Cook to Order on TheBrandywine.com

Executive Chef Dan Butler
Owner, Deep Blue Bar & Grill, Toscana Kitchen + Bar Wilmington, DE 19971

Join Dan’s email list.

Chef Butler’s Seafood Salad

Enough for 4 salads 4 oz squid (calamari) cleaned and sliced into rings -include some tentacles as well 4 oz shrimp cleaned and split 8 ea large Mediteranean Mussels steamed ‘til just opened 2 oz Jumbo lump crabmeat 4 oz grilled octopus

Prepare each seafood item separately:

Steam the mussels and set aside Boil the squid and shrimp (can be done together) about 5-8 min- ‘til tender. Then chill. Boil the octopus for about 2 hours then break into smaller pieces of a few tentacles and grill it ’til crisp. Cut it on the bias in thin pieces. Then chill, ( coat with a little dressing to avoid drying). Clean the crabmeat of any small shells leaving the meat as intact as possible.

The dressing:

Combine the following ingredients: Juice of 1-2 lemons 2 cloves of garlic minced very fine a few red pepper flakes one small bunch of parsley chopped and squeezed dry 3-4 oz Extra Virgin olive oil Put the seafood into the dressing and serve. The seafood can stay in the dressing for as much as a day ahead.

Chef Butler’s Risotto allíAnatra

For about 4 entrees 1 large shallot minced 1 oz butter 1 oz dried porcini reconstituted in white wine 1 cup sliced shiitake mushrooms 2 cups Arborio rice 2 cups chianti 2 cups duck or chicken broth (hot) 4-6 oz (2 legs) roasted duck meat pulled from the bone 3 oz goat cheese 2 oz reggiano Sauté the shallot in the butter then add the Arborio. Let the butter coat and sear the rice well. Add the shiitakes and let them sauté well. Add the red wine, stirring constantly, just a bit at a time. Then add the porcini in their liquid. Add the broth a ladle at a time, waiting for the previous dose to become absorbed before adding the next. When the rice is almost cooked (bite a kernel to see that it is cooked about 90% of the way through), add the goat cheese and incorporate vigorously. Finish with reggiano. The risotto should be think enough to stand upon itself but fall slowly. It should not look pasty nor runny. If it’s too starchy, add more liquid and if it’s too runny, you can either cook it more or add more cheese.Serve immediately.

Chef Butler’s Scallops in pancetta pan gravy

For 2 entrees 8 ea large sea scallops 1 oz pancetta diced fine 3 oz dry white wine 3 oz whole butter 1 T fresh chopped chives Sear the scallops in a small amount of oil in a very hot pan. Let them sear very well before turning. Add the pancetta and let it render. Add the shallots and after they’ve cooked a bit, add the white wine. Remove the scallops and let the wine continue to reduce. Add the butter and whisk vigorously to make the sauce. Finish with chopped chives. Place the scallops over pasta or potatoes or the starch (or vegetable) of your choice and drizzle the sauce over each scallop.

Enjoy.