Eat Together, Make Life Delicious...

This recipe is perfect for tailgating and can be as fancy or as low key as you want it to be. To prepare these for a tailgating event, simply prepare and assemble the stuff mushrooms in advance and transport them in a plastic container. To finish them off, place a piece of foil on the grilling grates (at medium high flame) and the mushrooms on top and grill them until piping hot and the cheese is melting, or about 15 to 20 minutes (this will depend out how hot the grill is so just keep an eye on it.)

When preparing this recipe, it’s not necessary to use jumbo or backfin lump crab, the most expensive crabmeat. Just use the freshest you can find. This recipe is easily prepared ahead of time and baked or grilled before serving. My grandmother Edna and her sisters, Cookie and Mimi, loved this recipe; you could eat it with one hand and still hold your drink in the other. My brother John likes to soak the bread in white wine instead of water. That works too as it adds a little more flavor.

To really branch out and try something fun, try this recipe with other seafood such as canned salmon, canned Sicilian tuna, King crabmeat, Snow crabmeat, minced fresh scallops, minced fresh shrimp, to name a few.

Tailgating Crab-Stuffed Mushroom Caps
makes 4 to 6 servings

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 large white onion, finely chopped
2 pounds large white mushrooms, stems removed and pulsed in a
food processor until finely minced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup torn day-old bread, soaked in 2 tablespoons water
½ pound Monterey Jack cheese, grated (to make this "fancy", try Brie cheese)
1 pound fresh crabmeat (or all the fun suggestions I mentioned in the intro)



Place a rack in the middle of the oven and heat to 375 degrees. In a medium
skillet over medium heat, slick the skillet with the olive oil. Add the butter, onion, minced mushroom stems, thyme, and salt. Sauté until the onions are translucent and the stems have released their juices, about 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and transfer to a medium bowl. Add the soaked bread, cheese, and crabmeat. Mix gently until well combined.

Meanwhile, wipe off the mushroom caps with a damp paper towel and place them in a large bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and steam the mushrooms in the microwave on high heat for about 2 minutes, stirring once. (Timing will vary according to the wattage of your oven. Steam them until they’re just slightly tender—they’ll finish cooking in the oven.) Transfer the mushrooms to several layers of paper towels and let drain.

Arrange the steamed mushroom caps, hollow side up, on a sheet pan. Stuff them with a nice mound of crabmeat stuffing. Don’t pack the filling too tightly. Bake (or grill) the stuffed mushrooms for about 15 minutes, or until the filling is golden brown. Serve immediately.

Labels: grilled seafood, stuffed mushroom caps, tailgating

This method of grilling shrimp–in their shells on high heat–works well: the shrimp cook fast and stay tender and juicy. Once you have mastered this technique, I suggest creating a variety of stuffings based on your favorite ingredients. This recipe is especially handy for casual gatherings where easy preparation is very important. At the table, make sure to include: napkins, as picking the shells off to get to the tender shrimp can get a little messy but oh so fun; and little bowls, for the discarded shells.

Grilled Buttery Herb-Stuffed Shrimp
Makes 4 servings

For the Stuffing:
½ cup finely chopped fresh basil
½ cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 medium clove garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt pinch freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil or softened unsalted butter

For the Shrimp:
1 pound large shrimp, or about 21 shrimp per pound, the larger the better, deveined
and butterflied, but shells on (see note on technique below)
1 lemon cut into wedges

Heat a well-seasoned grill to medium heat.

In a medium bowl combine the basil, parsley, garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil (or butter). Mix until a herb paste is created.

Stuff the herb paste between the shrimp shells and meat. Grill the shrimp for about 2 minutes per side, or until the meat turns opaque. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.

How to Butterfly a Shrimp…while leaving the shells on
The best way to bufferfly a shrimp while leaving its shell on is to use a pair of kitchen scissors. Start at the top and cut down the back to the tail almost the whole way through, leaving enough flesh so the shrimp is still connected. It’s far easier to cut through the shell with scissors than slicing through it with a knife. However, if you plan to use a knife, make sure it is sharp. Take care, as the shell can be slippery causing the knife to slide.

Some other stuffing ideas:
Mojito Stuffed Shrimp: Mint, lime zest, olive/butter and a douse of Rum
Sicilian Stuffed Shrimp: Sun dried tomatoes, garlic, olive/butter, and a splash of Red Wine
Mexican Stuffed Shrimp: Cumin-or Mexican seasoning, finely Diced tomatoes, Cilantro, and olive/butter
Hawaiian Stuffed Shrimp: mashed pineapples, curry, cilantro, and olive/butter
Southern Stuffed Shrimp: southern bbq sauce, drop of Tabasco sauce, olive/butter

Labels: Grilled Buttery Herb-Stuffed Shrimp, grilled seafood, shrimp