New Year's Eve is an enchanting and festive time celebrated worldwide with friends, loved ones, and fireworks. Many of us look back on the past year, both the good and the bad, and hope the next year is much better—and what better way to kick off a brand new year than having some of your favorite, most delicious, wonderful New Year's Seafood traditions!
Seafood is a highly versatile meat that can create so many dishes to capture the spirit of the coming year. Some dishes are decadent, finger foods that are simple and evoke feel-good memories, healthy or indulgent recipes, and everything in between. If you're stumped on what New Year's seafood traditions to try to entertain friends and family, let us help!
Cod with Lemon and Parsley
Ingredients:
- 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ¼ teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
- 4 cod fillets
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley
- 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
How to Make:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. While preheating, in a shallow bowl, mix lemon juice and melted butter. In a separate shallow bowl, mix flour and seasonings. Dip the cod fillets in lemon juice mix, then dredge in flour to coat both sides. Shake off excess.
- In a 13x9 baking dish, spray with cooking oil and place floured cod fillets in the dish. Next, drizzle the remaining lemon juice mixture and bake for 12-15 minutes, or until fish can be easily flaked with a fork.
- Remove from oven and sprinkle the parsley and lemon zest over the fish. Serve immediately and enjoy.
Smoked Salmon Involtini with Artichoke Hearts
While this recipe sounds like a mouth-watering yet complicated dish, it is surprisingly easy to make! With just four ingredients, you can create an irresistible appetizer for New Year's Eve.
Ingredients:
- 16 small marinated artichoke hearts, drained, plus 1 teaspoon of the oil reserved from the jar
- ½ cup packed celery leaves
- ½ pound thinly sliced smoked salmon, cut into roughly 32 4 x 1-inch strips
- ½ small red onion, cut into very thin 1"" long strips
Instructions:
- Preheat your oven to 450 degrees F. While the oven heats, pat the artichoke hearts dry with paper towels, then cut them in half lengthwise. Arrange the cut artichoke hearts cut side down on a lightly oiled baking sheet, then roast them in for 5 minutes until sizzling. Remove them from the oven and carefully place them onto a plate.
- Arrange celery leaves on the baking sheet and drizzle with 1 teaspoon of the reserved oil from the artichoke jar, then roast them in the oven for 3 minutes until the leaves are crispy.
- Wrap each piece of the smoked salmon around an artichoke half and a few of the onion strips and transfer to a platter. Garnish with the crisp celery leaves and sever.
Crab Cakes with Smoky Onion Remoulade
A moist, tender, and juicy on the inside crab cake with a crunchy, golden brown exterior with a smoky flavor is a perfect main entrée to any New Year's celebration.
Ingredients for the Remoulade:
- 1 medium onion, halved and thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon of canola oil
- Kosher salt
- ¾ cup of mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon of white wine vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoon minced chives
- 1 tablespoon minced shallot
- ½ teaspoon chili powder
- 1/8 teaspoon of cayenne
- Smoked sea salt
Ingredients for the Crab Cakes:
- ½ cup canola oil
- ½ cup minced fennel
- ¼ cup minced red onion
- ¼ cup minced red bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons minced, seeded jalapeno
- 2 tablespoons of brandy
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon minced parsley
- 1 ½ teaspoons minced tarragon
- 3 dashes of Tabasco sauce
- 1 pound Jumbo Lump Crabmeat
- 3 large eggs
- 1 ¼ cup rice flour
- 4 cups cornflakes, finely crushed
Directions for the Remoulade:
- Move your oven rack so that it is at least 8 inches from the heat. Preheat your broiler. On a large rimmed baking sheet, toss the onions with the oil and season with kosher salt. Place in the oven and broil for 8 minutes, occasionally stirring to ensure the onions soften and become charred in spots. Remove from the oven and let cool to chop them finely. Then, in a medium-sized bowl, place the chopped, charred onion in with the mayonnaise, vinegar, chives, shallot, chili powder, and cayenne, then season it with the smoked salt.
Directions to Make the Crab Cakes:
- In a large, oven-proof skillet such as cast iron, heat two tablespoons of oil. Add the fennel, onion, red pepper, and jalapeno and cook over medium heat, stirring well until softened and just starting to turn brown, roughly seven minutes. Next, stir in the brandy and Old Bay Seasoning and cook until the brandy has evaporated about one minute. Scrape the skillet into a large bowl and let cool to room temp. Wipe out the skillet.
- Stir mayonnaise, lemon juice, parsley, tarragon, and Tabasco sauce into the bowl with the vegetables. Gently fold in the Jumbo Lump crabmeat, then shape the mixture into roughly six cakes and transfer to a wax-paper lined plate. Set them to cool in the refrigerator for one hour.
- Before removing the crab cakes from the refrigerator, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. In a shallow bowl, beat the eggs until mixed. In a second shallow bowl, place your rice flour, and in the third, pour in your finely crushed cornflakes. Remove the crab cakes from the refrigerator and gently but firmly pack each cake so that it holds its shape. Dredge the cakes through the flour, dip into the egg and dredge into the cornflakes, gently patting to help the crumbs better adhere to the cake, transfer back onto the wax paper-lined plate.
- With your large skillet on the stove, add six tablespoons of the remaining oil and heat until shimmering. Add the crab cakes and cook over medium-high heat, turning only once, until deep golden brown and crusty on each side, about five minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and bake at 350 degrees for another five minutes, until heated. Transfer to a plate and serve immediately with the remoulade and enjoy.
At Wholey's, we adore everything about food! From its sources to each cut of meat to ensure our customers get the freshest, flavor-packed ingredients to spark their love for cooking and meals all over again. This New Year, embrace the tradition of eating lucky seafood to start the following year by getting the most fantastic seafood delivered directly to your door!