Seafood Sliders

By Esther Boateng


Many hands make light work. If you normally feel like a headless chicken at this time of the year, enlist the help of those around you. This tapas style recipe calls for all hands on deck. Whether you are a dab hand at chopping vegetables and making delicious dressings, or great at sautéing shrimp, there is a task for each member of the family. 

There is no hard and fast rule when it comes to your choice of toppings; the world is your oyster. With that said, it’s probably best to choose simple seafood, such as shrimp, that is quick and easy to prepare.

You have the option to scale up or scale down when it comes to portion size. Smaller portions will reduce your cooking time. Bigger portions, say two larger potato rostis, will turn this into a more substantial party snack. However you decide to serve this recipe, it’s bound to be a crowd pleaser. 

Ingredients for Toppings:

Cottage Cheese

1 cup cottage cheese

4 oz. crabmeat, drained (half a small tub)

Dash of lemon juice

1/2 tsp. salt

4-6 basil Leaves, finely chopped 

Sour Cream

4 Tbsp. sour cream

1/4 tsp. Dr. Cowan’s Garden Sea Vegetables Powder

1 tsp. Dr. Cowan’s Garden Horseradish Powder

1 tsp. Dr. Cowan’s Garden Wild Ramp Powder

Dash of lemon juice

3 Tbsp. chopped dill

1 tsp. capers (optional)

Salt to taste

 

Saffron and Turmeric Shrimp

6-8 shrimp

A generous pinch of saffron (several strands)

2-3 Tbsp. Oil of your choice for the paste)

Butter or oil for sauteing shrimp

Dash of coconut aminos (for the paste, optional)

A pinch of Dr. Cowan’s Garden Pepper Salt

1/2 tsp. Dr. Cowan’s Garden Turmeric Powder

1/4 tsp. Dr. Cowan’s Garden Threefold Blend Powder (Spicy)

1/2 tsp. anise seed powder or extract (optional)

1/4 tsp. salt

 

Potato Rosti

4-5 Yukon Gold potatoes medium size

1 tsp. Dr. Cowan’s Garden Wild Ramp Powder

1 tsp. Dr. Cowan’s Garden Parsnip Powder

¼ tsp. Dr. Cowan’s Garden Pepper Salt

1 tsp. garlic powder (optional)

Salt to taste

Butter for cooking

 

Instructions: 

Cottage Cheese and Sour Cream Toppings

To prepare each recipe, add all the ingredients to a bowl and mix well. Serve on top of the potato rosti. 

Saffron and Turmeric Shrimp Topping

1. Take a big pinch of saffron and Pepper Salt and grind together in a pestle and mortar until you get a fine powder.
2. Place the saffron, Pepper Salt, anise seed powder (optional), the Turmeric Powder, and Threefold Blend Powder (Spicy) in a small bowl. Add oil and mix until it forms a paste. Add a dash of coconut aminos if you want a more liquidlike consistency.
3. Coat the shrimp with the paste, and either leave it overnight in a Ziploc bag, or set the mixture aside for a short while until you are ready to sauté it.
4. Add butter or oil to a pan and heat it on a medium to high heat until it melts.
5. Add the shrimp mixture and sauté for several minutes until cooked throughout, continually stirring the shrimp so it does not stick to the pan.
6. When cooked and no longer translucent, remove from the heat and stack on top of the potato rosti and topping of your choice.

 

Potato Rosti

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees and peel and wash the potatoes.
2. Use a cheese grater to grate the potatoes and transfer to a bowl.
3. Sprinkle potatoes with Wild Ramp Powder, Parsnip Powder, Pepper Salt, salt, and garlic powder. Set aside for several minutes.
4. Line a baking tray with greaseproof paper (parchment paper).
5. After a few minutes, a small amount of water from the potatoes will gather at the bottom of the bowl. Squeeze out the excess water from the potatoes with your hands.
6. Heat some butter in a pan for 1 minute or until it is hot.
7. When the butter has melted, if you have silicone egg rings, place them in the pan. Fill each ring with 2-3 tablespoons of potato mixture. Use a spatula or the back of a spoon to press down the grated potato in the rings. Make sure the ring is sufficiently compact and remove the ring from the pan.
8. If you don’t have an egg ring, simply spoon out 2-3 tablespoons of potato mixture into the pan and flatten with the back of a spoon to form a circular shape.
9. Continue to lightly pan fry for about 1-2 minutes or until it starts to crisp. Flip it over with a spatula and crisp the other side for 1-2 minutes or until slightly golden.
10. Use a spatula to remove the potato rostis from the pan. Transfer to a lined baking tray and put in the oven to cook throughout for 15-20 minutes.
11. When the potato rostis are ready, remove them from the oven. Serve immediately with a topping of your choice.

Tips:

Salt tends to dry out the shrimp, so I prefer to leave it out of the marinade and add it just before I cook it.