Snowbird Comfort Food: 5 Seaside Recipes
Traveling in an RV across the regions of America on the interstate can leave a person mystified. Among chain restaurants, there is a distinct lack of diversity of food. Indeed, if you were to drive on Interstate 40 from Wilmington, North Carolina to its western terminus in Barstow, California, there would only be a slight deviation in the food available just off the highway exits. However, if you deviate slightly from your intended route — following the coastline like a good snowbird this winter — you’ll find that the culinary landscape changes dramatically. Suddenly, you have access to locally sourced seafood. Which means that you can fire up some extraordinary seaside recipes — the comfort food of the weary snowbird.
It’s common knowledge that the best seafood is local. And it’s best consumed where it’s caught, by the seaside. Nothing beats sitting on a rickety picnic table near some boisterous seagulls and diving into a simple but elegantly prepared soft-shell crab sandwich — just outside of the small shack which prepared it only a half mile from the dock it was sold. Pair that with an ice-cold pilsner and some greasy french fries or hush puppies, and you’ll find yourself in the middle of a Jimmy Buffet song!
Finding that local seafood dive is part of the fun, but with your own great seaside recipes, you can make this experience happen any time in your RV. (You could even cook the fish you catch.) For us, as a pescetarian and a vegetarian traveling the coastline, we search out places that not only offer great seafood, but also plant-based protein as well.
These five seaside recipes make both of us happy — and will be great comfort food for any snowbird hugging the coastline
Impossibly Good Jambalaya
This low-country favorite, hails from Cajun territory. But it is widely claimed across the Gulf Coast. We jazzed up this basic Jambalaya recipe with some vegetables, beans, additional spices, and plant-based sausage. It’s the perfect base for any type of protein you want – Andouille sausage, blackened tofu, shrimp, chicken, catfish, or plant-based meat. (We really like Impossible spicy Italian sausage for this one!)
Ingredients
2 pounds raw peeled shrimp or (4 Impossible sausages*, sliced)
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 small red onion, chopped
1 cup baby bella mushrooms, sliced
1 red bell pepper (or Green)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup celery, chopped
1 cup broccoli, chopped
1 cup cauliflower, chopped
1 15-ounce can red beans (or pinto beans), drained
1 15-ounce can cannellini beans, drained
1 5-ounce can Hatch green chilies, chopped
2.5 cups water
1 teaspoon veggie broth base
1 15-ounce can tomato sauce, no salt added
1 15-ounce can fire-roasted diced tomatoes
1.5 teaspoons Italian seasoning
1/2 teaspoon fennel seed
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
1 cup long grain white rice
*We enjoy several plant-based sausage brands, but love Impossible for this dish. One of the major reasons is for its mouth feel. While plant-based, it is not low in fat. The coconut and vegetable oils give this sausage a satisfying burst of juicy richness. It even chars over a grill similar to traditional Andouille sausage. If you’re looking to cut down on meats, this is one to give a try!
Instructions
- Roast sausages, shrimp, or other protein, in a pan or over an open flame. Keep warm, then slice.
- In a large Dutch oven over an open fire, heat oil over medium heat. Sauté onion, bell pepper, mushrooms, celery, and garlic, stirring frequently.
- Add the broccoli and cauliflower to the Dutch oven and sauté until al dente.
- Add water, diced tomatoes, tomato sauce, green chilies, and all of the spices.
- Bring to a boil and add rice. Cover and simmer until rice is tender, stirring frequently so nothing sticks to the bottom.
- Add beans and protein. Cover and simmer five to seven minutes longer or until well heated, stirring frequently.
Good Ole Southern Hush Puppies
No trip to the coast is complete without consuming a basket of these deliciously toothy balls of fried batter. Serve hot enough to burn your fingertips in a heaping basket right in the middle of the table, alongside any number of dipping sauces, or small pats of butter, or just pop them into your mouth whole. The Kitchn recipe gave us our start, but we find that our own recipe is the one we love the best.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups fine- or medium-grind cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon granulated sugar (optional)
1/2 small yellow onion
1 large egg
1 cup buttermilk
4 cups peanut or vegetable oil, for deep frying
Salted butter, for serving
Instructions
- Prepare a draining plate with several layers of paper towels.
- Prepare dry ingredients.
- Prepare wet ingredients and add to the dry.
Grate onion into the batter, and mix well. Let stand for 15 min. - Add enough peanut oil until you have 1 1/2 inches of oil in the pan, and heat to frying temperature.
- With a tablespoon, or small ice-cream scoop. If you want to get fancy, place a golfball-sized lump of batter into the oil.
- When golden brown, remove with a slotted spoon or spatula and place on the paper towels to drain excess cooking grease.
Dutch Oven Maryland Crabcake
People will argue about their favorite crab cakes, but I’m a strict East Coaster here and will always go with Maryland. The large lumps of crab seasoned to perfection aren’t overpowered by anything, so their sweet fleshy texture and taste can shine through. Just enough crackers or bread crumbs to hold them altogether and you’ve got yourself a real treat! We made our beginning with a recipe from Chef Dennis, but we’ve made a few changes to suit our tastes.
Ingredients
1 pound fresh jumbo lump crab meat* (vegetarian option below)
1 large egg
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice plus more for serving
1½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 teaspoon fresh parsley chopped
2/3 cup cracker crumbs from around 15 saltines (or panko bread crumbs)
Instructions
- Whisk the mayonnaise, egg, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay seasoning, and lemon juice in a large bowl.
- Add the crab meat to the mixture and gently fold it into the sauce just until moistened.
- Add the cracker crumbs and parsley to the crab meat mixture and continue to gently mix the ingredients until the cracker crumbs have been incorporated into the crab meat mixture.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Divide the crab cake mixture into six portions, again with the ice cream scoop if you’re fancy. Form the crab cakes into round, slightly flattened cakes and place crab cakes on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper.
- Refrigerate the crab cakes until ready to bake or pan fry.
- Preheat the Dutch Oven in the fire, with coals on the lid, until it is approximately 400 degrees. (See note at bottom of article for temperature approximations.) The RV oven is also an option, if your rig has one, or pan fry over medium heat.
- Place parchment paper into the Dutch oven and return the lid.
- Bake for 15 to 18 minutes until the crab cakes reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees, using a stick thermometer.
- Remove from the oven and serve with tartar sauce, spicy aioli, lemon wedges and your favorite sides.
*Replacing Tofu for Crab Meat
Many vegetarians love to adapt familiar seaside recipes to accommodate their dietary needs or preferences. And firm tofu is a great stand in. It might be less expensive and satisfy that hometown hankering until you can return to the Chesapeake for the real thing, too.
- Pat dry a 1 pound block of extra firm tofu with paper towels.
- Using a box grater on the largest cheese grating side, grate the extra firm tofu.
- Add the grated tofu into the recipe steps above, substitute veganaise if desired.
- You might want to increase the spices slightly to accommodate the tofu.
Mouth-Watering Crabcake Benedict
Nothing says “fancy brunch” better than an exceptional bennie. And every Sunday brunch restaurant along the seashore will serve some version of this mouth watering delight. So, why not prepare on of the best seaside recipes at your own campsite? (We adapted this recipe from giant eagle and made it our own.)
Ingredients
1 ounce fresh chives
2 lemons
1 pound precooked crab meat (or 1 block marinated baked tofu, grated)
4 English muffins
10 eggs
2 sticks of butter
3/4 teaspoon Old Bay’s seasoning
1 teaspoon white vinegar (for poaching)
Instructions
Prepare the Crab Meat!
- Slice and chop the chives
- Juice the lemons
- Toss the crab meat with half of the lemon juice, a pinch of salt and pepper, and half of the chives.
- *Substitute marinated baked tofu for the crab meat: Grate the baked tofu into small pieces, and prepare as you would the crab meat.
Whip Up Your Hollandaise Sauce
- Bring a wide pan with a few inches of water to a rolling boil.
- Whisk remaining lemon juice, egg yolks, and three tablespoons of water in a metal bowl.
- Melt butter over medium-high heat.
- Place the bowl of the lemon/egg mixture over boiling water and then turn off the heat.
- Very slowly drizzle the butter into lemon mixture, whisking constantly, then season with 1/2 teaspoon of the old bay seasoning.
- Set aside.
Poach or Coddle the Eggs
- Turn the pan of water down to a low boil, add 1 teaspoon white vinegar.
- Crack the eggs (four at a time) into the pan of water until the whites are cooked, and the yolks are still runny (three to four) minutes, remove with a slotted spoon and let drain on a towel.
- Alternatively, we find poaching eggs to be a little fussy, so we use small silicon ramekins as the perfect device for getting perfectly shaped and prepared eggs for a benedict, though the cooking time will be longer between six to eight minutes depending on your preferred yolk style.
Master the Final Assembly
- Toast the English muffins while cooking the eggs.
- Butter the muffins while hot.
- Top each muffin with a scoop of the crab or tofu mixture
- Top with one of the finished eggs.
- Drizzle Hollandaise sauce over the top.
- Sprinkle with the remaining chives and .
- Salt and pepper to taste.
Serve this delightful dish with a fresh green or fruit salad. Pair with a mimosa or bloody mary cocktails.
Jack Fish — or Jackfruit — Tacos
Along the warm waters of the Gulf and East Coast, jack fish are a common sport fish. Light in texture and mildly flavored, these make the perfect taco fish. (One of those ideal seaside recipes for snowbirds!)
Jackfruit is a tropical fruit that when ripe looks like a cross between a watermelon and a hand-grenade. When mature, it has an incredible sweet taste that inspired Juicy Fruit gum. (A great gum, but not the ideal for … you know … seaside recipes.) While still green and unripe, Jackfruit produces a texture akin to shredded pork and a taste that is ready to absorb whatever you season it with, just like tofu. Jackfruit has become a popular meat substitute for vegetarians and vegans alike and several companies sell prepared shredded jackfruit in the produce section of your grocery store. We prefer unprepared jackfruit in a can from Trader Joe’s.
Ingredients
1 medium red onion, chopped
1 small container of cremini or “baby bella” mushrooms, sliced
3 or 4 fillets of Jack Fish, or 2 14-ounce cans of Jackfruit
1/2 cup of Stubbs spicy barbeque sauce (or your favorite)
1/2 small purple cabbage
2 ounces spicy ranch dressing
Sharp cheddar cheese
Corn tortillas
Instructions
- Dice red onion and set aside.
- Slice mushrooms and set aside.
- Shred purple cabbage and set aside.
- Shred enough cheese for six to eight tacos.
Prepare the Jack Fish
- Over medium heat cook the Jack Fish fillets for two to three minutes per side.
- Ensure that the fish flakes easily, but is still very moist.
- Set aside but keep warm and covered so they don’t dry out.
- Over medium high heat, sauté 2/3 of the onion for three minutes then add mushrooms.
- Cook until onions and mushrooms have browned.
- Add barbeque sauce to the pan, turn down heat and simmer for an additional minute.
- Shred fish separately, add to the pan mix when loading the tacos.
Or Go with the Jackfruit Option
- Drain can and pat Jackfruit chunks dry.
- Shred the chunks using a fork and a knife.
- Cook the shredded Jackfruit in a pan over medium to high heat with cooking oil.
- When the fruit has browned, add 2/3 of the chopped onion, after three minutes add the mushrooms.
- Cook until onions and mushrooms have browned.
- Add barbeque sauce to the pan, turn down heat and simmer for an additional minute.
Final Prep
- Heat the tortillas on a dry pan, 30 seconds per side or until very lightly browned, set aside and keep warm.
- Dress shredded cabbage with ranch dressing to make a spicy slaw for the top of the tacos.
- Load up the tacos with your filling choice. Top with cheddar cheese, spicy slaw, the remaining raw, diced red onion.
Hand and Heat Testing: A Tip for Seaside Recipes
We got this little technique from Weber Grills. Extend your palm over the charcoal at a safe distance. Imagine a soda can is standing on the cooking grate, right over the coals. If your palm was resting on the top of the can, it would be five inches from the cooking grate. That’s where you should measure the heat of charcoal, or cooking coals. Always pull your hand away from the heat before it hurts, and be sure that nothing flammable, such as a sleeve, is dangling from your arm.
If you need to pull your hand away after two to four seconds, the heat is high. Likewise, if you need to pull your hand away after five to seven seconds, the heat is medium. And if you need to pull your hand away after eight to ten seconds, the heat is low.
- High (450° to 550°F): 2 to 4 seconds
- Medium (350° to 450°F): 5 to 7 seconds
- Low (250° to 350°F): 8 to 10 seconds
We hope you enjoy these seaside recipes and that your future coastal adventures inspire you to try some fantastic culinary feats of your own design!
Freedom in a Can
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