Chef Stellino's Seafood and Mushrooms

I don't usually post recipes I've taken from sources other than my own or my family's, but yesterday I happened to be watching an episode of Nick Stellino's cooking show. I was making a batch of tomato sauce and while it was simmering on the stove, I turned on the TV. Wednesday is our date night, and I like to create a special dish for when the Current Wife returns home. I've posted about our living arrangement before, so you know that CW spends Monday and Tuesday nights doing shopping and cooking for her two sons who apparently would die of hunger were it not for her intervention. So Wednesdays are special because it's my turn. Anyhow, Nick Stellino (whose show is fun) was preparing a mushroom and shrimp dish, and because I didn't have an idea on what to make for dinner that evening, I decided to copy the recipe since I had the sauce and some shrimp and scallops in the freezer. All I needed were the mushrooms and some lettuce for salad which I had intended to buy anyhow. I only mention this to point out that I had most of the requirements for this dish on hand. I didn't write down the recipe from the show but this is pretty much how Chef Stellino prepared it, except that he used only shrimp.

 

To begin with, clean the shrimp and scallops and prepare a mixture

of flour, paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and thyme. You'll need a hot

pan so I mixed extra virgin olive oil and vegetable oil. With the oil 

shimmering, lightly dust the scallops in the flour mixture and sear

them on both sides. Remove them from the pan and repeat the process 

with the shrimp. They will not be fully cooked but will have nice color.

Here are the shrimp and scallops draining on a paper bag, Meanwhile,

empty the pan leaving any browned bits on the bottom. Replace the oil with

extra virgin olive oil and put on a lower flame.

 

Place two sliced cloves of garlic and some red pepper flakes on to 

lightly brown  (too much and the garlic will be bitter). Then add 

sliced onions and salt. When the onions turn translucent, add sliced mushrooms.

Allow the mushrooms to cook till they start releasing water, then

put some chopped parsley  in the pan and cook a few minutes

longer till the mushrooms are done. I used crimini mushrooms . 

The original recipe called for a mixture of crimini (baby portobello), 

white button and shitaki (without their stems).

Now add about 2 cups of prepared tomato sauce and about one 

and a half cups of stock. Raise the heat and cook for 15 to 20 minutes

or till the sauce is reduced by about half.

When the sauce thickens to your liking, put the seafood back

and cook till heated through and fully cooked (2 minutes).

Plate and serve with some nice bread and a salad. Thank you

Chef Stellino. The wife was very pleased!