Gourmet Salmon and Scallop Seafood Recipes

Seafood is a favorite food that most people don’t get to eat every day and is a great idea for a special meal or party. Here are 2 gourmet seafood recipes you can prepare for your party, whether it is a baby shower, bridal party, or just a special dinner.

Seared Scallops on Baby Spinach with Lemon Vinaigrette

10 medium sized sea scallops
4 tbsp. butter
4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste

Heat a large skillet on medium high. Melt butter in pan and add olive oil. Salt and pepper both sides of the scallop. Lay scallops into the hot pan, searing until golden brown on both sides, about 3-4 minutes on each side. Set aside on paper towel to drain and cool.

For the salad and vinaigrette, you’ll need:

1 lb. fresh, baby spinach
1 lb. oyster mushrooms
Half cup roasted pumpkin seeds
2 tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice (do not use bottled juice)
1 tbsp. lemon rind
1 tsp. Dijon country mustard
One half tsp. garlic powder
One half tsp. kosher or sea salt
One fourth tsp. fresh ground pepper
One fourth cup extra virgin olive oil

Mix first six ingredients together well. Then, slowly drizzle in olive oil and whisk briskly to incorporate into a thick, yellow vinaigrette. To arrange the dish, toss baby spinach and oyster mushrooms together with the vinaigrette. Arrange in a small mound in the middle of the plate. Slice scallops in half and serve one or two seared side up. Scatter roasted pumpkin seeds over the top and serve.

Roasted and Broiled Salmon with Mango Coulis

2 lbs. fresh Atlantic or Sockeye salmon, cut into 1 inch filets
2 lemons, juiced and zested
Seasoned salt (McCormick’s, Lawry’s, Aunt Cora’s, etc.)
8 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped finely
8-10 tsp. Gulden’s Spicy Mustard
2 cups dried plain bread crumbs
Butter or Olive Oil flavored cooking spray
Parchment paper

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove any pin bones from salmon filets. Zest lemons and set aside. Place salmon in a dish and squeeze fresh lemon juice over the top. Let it marinade for 30-45 minutes. Place salmon on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper and cooking spray. Sprinkle top with generous amount of seasoning salt. Then, spread one teaspoon of spicy brown mustard over the top and smooth out with a knife. Toss fresh garlic over the mustard and then cover with one fourth cup of dried plain bread crumbs. Repeat for all pieces of salmon. Carefully and slowly spray the top of the bread crumbs with a layer of cooking spray. Bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes. Then, broil for 5-10 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Mango Coulis

1 ripe mango, peeled and cut into cubes
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp. honey
Half a cup orange juice
One fourth tsp. ground cinnamon
One fourth tsp. ground allspice
One fourth tsp. ground nutmeg
One eighth tsp. cayenne pepper (more or less, depending on how much heat you want)

Blend all ingredients together in a food processor until smooth. Spoon onto plate and place cooked salmon on top. Add a side of mashed potatoes to finish off the dish. These two dishes will be a sure hit, whether you are hosting a party, a formal event, or just making a special dinner.




Criss White is a professional writer that writes about food and other party planning topics like baby shower recipes and other baby shower ideas. Criss enjoys hosting parties and cooking when not writing.

Unique Seafood Recipes for a Party

You’re hosting a party and want to break free from the same old chips, dips, finger sandwiches, and various foods on skewers. Take a bold step forward by wowing your guests with a delicious appetizer from the sea. Here are some great unique seafood recipes for your party.

Mini crab cakes

1 pound jumbo lump crab meat
3 slices white bread
1 tbsp. mayonnaise
1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
1 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
1 large egg
Cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper
Vegetable oil, for frying

Drain crab meat and then squeeze out any excess liquid. Pick through the meat to make sure there are no shell parts. Beat the egg in a separate bowl. Cut crusts off the bread and break into very small pieces. Then add into the bowl with the egg. Mix in the other ingredients and fold together, being careful not to break up the crab meat. Form the mini cakes (about the size of a half dollar) in your hand and set on cookie sheet. When all of the mini crab cakes are formed, put the tray in the refrigerator for 1-24 hours, covered.

Fill a sauté pan with about one inch of oil and heat on medium high until hot, but not smoking. Carefully lay the crab cakes in the pan for about 4-5 minutes per side, or until they’re golden brown. You should only turn the cakes one time. Remove to paper towel to drain and then serve. Add a dip of store bought tartar or cocktail sauce or a packaged hollandaise sauce. Serve with plenty of sliced lemon wedges and parsley to decorate the platter.

Shrimp Ceviche in Cucumber Cups

2 English hothouse cucumbers
One half pound shrimp, peeled, deveined, and chopped
4 limes, juiced
1 tbsp. fresh chopped parsley
1 tbsp. fresh chopped chives
3 tbsp. finely chopped shallot
One fourth cup of chopped red pepper
One fourth cup of finely chopped celery
1 tsp. course sea salt
One fourth tsp. pepper
Cayenne pepper, to taste (optional)
2 tbsp. crème fraiche

Peel cucumbers and cut into one inch thick slices. Try to have about 15-16. Use a melon baller to scoop out the center of the cucumber without puncturing the bottom. Place cucumber cups on a tray until you’re ready to fill and serve them.

In a glass bowl, combine the shrimp with all ingredients except the crème fraiche. Stir well, fully coating the shrimp with the lime juice. The acid in the juice will actually cook the shrimp as it sits in the refrigerator chilling for up to four hours.

Before serving, drain all of the liquid out and mix in the crème fraiche. If that’s not available, you can substitute with sour cream. Place a spoonful of shrimp mixture in each cucumber cup and serve.

Fish Pakora (Indian style)

1 pound filet of white fish (flounder, cod, tilapia), cut into big chunks
Chickpea flour (also called besan or gram)
Half cup finely chopped onion
3 cloves of finely chopped garlic
One fourth tsp. powdered ginger
1 tsp. coriander
1 tsp. garam masala
Chili powder, to taste (optional, depending on level of heat desired)
Salt, to taste
Water, to thicken batter.

Mix everything from chickpeas through salt together. Slowly add water to form a batter the consistency of pancake batter. Dip fish pieces in the batter and deep fry. Remove to paper towel to drain and then serve with riata (yogurt sauce) and warm naan (bread.)




Criss White is a professional writer and foodie. Check out the baby shower food section of My Baby Shower Favors for more party food ideas and also check out these seafood dinner ideas.

Suggestions When Cooking Seafood with White Wine

Cooking can be as simple or as elaborate and complex as you want it to be. For most chefs, adding wine can mean that this is a very special dish and this ingredient can definitely make the dish have a very distinctive taste. Wine, when enjoyed as a beverage, can complement the dish and cleanse the palette at the same time. In cooking, the alcohol content in the wine is heated. Thus, the flavors are released into the dish and the right choice of wine can mean that the flavor of the wine can be absorbed by the meat.

One must be careful though with the amount of wine that will be added in the dish. Too little can have very little effect as well and may not be enough to achieve the desired taste, while too much can overpower the taste of the dish and may in turn make the dish taste too strong.

White wine is best enjoyed with seafood. Whether during eating or combining it in the dish or while cooking, white wine can bring out the taste, texture, and flavors of the fish. It can complement the saltiness of fish and the wine will not overpower the flavor of the dish (as compared to red wine).

For soups recipes with seafood and tomatoes, you can use Rose and other wine variants in this category. But specifically for shrimps, whether boiled in soups, grilled, or sauteed, Dry Fino Sherry will be the best wine to use. This dry wine will really bring out the sweetness and the saltiness of the shrimp. When working with a seafood stew, it is best if you use Pinot Noir in the dish, while you can use Albarino for lighter seafood dishes and sushi dishes that use fish. For seafood cocktail, most chefs would recommend the use of Pinot Blanc, and they would recommend Chablis or Champagne for oysters.

Wine can definitely raise your meals to a whole new level. Wine can indeed be enjoyed in so many ways. You can mix it in your dishes, make it your beverage while dining, or even give them out as gifts or wine wedding favors to symbolize a very romantic and elegant occasion. Next time you’re cooking fish, try out a recipe that calls for white wine, get the right white wine, and you will definitely be cooking up some more.