We asked three of the North Shore’s top toques—Suzi Maitland of Trina’s Starlite Lounge and The Paddle Inn, Anthony Caturano of Tonno, and chef Jeremy Sewall of Island Creek Oyster Bar (Boston and Burlington—how they will be spending Super Bowl Sunday, and for a favorite recipe for feeding a crowd. From nachos, to oyster sliders, to ribs, we’ve got you covered.
Fried Island Creek Oyster Sliders, Lime Aioli, Pickled Onion, Baby Arugula
Chef Jeremy Sewall, Island Creek Oyster Bar
Oh, to live next door to chef Jeremy Sewall, chef and partner of Row 34 (Boston and Portsmouth, New Hampshire), Island Creek Oyster Bar (Boston and Burlington), and Les Sablons in Cambridge. “I usually have my neighbors come over for beers and a big cookout if the weather cooperates,” says the chef, but he won’t let New England weather put a damper on the festivities. “Grilling in the snow is one of my favorite winter activities.”
Yield: 4 small sandwiches
Oysters:
4 Island Creek oysters (or any good oyster), large in size
1 egg
¼ cup flour
¼ cup bread crumbs
1 cup canola oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Pickled Onions:
1 red onion, sliced thin
¼ cup white wine vinegar
¼ cup sugar
Aioli:
1 egg yolk
1 small clove garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
½ teaspoon paprika
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup canola oil
1 tablespoon kosher salt
To assemble:
4 small brioche or similar rolls
2 tablespoons soft butter
¼ cup baby arugula or similar green
Pickled onion:
Mix the sliced red onion with the sugar and vinegar and let sit at room temperature for about two hours until it changes color and begins to wilt. Drain from the liquid and keep cold until ready to use.
For the oysters:
Shuck the oysters, being careful that they remain whole after shucking. Dredge each oyster in flour, shaking off any excess, then egg, and then bread crumbs. Since this is a breaded oyster, it’s important to keep cold until ready to use.
Aioli:
Place everything except the oils in a food processor and puree. While the machine is on slowly drizzle all of the oils in, making sure it is emulsified. If the mixture becomes too thick, use a little cold water to thin out then continue with the oil. This can be made a day ahead.
To assemble:
Warm the canola oil in a sauté pan to about 325 degrees. Fry each breaded oyster on both sides until golden brown. Carefully remove from the pan to paper towel, season with salt and pepper.
In a sauté pan, melt the butter and lightly toast the inside of the rolls. On the bottom of each roll spread a layer of the aioli, then the pickled onion, baby greens, and top with the warm oyster.
Modena Style Ribs and Beans
Serves four as a starter
Chef Anthony Caturano, Tonno in Gloucester and Prezza in Boston
You won’t catch chef Anthony Caturano at either of his restaurants—Tonno in Gloucester or Prezza in the North End—he closes both on Super Bowl Sunday, to give his staff a chance to watch the game with friends. But you might just catch him on the Jumbotron—for the first time, he is headed to see the game live with his dad.
Chef Caturano first had these ribs in Modena, Italy, at a small family restaurant and discovered later that the owners also make the aged balsamic vinegar he uses in his restaurants. “I cook them often for different events with family and friends and find it a nice alternative to the typical BBQ style,” chef Caturano says.
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Chef Anthony Anthony Caturano. Photo by Brian DeMellow.
1 rack of pork ribs
¼ cup of fresh rosemary chopped
2 T. fresh chopped garlic
1 T. chili flake
2 T. salt
2 T. sugar
2 T. black pepper
¼ cup olive oil
Combine all the ingredients. Rub on the ribs and let it marinate over night.
Take the ribs out of the refrigerator and let them come to room temperature an hour before cooking.
Preheat the oven or a smoker to 300 degrees. Cook the ribs two to three hours, until tender. You don’t want the meat to fall off the bone, but you do want to be able to easily tear it off.
Wrap the ribs in foil and hold in a warm oven up to an hour or so. Or reheat and serve up to three days later.
For the beans:
2 cups white beans, soaked for a couple hours in water to cover
1 carrot, small dice
1 onion, small dice
1/2 cup pancetta, small dice
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 cup of diced tomato, canned or fresh (chef uses canned)
4 cups of chicken stock or water
In a medium sauce pan, heat the olive oil, then add the pancetta and render the fat.
Add the carrot and onion and cook for a few minutes.
Add the tomato and bring to a simmer, then add the white beans and stock and bring to a simmer.
Cook until the beans are tender to your taste, approximately 2 hours, adding more stock if necessary. Chef likes when the skins are falling off and the beans are just starting to break up. Season with salt and pepper at the end.
If serving later, spread the beans out in a deep cookie tray to cool and reheat later. This can be made a few days ahead.
Philly Cheese Steak Nachos
Suzi Maitland, executive chef/partner of Paddle Inn, Newburyport; Trina’s Starlite Lounge, Amesbury; and three Boston-area restaurants
You might just find Suzi Maitland cheering on the Pats at the newest addition to her burgeoning restaurant empire, Trina’s Starlite Lounge in Amesbury. Though she admits she’ll also be slipping out to a friend’s house for some “crack.”
“For the Super Bowl, I will be splitting my time between watching it on the big screen at Starlite Amesbury and with some friends at their home with a crazy food spread that includes tons of buffalo wings and an amazing dessert called Toffee Crack made with Saltine crackers. It’s ridiculously good!”
Trina’s Starlite Lounge in Amesbury. Photo by Pat Piasecki.
Serves 4 people
1 bag corn tortillas
12 oz. shredded mozzarella
8-12 oz. trimmed and shaved flank steak
1 large Spanish onion, julienned
1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 green bell pepper, seeded and sliced
1 poblano, seeded and sliced
5 crimini mushrooms, sliced
6-8 oz. pepper jack cheese sauce (recipe below)
sour cream for garnish
scallions for garnish
Heat oven to 350 degrees
Make pepper jack cheese sauce with recipe below and keep warm on stove.
In a sauté pan, sear mushrooms over high heat in vegetable oil or oil of your choice.
Strain mushrooms and put aside.
Reheat pan on medium heat, add a little more oil, then add peppers and onions.
Cook until peppers are soft and onions are transparent. Put aside.
On a sheet pan spread out tortillas and generously cover with shredded mozzarella.
Put sheet pan in pre-heated oven and cook for 15-20 minutes or until cheese is melted.
While cheese is melting, heat a sauté pan on high heat. Season meat with salt and pepper and add to hot pan. Once browned on one side, flip meat and add the mushrooms, and the pepper and onion mixture. Toss until all heated through.
Pull chips from the oven and generously cover them with the final steak mixture.
Pour desired amount of pepper jack cheese sauce over everything.
Garnish with sour cream and scallions.
Enjoy!
Pepper Jack Cheese Sauce:
1 oz. butter, cubed
2 T. flour
1 c. milk
2 c. heavy cream
1 tsp. salt
8 oz. grated pepper jack cheese (habanero pepper jack optional)
In a medium pot, melt butter over medium high heat.
Whisk in flour and cook until bubbly.
Slowly whisk in milk and cream and cook until it thickens, whisking constantly.
Add cheese and salt and cook, whisking until melted and thick.
Not a cook? Babbo Pizzeria is offering an Italian feast to go for $90 that includes three pizzas, two 16” grinders (one meatball and one ribeye) and 25 Fra Diavolo chicken wings. Only one catch—you’ll have to drive to Boston on Sunday to get it. Visit babbopizzeria.com for details. Call 617-421-4466 to order, no later than Friday.