Cozy Seafood Dishes to Make this Winter
Baby, it’s cold outside (yes, still).
Which is exactly why we should be eating more seafood.
Somewhere along the way, seafood got boxed into “summer food” status - grilled fish, ceviche, patios, beach vibes only. But seafood can be just as cozy, comforting, and deeply satisfying on a cold winter night. Think warm bowls, rich sauces, and dishes that make you forget it’s dark at 4:30 p.m.
If you don’t believe me, try one of my favourite cozy winter seafood recipes. I promise you’ll feel warmer with every bite.
Oysters Rockefeller
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup unsalted butter
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 shallot, minced
- 2 cups spinach, chopped
- 2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ¼ cup grated Parmesan
- 2 slices cooked and crumbled bacon
- ½ cup Panko breadcrumbs
- 24 raw oysters, shucked
- lemon wedges, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400F.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add half of the butter and the shallots. Sauté for 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic and sauté for one more minute, stirring frequently.
- Add the chopped spinach and red wine vinegar to the pan and cook until the spinach is wilted, about 2 minutes. Stir in the Parmesan cheese and bacon.
- Melt the remaining butter and mix it with the breadcrumbs.
- Place the oysters in their half shell on a sheet pan or baking dish. Top the oysters evenly with the spinach mixture, then sprinkle the breadcrumbs on the top.
- Bake for about 8-10 mlnutes, or until the breadcrumbs are golden brown and the filling is hot. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Creamy Lobster Mac n Cheese
Prep time: 15 MinCook time: 30 MinTotal time: 45 Min
Ingredients
- 1 pound of elbow macaroni
- 3 pounds of shredded cheese (I like a pound of each: old cheddar, mozzarella, and gruyere)
- 1 pound of cooked lobster claw meat, chopped
- 3 tbsp of butter
- 3 tbsp of all purpose flour
- 1 cup of 2% milk
- 1/2 cup of heavy cream
- 1 tbsp of Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tsp of Dijon mustard
- 1/3 cup of bread crumbs
- 3 tbsp of parmesan cheese
Instructions
- Make the pasta. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook elbow macaroni in the boiling water, stirring occasionally until cooked just short of al dente.
- Make a roux: melt 3 tablespoons of butter in large non stick pan. When it’s melted, add Old Bay seasoning, and salt and pepper. Stir to release the aromatics. Stir in 3 tbsp flour and whisk well. Cook until everything starts bubbling and the raw flour cooks.
- Add the milk: slowly stream in one cup of 2% milk and whisk. It should start to thicken slightly. (add more or less milk depending on how thick you want your sauce)
- Add the heavy cream: stir in the heavy cream, whisking it in completely. Add in 1 tbsp of Dijon. Let the sauce thicken slightly.
- Add the cheese: Add in the cheese, by the handful, whisking in and letting each handful melt before adding more cheese.
- Stir everything together: Stir in your cooked pasta making sure everything is well combined. Then add in your cooked lobster meat.
- Bake: Move the pasta into a 9x13 casserole dish. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and parmesan cheese before placing into a into a preheated 350°F oven and bake for 25-30 minute or until the top melts and it’s golden and bubbly.
Coconut Curry Mussels
Ingredients
- 2 lbs mussels
- 2 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 onion (diced)
- 2 tbsp red curry paste
- 1 can full fat coconut milk
- 1/4 cup vegetable broth
- 2 green onions
- salt and pepper to taste
- baguette for serving
Instructions
- Keep the mussels cold in the refrigerator until you’re ready to use them. Once you pull them out of the fridge, place them in a large bowl of ice cold water. Scrub the outsides of the mussels and pull out any strings. Discard mussels that have opened already or have cracked shells. Continue to keep the mussels in the ice water until cooking.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter and olive oil. Once it’s melted, stir in the onions, garlic, salt and pepper. Stir and cook for 5 minutes.
- Stir in the curry paste and mix well. Cook for 5 more minutes.
- Add in the coconut milk and stock, stirring until the mixture is smooth. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring constantly, then reduce the heat to medium-low.
- Add the mussels and toss in the curry sauce. Cover the skillet and cook just until the mussels open, approximately 5-6 minutes.
- Garnish the mussels with the sliced green onions and serve. Serve immediately with baguettes.
Clams Casino
Ingredients
- 24 littleneck clams, scrubbed
- 1/2 cup dry white wine
- 1 small lemon, cut into wedges
- 6 slices bacon, diced small
- 1/2 cup finely diced onion
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup fine breadcrumbs
- 3 tbsp unsalted butter
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp chili flakes (more if you like heat)
- 2 tbsp chopped parsley
Instructions
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, cook diced bacon until bacon is crisp and browned
- Add panko breadcrumbs and toast them with the bacon, stirring constantly until golden and coated
- Transfer to a bowl, season with salt & pepper, and set aside to cool.
- In that same pan, cook onion, garlic, and red pepper flakes until softened.
- Add white wine and clams. Cover and cook, checking often: remove clams as they open and set aside in a bowl.
- Once all clams are out, uncover the pan and continue to cook the shallot-bacon-clam liquid until all wine & clam juices evaporate and the mixture becomes jammy.
- In a medium bowl, combine the jammy shallot/bacon mixture with softened butter and parsley.
- Working one at a time, pry off the top shell of each clam and discard it.
- Using a butter knife, pack the clam compound butter all around and over the clam, sealing it into the bottom shell.
- Bake at 450°F for about 10 minutes.
- Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Crowd-Pleasing Lobster Dip
This lobster dip is my go-to for dinner parties, housewarmings, potlucks - pretty much any event in which I have to bring food.
Ingredients
- 1 can of tinned lobster (I love SCOUT Canning's lobster)
- 1 package of cream cheese at room temp.
- 1/2 cup dried herbs like parsely, basil, and dill
- 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup parmasean cheese or grated white cheddar
Instructions
- Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees
- Drain and chop tinned lobster into small cunks
- In a stainless medium mixing bowl, whisk together the cream cheese, lobster, fresh herbs and juice of one lemon.
- Place into an ovenproof dish and top with your cheese of choice
- Bake at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until it starts to brown on the edges
- Serve this with a fresh baguette. I recommend slicing the baguette and brushing it with a bit of olive oil and any remaining oil from the tinned lobster. Bake it in the oven for about 5 minutes and serve.
Upgraded Tuna Melt
Take boring old tuna sandwiches to the next level with this toasted, cheesy tuna melt recipe.
Ingredients
- 1 can of tuna in olive oil
- 1 red onion, diced
- 1 green onion, chopped
- 1/4 bunch of parsley, chopped
- 4 slices rustic bread
- 2 tbsp butter
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 4 slices cheddar cheese
- sriracha to taste
Instructions
- Mix the tuna, red onion, green onion, parsley, mayonnaise, and a few drops of sriracha in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper, then set aside.
- Butter each slice of bread on one side and turn over. Pile the tuna mixture onto the non-buttered sides of the bread and top with slices of cheddar cheese. Cover with the other two slices of bread, keeping the buttered side up.
- Heat a frying pan on medium-high heat. Bake the sandwiches for 2-3 minutes on each side in frying pan until the bread is toasted to your liking and the cheese has melted. Serve immediately.
