Recipe for the Month of August 2002
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Char-grilled Voodoo Tuna with Skewered Shrimp, Black Beans and Mango Salsa
Courtesy of Chef Dean Small and Chef Danny Bendas
At first look, this recipe may appear daunting to the home chef. However, the steps are easy to follow and when you serve this great summer recipe to friends or family they will think they are sitting in a white tablecloth restaurant. Voodoo Sauce made with Dean and Danny’s Voodoo Sauce Seasoning Mix, provides a unique and spicy flavor to the grilled tuna and shrimp. The spicy black beans and the flavorful mango salsa go together very well with the grilled seafood and provide a flavor and look that is typical of Caribbean cuisine.
SERVES 4
Ingredients:
• 4 Voodoo Marinated Ahi Tuna Steaks (recipe follows)
• 4 Voodoo Marinated Shrimp Skewers (recipe follows)
• 1/2 cup Voodoo Sauce (recipe follows)
• 8 Green Onions (Scallions), ends trimmed
• Vegetable Oil (as needed)
• 4 cups Mesculin or Spring Salad Mix
• 1/4 cup bottled Lemon Vinaigrette Salad Dressing
• 4 cups Island Black Beans (recipe follows)
• 4 tablespoons Shredded Monterey Jack Cheese
• 1 and 1/3 cups Mango Salsa (recipe follows)
• 4 Fresh Scallion ‘Flowers’
PREPARATION:
Grill tuna steaks over medium high heat, creating cross-marks with the grilling grid, to a medium-rare doneness (approximately 3 minutes per side, depending upon thickness of the tuna steaks). Baste liberally with Voodoo Sauce while grilling.
Grill shrimp skewers while cooking tuna, also basting with Voodoo Sauce.
Lightly brush green onions with vegetable oil, and grill over very high heat, just long enough to ‘mark’ the onions with the grilling grid.
Toss the salad mix with bottled vinaigrette dressing, then mound an equal portion on each of 4 plates.
Spoon 1 cup of black beans on each plate, around the mounded salad greens. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of cheese over the beans.
Set the tuna steaks on each plate, leaning slightly on top of the salad greens.
Mound 1/3 cup mango salsa on top of the salad greens and allow to ‘cascade’ over the tuna steak.
Arrange 2 grilled green onions on top of each tuna steak.
Press a scallion flower on the end of each shrimp skewer, then press the skewer into tuna, so it stands over the plate.
Voodoo Marinated Tuna Steaks
4 SERVINGS
Ingredients:
• 4 Ahi Tuna Steaks (6 - 7 ounces each)
• 1/2 cup Voodoo Sauce (recipe follows)
PREPARATION:
Set tuna steaks into a shallow non-reactive dish. Pour Voodoo Sauce over fish, then turn fish to be sure all surfaces are coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Do not prepare more then 8 hours in advance, as the marinade can cause the tuna to become somewhat toughened by the lemon juice in the sauce.
Voodoo Marinated Shrimp Skewers
4 SERVINGS
Ingredients:
• 12 Medium Sized Uncooked Shrimp, peeled leaving tail intact, deveined
• 1/4 cup Voodoo Sauce (recipe follows)
PREPARATION:
Set shrimp in a shallow, non-reactive dish. Pour Voodoo Sauce over shrimp, then gently mix shrimp to be sure all surfaces are coated. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. Do not prepare more then 4 hours in advance, as the marinade can cause the shrimp to become somewhat toughened by the lemon juice in the sauce.
Drain shrimp, then skewer (3 shrimp per skewer), using a 6 to 8” bamboo skewer that has been soaked in water several hours.
Voodoo Sauce
YIELDS APPROXIMATELY 1 and 1/4 CUP FINISHED SAUCE
Ingredients:
• 1, 5.8 ounce bottle Dean and Danny’s Voodoo Sauce Seasoning Mix
• 1/2 cup Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1/4 cup Vegetable Oil
PREPARATION:
Mix all ingredients in a non-reactive bowl. Chill in the refrigerator at least 2 hours before using.
Island Black Beans
YIELDS 4 CUPS
Ingredients:
• 4 ounces (3-4 slices) Bacon, each slice cut in half lengthwise, then sliced into 1/4” pieces
• 3/4 cup Yellow Spanish Onion, peeled, cored, and diced (1/4”)
• 3/4 cup Spicy Sausage (Andouille or spicy Kielbasa), diced (1/4”)
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons minced Fresh Garlic
• 2 tablespoons Gold Tequila (alcohol will evaporate during cooking)
• 2, 15 ounce cans Black Beans, with the can’s liquid
• 2 and 1/4 teaspoons Dean and Danny’s Santa Fe Seasoning Mix
• 1/8 teaspoon ground Black Pepper
• Salt, to taste
PREPARATION:
Place the diced bacon into a suitable sized saucepan and cook. Stir frequently, until rendered golden brown and crisp.
Add the onion, sausage and garlic; blend with the bacon and fat. Continue to cook for 5-6 minutes, until the onions are tender and translucent.
Add the black beans (with liquid from the can), Dean and Danny’s Santa Fe Seasoning and black pepper. Stir to blend all ingredients. Bring to a boil, then allow beans to simmer gently for 15 minutes.
Remove from the heat and add salt to taste.
Beans can be prepared 24 hours in advance. Reheat prior to serving.
Mango Salsa
YIELDS 4 CUPS
Ingredients:
• 1 and 1/2 cups Fresh Roma Tomatoes, cored, seeded and diced (3/8”)
• 1 and 1/4 cups Yellow Spanish Onion, peeled, cored and diced (1/4”)
• 1 and 1/2 cups Fresh Mango, peeled, pit removed and diced (3/8”)
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons Fresh Serrano Chiles, stemmed and seeded, finely minced
• 1 tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
• 1/4 teaspoon Granulated Garlic
• 1/4 teaspoon Mexican Oregano Leaves, dried
• 1/8 teaspoon Ground White Pepper
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
PREPARATION:
Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl and, using a large spoon, gently blend together. Be careful not to break up the tomato and mango pieces.
Cover and refrigerate at least 45 minutes before serving.