Skip to content

Robert St. John

Restaurateur, author, enthusiastic traveler, & world-class eater.

Seafood

Artichoke and Crab Dip

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place oil in a medium sized sauté pan. Over medium heat cook the green onions…

Read more

Shrimp Harrison

Season the shrimp with the salt, Old Bay Seasoning and black pepper. Place the olive oil in a large, heavy…

Read more

Seafood Courtbouillon

Fish Stock Place the water and all ingredients except the fish in a large sauce pot over medium heat. Bring…

Read more

Fried Oyster Salad

Fried Oysters Heat oil in cast iron skillet to 350 degrees. Combine cornmeal, corn flour, salt and Creole seasoning. Drop…

Read more

Crabmeat Wontons with a Sweet Chili Pepper Dipping Sauce

Using the paddle attachment on an electric mixer, whip the cream cheese until light and fluffy, scraping the sides and…

Read more

Sicilian Tuna Salad

My friend David Trigiani ate a version of this on a trip to Sicily and prepared it for lunch one day in his home. I fell in love with it and adapted my version for use on a regional Italian menu at Tabella. It’s perfect for hot summer days. I use fresh, seared yellowfin tuna here (it can be grilled, too), but high quality imported Italian canned tuna works as well. Many don’t’ mix cheese and seafood. If that offends you then just omit the cheese and carry on.

Read more

Salt Crusted Fish

Salt-crusted fish is a time-honored recipe. The first time I was exposed to it was at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Napa Valley. One of the chefs there salt-crusted a salmon. Though the best salt-crusted fish I have ever eaten was a sea bass cooked at Da Romano on the island of Burano. Any restaurant that has hosted Ernest Hemingway and Keith Richards during their run is OK in my book. It reminded me of an Italian version of the New Orleans mainstay Galitoire’s. The salt-crusted sea bass, however, reminded me of nothing I have ever eaten before. Perfect.

Read more

Lobster Risotto

This is a recipe we use in the Purple Parrot Café. Chef Jeremy Noffke often pairs this with beef. I suggest you do the same.

Read more

Shrimp Empanadas

The perfect frozen party food. Keep a batch in the freezer and when unexpected company shows up, pop them in the oven. They’ll wonder how you made something that tastes so good, and looks so complicated, so quickly.

Read more