Ingredients
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (30 ml)
20 crab legs, cracked
1 teaspoon jerk spice (5 ml)
1 sprig of rosemary
8 thin slices of ginger
1 lime
2 tablespoons water (30 ml)
1 tablespoon butter (15 ml)
1/4 cup flat parsley (60 ml)
2 tablespoons celery leaves (30 ml)
Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure

•  Pre-heat oven to 400 ˚F (200 ˚C).

•  In an oven-proof skillet, heat the oil and sauté the crab legs with the jerk spice, rosemary and ginger.  Cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice.  Add the squeezed lime to the skillet.  Add water and toss to coat the crab

•  Place in the oven for 2-3 minutes until the crab heats through and is flavored with the spices and herbs.  Add butter and toss with parsley and celery leaves.  Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Butter Seared Atlantic Sea Scallops, Butternut Squash Purée, Caper-Raisin Vinaigrette
Serves 3

Butternut Squash Purée

½ lb unsalted butter
1 ½ Vidalia onions, finely diced
1 clove organic garlic, minced
Juice of 1 lemon
¼ cup water

1 small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced
500 ml whipping cream (35% fat content)

Coarse salt, wildflower honey and white truffle oil to taste

Caper-Raisin Vinaigrette

½ shallot, minced
1 anchovy fillet, minced
½ cup fine capers, drained
½ cup sultanas (golden raisins), quartered

Zest of ¼ of a lemon
Juice of 1 ½ lemons
½ cup olive oil

Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
¼ cup finely chopped chives

Butter Seared Atlantic Sea Scallops

1 Tbsp duck fat, bacon fat or clarified pork fat drippings
9 large (8/10’s) Atlantic sea scallops
Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
Juice of ¼ a lemon

Micro Greens

1 handful mixed Micro greens
1 tsp good olive oil
Juice of ¼ of a lemon
Coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste

Procedure

Butternut Squash Purée

Combine butter, onion, garlic, lemon juice and water in a medium sized sauce pot, cover and place over medium heat.  Cook until onion and garlic are completely soft and translucent.

Add squash and cream, turn heat down to low, and cook covered until squash is soft and beginning to fall apart.  Blend until completely smooth.  Season the purée to taste with coarse salt, wildflower honey and white truffle oil.   Blend to combine, pass through a fine sieve and reserve hot.

Caper and Raisin Vinaigrette

In a small sauté pan, gently fry shallots and anchovy in 1 Tbsp olive oil over medium heat.  Add capers and continue to fry for 1 – 2 minutes.  Add sultanas, turn heat down to low and warm through.  Add Champagne vinegar, lemon juice and zest and then remove from heat.  Add olive oil, season to taste with coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper.  Allow vinaigrette to cool slight until just warm.  Finish with chopped chives and serve.

Pan Seared Qualicum Bay Scallop

Place a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat.  Lightly season scallops with coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper.  Add duck fat, bacon fat or clarified pork fat drippings to pan.  Gently place each scallop into the pan, flat side down.  Pan sear until a light golden brown crust has developed, 30 – 40 seconds.  Add butter, turn heat down to medium-low and continue to pan fry until a rich, even gold brown color has developed, 30 – 40 seconds.  Flip scallops over, and remove pan from heat.  Allow to stand for 1 minute.  Squeeze lemon over top of the scallops and serve immediately

Micro Greens

Gently toss greens, olive oil and lemon juice together in a small bowl.  Lightly season with salt and freshly ground cracked black pepper.  Serve immediately.

Pan Roasted  Atlantic Salmon Yam & Goat Cheese Purée, Lobster & Caper Buerre Noisette, Sautéed Hon-Shimeji Mushrooms

Serves 4

Yam & Goat Cheese Purée

¾ cup unsalted butter, cubed
1 medium Vidalia onion, finely diced
2 cloves, organic garlic, peeled and minced

1 large red yam, peeled, and diced
1 cup homemade chicken stock
½ cup heavy whipping cream

½ cup goat cheese, crumbled
1 tbsp honey
White truffle oil to taste
Coarse salt to taste

Pan Roasted Atlantic Salmon

4 x 6.5 oz centre cut Atlantic salmon fillets, skin on, scales & pin bones removed
Coarse salt & freshly cracked black pepper to taste
20 ml good olive oil
1 tbsp butter
3 sprigs thyme
Juice of ½ a lemon

Lobster & Caper Buerre Noisette, Sautéed Hon-Shimeji Mushrooms

2 tbsp olive oil
1 cluster brown hon-shimeji mushrooms, cluster stem removed
2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 tbsp fine capers, drained
½ cup freshly cooked lobster meat, roughly chopped
Juice of ½ of a lemon
1 tbsp spring onion, finely chopped
1 tsp finely chopped flat leaf parsley leaves

Garnish

1 handful of seasonal micro greens

Procedure

Yam & Goat Cheese Purée

In a medium sauce pot, combine butter, Vidalia onion, garlic and a pinch of coarse salt.  Cover and place pot over medium-low heat and cook until onions are completely soft and translucent, approximately 20 – 30 minutes.  Add yam, chicken stock and cream, and continue cooking until the yam is cooked through and completely soft.  Place mixture into a blender, add goat cheese, honey and truffle oil then blend until completely smooth.  Adjust the seasoning to taste with coarse salt, and reserve warm.

Pan Roasted  Atlantic Salmon

Lightly season salmon with coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper.  In a preheated sauté pan over medium-high heat, place the salmon fillets, skin side down and gently sear in olive oil until the skin is golden brown and crispy, approximately 2 – 3 minutes.  Flip each piece over, add butter and thyme to the pan and continue cooking for 1 – 2 minutes, basting the salmon with the foaming butter.  Remove from heat, squeeze lemon over top and place onto a plate.  Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel and then use the pan to cook the “Lobster & Caper Buerre Noisette with Sautéed Hon-Shimeji Mushrooms.”

Lobster & Caper Buerre Noisette, Sautéed Hon-Shimeji Mushrooms

In a small sauté pan over medium heat sauté the hon-shimeji mushrooms in olive oil until golden brown.  Add the butter and capers and cook until the butter is light brown and beginning to foam.  Add lobster and juice of ½ a lemon then remove from heat.  Finish with spring onion and parsley and gently toss.  Season to taste with coarse salt and freshly cracked black pepper.  Serve immediately.

Plating

Place a dollop of yam & goat cheese purée into the centre of a pasta bowl or deeply rimmed plate.  Place a piece of salmon onto each bed of purée.  Top with some of the buerre noisette and hon-shimeji mushroom mix.  Garnish with a pinch or seasonal micro greens.

L’Acadie 2000 is a 65 foot vessel owned by Acadian Fish Processors Ltd from Lower West Pubnico and is used for fishing Silver Hake. The vessel fishes along the Continental shelf going East, Lehave Basin and Emerald Basin. The vessel is capable to carry 75000 to 80000 lbs of boxed fish.   The boat is captained by Darren d’Eon along with crew members Garth d’Eon and Douglas Goreham.   The L’Acadie 2000 will be at CATCH throughout the entire event.

The Ivy Rose, is a 30.5 metre (100 foot) shelterdecked steel longliner built at the A.F. Theriault & Son shipyard.  The vessel is owned by Ivy Fisheries, and will be at the CATCH festival from 11-6 on Saturday.

Ray Bear will host the GREAT CATCH Chef Competition, taking place during the CATCH Nova Scotia Seafood Festival, June 19 & 20, 2010. This action-packed culinary showdown will include some of Canada’s top restaurants and chefs.

Meet the competitors

Luis Clavel, Executive Chef, Holiday Inn Harbourview, Dartmouth, Nova Scotia Chef Luis Clavel was originally born in Puerto Rico and has lived in most countries in Central America and is now a proud Nova Scotian. Chef Clavel has received many awards; including: the Alex Clavel Bursary Award from Taste of Nova Scotia (2004), placed 1st with team Atlantic Provinces in Miami Beach, Florida in the International Americas Chef Competition (2006), placed 3rd in the International Chowder Competition held in Prince Edward Island (2007), placed 1st in a Planet Organic Mentor Apprentice Competition (2006), won a Gold Medal at Atlantic Province Competition with Team Nova Scotia (2007 & 2008), won the CRFA Iron Chef Atlantic Competition in Moncton, New Brunswick, “Chef of the Year” for the Nova Scotia Association of Chefs and Cooks(2008), won the 2009 Competing Chef of the Year in Newfoundland and will be representing the Atlantic Provinces in Kellowna, British Columbia at the National Competition.

Peter Dewar, Professional Chef/ Teacher, Nova Scotia Community College (NSCC) Peter  Dewar instructs at NSCC in Kentville, and can be seen cooking on “Live at 5″. He is team manager of the Gold Medal winning Culinary Team Nova Scotia and his future goal is to be a member of Culinary Team Canada. In 2007 and 2008 Peter won the International PEI Shellfish Chef Challenge. In 2008 Peter represented the Atlantic Region at the CCFCC Chefs Challenge in Montreal and took first place and the title of Competing Chef of the Year for Canada. In 2009 Peter won the Presidents Citation Award from the Nova Scotia Chef’s Association. Peter has also coached his junior team to numerous provincial and Atlantic hot salon titles.

BeeChoo Char, Executive Chef, GIO, Halifax, Nova Scotia A graduate of the Culinary Arts program at the Nova Scotia Community College, Bee graduated top of her class. Bee has shone in numerous competitions, receiving the prestigious Alex Clavel Educational Award and winning a Gold Medal three times with Team Nova Scotia. She has also travelled widely to compete, and recently won yet another Gold Medal at the International Competition in Miami, Florida.

Nitin Mehra, Chef, East India Co. , Ottawa, Ontario Nitin Mehra is East India Company’s newest addition to the Restaurant team. Nitin has spent the last five years traveling between Winnipeg, Ottawa, and Montreal working to improve his skills as an Indian Chef. In this time he has earned degrees as a chef from Algonquin Culinary as well ad Le Cordon Blue. Nitin is also a trained Sommelier which gives him the unique ability to properly match the delicate flavours of Indian cuisine to the wine world.

Tom Malycha, Executive Chef, Spirit Catering, Toronto, Ontario Chef Tom Malycha, has 10 years in the hospitality industry, most recently being a personal chef and private caterer to Canada’s business elite. Tom has world-wide experience having worked in several of London’s top kitchens, toured France’s top wine regions and cooking on an organic farm on the remote Baltic Coast of Poland. Closer to home he has worked at under the tutelage of Chef Anthony Walsh at Canoe Restaurant with stints at Avalon & North 44 Catering. His repertoire ranges from simple family style meals, to 7 course exclusive tasting menus and canapé parties. Chef Tom’s culinary offerings represent the best of the season and local markets, mixed with a modern global culinary influence.

Seafood lovers from all over our great province — from Cape Breton to Colchester, from Lunenburg to the Valley — have been entering the contest daily for their chance at the ultimate grand prize. Not to mention our mailbox is jammed with mail-in entries. Your enthusiasm is overwhelming!

Keep the entries coming — there are still 11 days left to win!

Enter our Experience Seafood Like Never Before Contest for your chance to instantly win one of our daily prizes - a Taste of Nova Scotia gift pack, a Tall Ship Silva harbour sail pass for two and two tickets to CATCH: The Nova Scotia Seafood Festival (a $85 value).

Once you’ve tried your luck for the daily prize, remember to submit an entry for the grand prize - an Ultimate Kitchen Party Experience for you and seven friends in your home, complete with seafood prepared by a talented local chef and live music!

Watch for our Fish Icon (pictured here) in our ads running May 29 to June 20 in The Chronicle Herald, The Coast, Metro Halifax, The Cape Breton Post and La Courrier. Then visit the link on our website to enter or visit our Facebook page. While you’re there, be sure to “Like” the page to stay up to date on all festival information.

The contest runs from May 28 to June 20, 2010. For full contest rules and regulations, click here. You can also enter by sending your name and address to Catch Festival, c/o Trampoline, 1496 Lower Water Street, Halifax, NS, B3J3R5. Grand prize draw will take place on June 20 at CATCH: The Nova Scotia Seafood Festival.