stuffing and bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minute until the crumbs are golden brown.  Serve with lemon and drawn butter.  Enjoy!