25 Best Restaurants Cape Cod 25 Best Recipes!

Savor this recipe collections shared by chefs at 25 “Best Restaurants” as voted by Cape Cod LIFE readers

Let’s just say we’ve been cooking this up for awhile.

Photo Courtesy of Ocean House Restaurant • Garlic Fried Calamari with Korean Chili Sauce

To honor many of the Cape and Islands businesses who have won awards in CAPE COD LIFE’s annual Best of the Cape & Islands Readers’ Choice Awards over many years, we established a “Best of” Hall of Fame following the announcement of our 2015 awards. The requirement for enshrinement was both simple and extremely challenging: businesses that had received Gold or Silver awards in a minimum of five of our “Best of” contest years would gain entry into the Hall. Simple? If the business won a category—say “Best Lobster Roll” or “Best Romantic Restaurant”—on five separate occasions, boom, they’re in! Challenging? Any way you slice it, there’s a lot of care and effort involved in creating the kind of venue that would inspire reader-submitted votes of support for one year’s contest, let alone five!

Therefore, we wish heartfelt congratulations to all of these Hall of Fame inductees! Naturally, as is our wont, we then mulled over ideas about how we could best share this appetizing news with our readers—you know, the folks who cast all those votes. We decided we would host a meal, but not in the traditional sense at a local restaurant or reception hall, but rather . . . in the pages of our magazine. Thus, we reached out to all of the Hall of Fame inductees whose businesses involve preparing delicious food—restaurants, bakeries, B&Bs, you name it—and asked if they would share with us one recipe each. The response was amazing, and included recipes for many great appetizers and entrées, coffee drinks, desserts and cocktails.

Readers, we hope you enjoy the 25 different recipes presented on the following pages—and if you try them at home, let us know how it went by sending a photo or note (e.g. Here we are “cleaning up” Captain Linnell House’s Skaket Mess!). Businesses, if your recipes appear on the following pages, congrats again, and thank you for participating; if they do not, consider making a reservation for 2017. We’re thinking of making this an annual tradition.

High Pointe Inn’s Crispy French Toast

Photography courtesy of High Pointe Inn • French Toast

3 eggs
2 tablespoons cream
¼ teaspoon vanilla
½ teaspoon Captain Morgan spiced rum
1 cup cornflakes, crushed
4 slices “Texas Toast” or regular, thick cut bread
Ground cinnamon
Powdered sugar

Combine the first four ingredients in a bowl and whisk until blended. Place the cornflakes in a separate dish. Dredge bread in egg mixture and coat with cornflakes.

Place on medium (350 to 360°F), liberally buttered griddle or skillet. Sprinkle lightly with cinnamon and cook for approximately three minutes. When the first side is golden brown, turn and cook for another two to three minutes.

Remove from griddle, slice diagonally, and dust with powdered sugar. Serve immediately with warmed, real maple syrup. Serves two.

This recipe is from the High Pointe Inn, 70 High Street, West Barnstable. thehighpointeinn.com

Salted Caramel Macchiato

Photo courtesy of Nirvana Coffee Co • Salted Caramel Macchiato

½ tablespoon Monin vanilla syrup
1 tablespoon Monin salted caramel syrup
2 percent milk
2 ounces espresso coffee
Caramel sauce
Cape Abilities Cape Cod Sea Salt

Add vanilla syrup and salted caramel syrup into a 16-ounce mug. Add velvety steamed milk to fill mug within one-half inch from the rim. Pour espresso into the milk, drizzle with caramel sauce, and sprinkle with sea salt. Serves one.

This recipe is from Nirvana Coffee Company, 3206 Main Street, Barnstable.

Turkish Spiced Hot Coffee

2 shots espresso
3/8-teaspoon ground cardamom
Hot water
1 ounce simple sugar
1 ounce light cream

Pour espresso in a 16-ounce mug. Stir in cardamom. Fill three quarters of the mug with hot water. Stir in simple sugar and light cream. Serves one. (For iced coffee, simply use ice and cold water.)

This recipe is from the Wired Puppy, 379 Commercial Street, Provincetown. wiredpuppy.com

Café Chew’s Pilgrim Sandwich

Photography by Matt Gill

4 tablespoons butter
3 ribs celery, diced
1 medium-sized onion, minced
4 cups lightly toasted, day-old white or wheat bread, crumbled
1 tablespoon Bell’s seasoning
Salt and pepper
¼ to ½ cup chicken broth
½ cup whole cranberry sauce
½ cup Hellmann’s mayonnaise
8 slices Pain D’Avignon cranberry-pecan bread
16 slices freshly roasted turkey
4 large romaine lettuce leaves

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook celery and onion until very soft and beginning to brown, five to seven minutes. Add bread and Bell’s seasoning. Toss stuffing mix with enough chicken broth to moisten and bind the stuffing loosely together. Season with salt and pepper. Process cranberry sauce and mayonnaise in a blender or food processor until thoroughly combined. Pat a one-half inch layer of warm stuffing onto four slices of bread, top with four slices of warm roasted turkey and a lettuce leaf. Smear the remaining four slices of bread with the cranberry mayonnaise and place on the lettuce.

Makes four sandwiches. Serve with Cape Cod Potato Chips and a dill pickle. If you don’t have time to roast a turkey, you can buy an already-roasted turkey or rotisserie chicken.

This recipe is from Café Chew, 4 Merchants Road in Sandwich. cafechew.com

Quahog Chowder

Photo courtesy of Moonakis Cafe

1 cup salt pork, finely diced
½ small white onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 cups sea clams, chopped
4 cups fresh quahogs (shuckedraw, chop and keep juice)
4 cups heavy cream
3 cups potatoes, diced and boiled

Lightly brown salt pork in a heavy saucepan over medium heat. In same saucepan, sauté onion and celery until transparent. Add chopped sea calms and stir. Add quahogs—and do not stir! When top of quahogs start to sizzle, stir together and turn heat to very low and cook until very tender. Remove from heat and add the cream and potatoes. Warm slowly. Yields 8 to 10 cups.

This recipe is from Moonakis Café, 460 Waquoit Highway, East Falmouth. moonakiscafe.com

Cape Codder Pate

Photo courtesy of Chatham Squire – Cape Cod Pate

Grind the following dry herbs, or substitute with ground spices.

½ teaspoon fennel seed
3 whole allspice berries
¼ stick cinnamon
2 bay leaves

Mix four ounces of Madeira wine with 3-¾ ounces of sun-dried cranberries. Sweat until liquid is gone.

Dry spices
½ teaspoon onion powder
¼ teaspoon coriander
¼ teaspoon thyme leaves, ground
¼ teaspoon curry powder
¼ teaspoon fancy mace
½ teaspoon ground ginger
¾ teaspoon marjoram
½ teaspoon celery seed
2 teaspoons parsley flakes
2 tablespoons unflavored gelatin
1 tablespoon kosher salt

Mix together one egg and two ounces of heavy cream.

Cut two pears in half, core, and remove stems. Poach pears in saucepan on the stovetop in equal parts of white wine and water with enough liquid to cover the pears. Add one-half of a cinnamon stick and two cloves of garlic. Poach pears until tender and discard the poaching liquid.

Roast in 350°F oven one small diced onion and one clove of crushed garlic coated with oil until translucent. Add dried thyme.

12 ounces ground pork
2 ounces brandy
6 ounces duck livers
12 ounces ground veal
¼ cup walnuts, roughly chopped

Measure the dry spices and mix together. Purée in blender half of the duck liver. Sauté until three quarters of the way done the other duck liver half in oil, and season with salt and pepper. Cool and small dice.

Mix all ingredients together, except the pears. Pour half of the farce mixture into a loaf pan, layer with the sliced pears, and layer with the rest of the farce. Cover top of pan with parchment paper. Place in a water bath in 400°F oven for one hour. Remove from oven and cool. Place a brick that has been wrapped in plastic wrap on top of pate and refrigerate for 24 hours.

Recipe yields a three-pound loaf. Serve with crackers, Pommery or Dijon mustard, cornichons and pickled pearl onions. This also makes a hearty sandwich meat.

This recipe is from Chatham Squire, 487 Main Street, Chatham. thesquire.com

Seared Sesame Tuna

Photo courtesy of Beachcomber • Seared sesame tuna

4 ounces of 2-inch-thick pieces, yellow fin tuna (sushi grade)
Kosher salt
White and black sesame seed blend
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Sprinkle kosher salt on both sides of the tuna. Press both sides of tuna into the sesame seeds. Heat a cast iron skillet on high heat until very hot. Add sesame oil. It will smoke a little bit if properly preheated. Pan sear the tuna for 30 seconds per side on high heat. Do not overcook. Slice tuna into one-quarter-inch-thick slices and fan on a plate. Serve with wasabi, soy sauce, pickled ginger, seaweed salad and a lemon wedge. Serves two as an appetizer.

This recipe is from the Beachcomber of Wellfleet, 1120 Cahoon Hollow Road, Wellfleet. thebeachcomber.com

Crab Cake Appetizer

Photo courtesy of Black Dog Tavern

½ cup mayonnaise
1-½ tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red pepper, diced
2 tablespoons green pepper, diced
2 tablespoons red onion, diced
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons lemon juice
Freshly ground pepper and salt to taste
1-¼ pound jumbo lump crabmeat
¾ cup breadcrumbs
Lemon zest for garnish

Combine mayonnaise and Dijon mustard in a bowl. Add peppers, onion, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Place crabmeat in a separate bowl and combine with mayonnaise mixture. Stir in the breadcrumbs. Mix gently, taking care not to break up the lumps of crabmeat; form into small patties about three inches in diameter. Place on a lightly oiled baking pan; bake in 350°F oven for 10 to 12 minutes until golden brown. Serve with herbed aioli and lemon zest. Serves four.

Herbed Aioli

½ cup mayonnaise
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dill, chopped
1 teaspoon parsley, chopped
Dash of Worcestershire sauce
Dash of hot sauce
Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a bowl until well blended and refrigerate.

This recipe is from The Black Dog Tavern, 20 Beach Street Ext. in Vineyard Haven, Martha’s Vineyard. theblackdog.com

12 Oyster Persillade

Photo courtesy of PB Boulangerie Bistro

12 Wellfleet Oysters
Kosher salt

Parsley-Garlic Butter

1 pound butter, softened
1 cup garlic, chopped
½ cup parsley, finely chopped
¼ cup breadcrumbs
Salt & pepper

Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl. Transfer to a large piece of plastic wrap and roll into a log. Wrap tightly and secure ends. Chill for two hours in refrigerator.

Spinach PurÉe

1.5 ounces olive oil
2 ounces butter
2 cloves garlic, chopped
½ pound spinach
Salt & pepper
Pinch nutmeg

Heat olive oil in sauté pan and add butter once oil is hot. Sauté garlic until it is translucent. Add spinach. Once spinach is cooked through add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Let cool. Remove from pan, and chop by hand or purée in blender. Cover and chill in refrigerator.

Cover a baking sheet heavily with kosher salt. Open oysters and place in a bowl with their juice, keeping the bottom shells. Arrange the shells on baking sheet. In each shell place a spoonful of spinach purée, an oyster, and top with a thick slice of parsley-garlic butter. Bake at 350°F for nine minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for two minutes. Cover a serving tray with kosher salt and place oysters on top.

This recipe is from PB Boulangerie Bistro, 15 Lecount Hollow Road, South Wellfleet. pbboulangeriebistro.com

Spanky’s Stuffed Quahog

Photography courtesy of Spanky’s Clam Shack

5 cups Ritz crackers, crushed
5 cups Italian breadcrumbs
1 bunch of fresh scallions, chopped
2 sticks of butter, divided
1 tablespoon clam base
1 large Spanish onion, chopped
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 six-ounce jar roasted red peppers, minced
2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
½ cup jalapeno peppers, minced
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ cup white wine
½ teaspoon hot sauce
½ pound linguica, minced
12 medium sized quahogs
16 ounces fresh sea clams, chopped

Mix the crackers, breadcrumbs and scallions in a large bowl. Set aside.

Melt one stick of butter in a large sauté pan. Sauté clam base, onion, celery, roasted peppers, garlic, jalapeno peppers, pepper, white wine and hot sauce until softened. When the vegetables are almost done, add linguica. Set aside.

Steam quahogs in three cups of water until the quahogs fully open. Strain juices and set aside saving the shells.

Sauté the sea clams until cooked in a separate pan. Drain the sea clam juice into the quahog broth. Chop steamed quahogs and add to sea clams. In the same sauté pan, add the vegetable and linguica mixture and additional stick of butter and sauté for approximately five minutes. Add sautéed ingredients to the crackers, breadcrumbs and scallions. Slowly add the quahog and sea clam broth until you have a nice moist consistency. Stuff the 24 shells.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the quahogs on a sheet pan and bake for 25 minutes or until hot. Serve with drawn butter, lemon wedges and hot sauce.

This recipe is from Spanky’s Clam Shack and Seaside Saloon at 138 Ocean Street, Hyannis. spankysclamshack.com

Garlic Fried Calamari with Korean Chili Sauce

Photo Courtesy of Ocean House Restaurant • Garlic Fried Calamari with Korean Chili Sauce

1 cup ketchup
½ cup miso
1 cup rice vinegar
¼ cup sesame oil
1/3 cup sriracha hot sauce
¼ cup light soy sauce
¼ cup light brown sugar
¾ cup toasted sesame seeds
Canola oil for frying
4 cups rice flour, use more if needed
2 tablespoons garlic powder
Salt and pepper
1 pound calamari, cleaned and cut into rings

Whisk together the ketchup, miso, vinegar, sesame oil, hot sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar and sesame seeds to make the sauce. Set aside.

Heat a pot or small home fryer with oil to 350°F. Combine the rice flour, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Coat the calamari with the flour mixture. Fry in small batches until they are golden brown.

Serves four as an appetizer. Serve immediately with sauce on the side.

This recipe is from the Ocean House Restaurant, 425 Old Wharf Road, Dennisport.oceanhouserestaurant.com

Bluefin Roll

Photography by Bluefin Sushi & Sake Bar

Spicy tuna mix
Mango sauce
Tempura crumbs
1 piece nori (seaweed) paper
4 ounces sushi rice, cooked
2 ounces cucumber, peeled and sliced into thin matchsticks
3 very thin slices of mango
3 small pieces of tuna sashimi

Spicy tuna mix

Combine one and one-half ounces minced sushi-grade tuna with one tablespoon mayonnaise and one-half teaspoon sriracha.

Mango sauce

Mash together one tablespoon of fresh mango and one tablespoon of soda water.

Tempura crumbs

Mix together two tablespoons flour, one tablespoon cornstarch, and two tablespoons water. Heat vegetable oil to 350°F. Sprinkle mixture into hot oil and fry for 20 seconds. Drain on paper towels to remove extra oil.

Place nori on a flat surface. Each ingredient should make a line on the nori and placed a small distance from the previous ingredient. First, closest to you, place a line of rice, being careful to not mash the rice; then add a line of spicy tuna mix and a line of cucumber. Starting at the rice edge, lift the nori and roll over the rice and other ingredients, being careful to keep the ingredients in line. Tuck the front edge of the nori into the roll. The long roll can be topped with mango and tuna sashimi, sliced and topped with mango sauce and tempura crumbs.

This recipe is from Bluefin Sushi & Sake Bar, 513 Main Street, Chatham. bluefinschatham.com

Coconut Curry Mussels

Photography courtesy of Chart Room

3 tablespoons Thai ginger marinade (see below)
1 tablespoon red curry paste
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 can (13 ounce) coconut milk
½ cup white wine
2 tablespoons garlic, chopped
1-½ pounds mussels

Clean the mussels by removing the beard from the shell and scrubbing the shell under cold water. Whisk together all ingredients, except the mussels, and bring to a boil in a saucepan. Add mussels, cover saucepan and let simmer until mussels open, about five minutes.

Thai Ginger Marinade

¼ cup Teriyaki sauce
2 tablespoons sesame oil
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons ginger, chopped
2 teaspoons garlic, chopped
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 tablespoons cilantro, chopped
Salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients together.

This recipe is from The Chart Room, 1 Shipyard Lane in Cataumet. chartroomcataumet.com

Cajun Seafood Alfredo

Photography by Cajun Seafood Alfredo

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
3 jumbo shrimp, raw
1 lobster tail, raw and quartered
6 sea scallops, raw
¼ red onion, rough chop
4 asparagus spears, cut in fourths
1 clove garlic, chopped
Pinch fresh basil
1 teaspoon Cajun spice, adjust to taste
¼ cup Chablis
½ cup heavy cream
¼ cup Romano cheese
8 ounces pasta, par-cooked

Heat olive oil in a skillet. Add seafood, onion, asparagus and spices to sear. Once lightly browned, deglaze the pan with wine. Add cream and simmer to reduce, approximately five minutes. Add cheese and pasta and let simmer three to four minutes. Serves one.

This recipe is from Fanizzi’s Restaurant by the Sea, 539 Commercial Street, Provincetown. fanizzisrestaurant.com

Keftedes—Mediterranean Beef Meatballs

Photography courtesy of Far Land Provisions

2 pounds ground beef
½ cup onion, grated (grate on box grater into a strainer and squeeze dry before measuring)
¼ cup fresh parsley, finely minced
2 tablespoons fresh mint, finely minced
½ cup fine, dry breadcrumbs lightly soaked in milk
2 large eggs
½ teaspoon ground allspice
½ teaspoon ground cumin
¼ teaspoon garlic powder
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
1-1/2 teaspoons salt

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Put the beef, onion, parsley, mint and breadcrumbs in a bowl, and mix together with your hands until combined. Whisk the eggs, allspice, cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper and salt together and add to the beef; mix until well combined. Using a one-quarter cup-sized measuring cup, scoop level balls of the meat mixture and transfer to baking sheet. Using wet hands, roll the balls between your palms until round.

Bake until the meatballs begin to brown and are cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes. Serve the meatballs warm and with yogurt sauce for dipping.

Herb Yogurt Sauce

2 cups low-fat plain Greek yogurt
2 tablespoons fresh dill, minced
2 tablespoons fresh mint, minced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Whisk ingredients until combined in a mixing bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 24 meatballs and two cups of sauce.

This recipe is from Far Land Provisions, 150 Bradford Street, Provincetown. farlandprovisions.com

Mac’s Cracker-Crusted Bluefish

Photography by Mac’s Seafood

1 pound fresh bluefish fillet, cut into three portions
3 slices bacon
1 large egg, whisked
½ cup finely crushed crackers (Ritz or Carr’s Rosemary)

Bring bluefish to room temperature so the fish will cook more evenly. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Fry the bacon over medium-high heat in a large skillet (oven-proof, preferably cast iron). When the bacon is done, transfer to a plate and save for your salad. Keep the fat in the skillet.

Whisk the egg gently in one bowl, while placing crushed crackers in a second bowl. Dip both sides of fish in the egg and then in the cracker crumbs. Set fillets aside. Heat skillet again. When the bacon fat is hot but not smoking, sear the fillets for two to three minutes per side, and then place the pan in the oven. Bake for five minutes. Remove from the oven and let it rest for several minutes before serving. Crumble the bacon over a salad, and serve alongside the fish. Serves three.

This recipe is from Mac’s Seafood, which has markets and restaurants in Eastham, Wellfleet, Truro and Provincetown. macsseafood.com

Bobotie (beef or lamb)

Photo courtesy of Karoo

2 slices white bread
½ cup milk
2 tablespoons oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1-½ pounds ground beef or lamb
3 eggs
2 tablespoons chutney
1 cup milk
½ teaspoon turmeric

Heat oven to 375°F.

Soak bread in milk. Heat oil in pan, and sauté onions until translucent but not brown. Mix together curry powder, sugar, salt, pepper, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Cook with onion for one minute. Add bread mixture and incorporate with onion and spices. Add meat and cook for five minutes or until cooked through.

Mix one egg and chutney together and add to meat mixture. Stir together and cook through. Pour mixture into a 9 x 13 inch baking pan. Combine milk, two eggs and turmeric; pour over the top, shaking the pan to be sure ingredients are smooth on top. Bake for one hour.

Let rest for 10 minutes. Serve with yellow rice, vegetable and sliced bananas. Serves six.

This recipe is from Karoo Restaurant, 3 Main Street, Suite 32B, in Eastham. karoorestaurants.com

The Red Inn Lamb Chops

Serves one-half rack of lamb per person, French cleaned or cut into lamb chops, or for thick chops every other bone can be removed.

Lamb Rub

½ cup fresh rosemary, chopped
2/3 cup fresh thyme, chopped
¾ cup fresh basil, chopped
2-1/3 teaspoons kosher salt
1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey

Mix all ingredients together to make a paste; rub paste generously on lamb and marinade for at least two hours. This can be done a day or so in advance.

Red Wine Sauce

1 cup veal stock
½ cup port wine
½ cup red wine
1 large shallot, quartered
2 garlic cloves
1 sprig fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh thyme

Place all ingredients in a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce by half and strain. Sauce can be stored in a refrigerator and used within a week. Reheat sauce and add a little butter if desired before serving. Grill the lamb, or bake in oven. Drizzle sauce over lamb or serve on the side. Garnish with fresh rosemary and thyme. The rub and sauce will accommodate eight to ten diners, with one-half rack of lamb per person.

This recipe is from The Red Inn, 15 Commercial Street, Provincetown. theredinn.com

Sole Meunière

Photography courtesy of Red Pheasant Inn

4 cups flour
6 beaten eggs in stainless bowl
10 ounces clarified butter
3¼ to 4 pounds grey sole fillets
Juice of 2 lemons
8 shallots, minced
12 tablespoons capers
10 ounces white wine
1 cup heavy cream
8 tablespoons butter
Salt & pepper

Preheat oven to 125°F. Dredge sole fillets in flour, place in bowl with eggs. Heat clarified butter in sauté pan until just below smoking point. Add sole fillets, reduce heat to medium after two minutes, turn and continue cooking another two to three minutes. Put sauté fillets in the warm oven and cook remaining fillets. Squeeze a little lemon juice on the fillets. Sauté shallots and capers until softened. Add white wine, and reduce to one half. Add remaining lemon juice, heavy cream and butter. Whisk and season to taste. Pour sauce over fish and serve. Serves eight.

This recipe is from The Red Pheasant Inn, 905 Route 6A in Dennis. redpheasantinn.com

Pan Seared Scallops with Mediterranean Orzo

Photography courtesy of Old Yarmouth Inn

Vegetable oil
24 day boat scallops, patted dry and seasoned with salt and pepper
3 cups fresh spinach
1 cup San Marzano diced tomatoes
1 cup feta cheese, cubed
2 cups orzo, cooked
Chopped oregano and basil to taste
Extra virgin olive oil

Heat three tablespoons of vegetable oil in a skillet. Get pan extremely hot and add scallops. Cook for 45 seconds, or until scallops begin to caramelize. Turn each scallop over, cook for 15 seconds and turn off heat. In a separate skillet, add enough vegetable oil to lightly coat the pan. Add the spinach and tomatoes. Allow the spinach to wilt and add the feta cheese and orzo.

Transfer the orzo mixture to four pasta plates. Arrange six scallops on each plate, garnish with the oregano and basil, and drizzle with olive oil.

This recipe is from the Old Yarmouth Inn, 223 Route 6A in Yarmouth Port. oldyarmouthinn.com

Shellfish Algarve

Photo courtesy of the Lobster Pot

½ cup soybean oil
¼ cup clarified butter
¼ cup fish stock
1 tablespoon garlic, pureed
Pinch crushed red pepper
1 bay leaf
6 mussels
4 littleneck clams
2 oysters
2 jumbo shrimp
2 scallops
3 ounces fish, any kind
Thin pasta, cooked

Scrub the shellfish. In a four-quart pot, place everything except the shrimp, scallops, fish and pasta. Cook on medium heat, covered, until the shellfish begins to open, shaking the pot or stirring occasionally. Add remaining seafood and cook for five more minutes, or until the seafood is just cooked.

Place the warmed pasta on the bottom of a large serving bowl, and arrange the shellfish and seafood on top. (Add a half or whole lobster, or chop it up, and add at the beginning.) Serves one.

This recipe is from The Lobster Pot Restaurant, 321 Commercial Street, Provincetown. ptownlobsterpot.com

Coconut Lavender Lemonade

Photography by Kim Reilly, Studio K Photography

3 ounces Tito’s Handmade Vodka
1 ounce fresh lemon juice
1 ounce lavender simple syrup
1 ounce coconut water
Lemon twist

Add all ingredients to a shaker with ice. Shake, strain and garnish with a lemon twist. Serves one.

Black Cherry Sake Fizz

Photography by Kim Reilly, Studio K Photography

Fresh cherries
1 ounce simple syrup
3 ounces sake
3 ounces Prosecco

Muddle four cherry halves with simple sugar. Add sake, Prosecco and ice. Stir. Garnish with a fresh cherry. Serves one.

These two drink recipes are from Mahoney’s Atlantic Bar & Grill, 28 Main Street, Orleans. mahoneysatlantic.com

Butter Crunch Cookies

Photography by Meredith Schulman

2 cups shortening
2 cups brown sugar
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1-½ cups cold water
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
6-½ cups flour
2 cups toffee bits

Preheat oven to 350°F. With a mixer, combine shortening and sugars. Mix in the eggs, water, baking soda, salt and vanilla. Mix in flour and toffee bits. On parchment-lined cookie sheets, place a heaping tablespoon of dough. With the tip of the spoon, spread dough into two-inch rounds by one-eighth-inch thick dollops. Bake eight to 10 minutes, rotate pan and bake for five more minutes. The cookies are done when they are dark golden brown. This recipe also works well divided in half.

This is recipe is from Humphreys Bakery, 455 State Road in Vineyard Haven,Martha’s Vineyard. humphreysmv.com

Skaket Mess

Photography by Jennifer Dow

6 egg whites
Pinch cream of tartar
Pinch of salt
1 ½ cups super-fine sugar
12 egg yolks
2 ½ cups sugar, divided
2 cups whole milk
3 cups heavy cream, divided
5 tablespoons vanilla extract, divided
½ cup water
Strawberries
Blueberries
Raspberries
Blackberries
Whipped cream

Meringue

With an electric mixer, beat on medium-high speed the egg whites, cream of tartar and salt until peaks start to form. Slowly add one and one-half cups super-fine sugar and beat for seven to eight minutes to form stiff peaks. Place meringue in a pastry bag with a star tip and pipe in the shape of bite-size rosettes onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. (Extra meringues keep well stored in an airtight container.) Bake at 200°F until cooked through and dry to the touch (about one hour).

Custard

Whisk egg yolks and one-quarter cup sugar in a bowl, until pale yellow. In a saucepan, bring to a boil the milk, two cups of cream and one-quarter cup sugar. Turn heat to medium-low. Whisk hot milk mixture—a little at a time—into egg mixture so as not to curdle the yolks. Place egg and milk mixture back in saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly using a wooden spoon. It will begin to thicken; when it coats the back of a wooden spoon; remove from heat, strain and add three tablespoons of vanilla. Cool and refrigerate.

Caramel sauce

Place two cups of sugar and water in a saucepan over high heat. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Bring to a boil. Continue to cook until mixture becomes a syrup with large bubbles, then smaller bubbles; then the syrup will start to turn amber-colored. Remove from heat and add one cup of heavy cream, which will bubble and boil. Stir until combined and smooth. Add two tablespoons vanilla.

Serving

To plate, use an 8 to 12 ounce clear sundae dish. In the dish layer a few meringues, a little custard, some sliced strawberries and blueberries, a few meringues, whipped cream, a few meringues, raspberries and blackberries, custard and end with whipped cream drizzled with caramel sauce. Garnish with a strawberry and mint.

25 Best Recipes!