Entree: Ireland – Cork & Munster – Ballycotton Seafood Platter (Assorted fresh Ballycotton and Munster seafood served hot and cold with lemon and herb butter)

Food safety reminder: Follow safe food-handling practices and use a food thermometer to verify safe internal cooking temperatures.

Serving Size: 4

Approximate Time

Prep 20 min

Cook 15 min

Total 35 min

Ingredients

Cooked brown crab claws, 454 g gross; estimated edible crab meat: 114 g (assumes claws weighed shell-on and a 25% meat yield).
Cooked whole lobster, 450 g gross (one lobster, halved); estimated edible lobster meat: 120 g.
12 large prawns, approx. 1.5 oz (45 g) each, peeled and deveined (estimate: Treat 45 g per prawn as peeled, deveined edible weight, as indicated by the preparation description.)
Mussels, 900 g gross in shell, scrubbed and debearded; estimated cooked edible meat: 180 g.
8 sea scallops, approx. 1.25 oz (35 g) each, muscle removed (estimate: Treat the stated per-scallop weights as edible weight after removal of the side muscle.)
Shucked oysters, 340 g total. (estimated edible portion: 340 g)
Smoked Irish salmon, 225 g, thinly sliced. (estimated edible portion: 225 g)
Unsalted butter, 115 g.
Fresh parsley, chopped, 8 g (approximately 30 ml).
Fresh chives, chopped, 6 g (approximately 30 ml).
Dry white wine, 120 ml (approximately 119 g), for steaming mussels.
4 lemons, cut into wedges; approximately 224 g edible portion.
Flaky sea salt, 5 g.
Black pepper, freshly ground, 2.5 g.
Brown soda bread or farmhouse brown bread, 8 slices; approximately 320 g total. (estimated edible portion: 320 g)

Instructions

1. 1. Bring the dry white wine and 60 ml water to a vigorous simmer in a large pot. Add the mussels, cover, and steam for 4–6 minutes until the shells open. Discard any mussels that remain closed.
2. 2. If the cooked lobster is cold, reheat it briefly in simmering salted water for 3–4 minutes; do not recook it as raw lobster. Keep the oysters and smoked salmon chilled.
3. 3. Toss the prawns with 15 ml melted butter and grill or sear for 1–2 minutes per side, until pink and cooked through.
4. 4. Season the scallops with some of the flaky salt. Sear in a hot pan with 15 ml butter for 1–1½ minutes per side, until golden and cooked through.
5. 5. Melt the remaining butter and stir in the parsley, chives, and black pepper. Arrange the lobster, crab claws, mussels, prawns, scallops, oysters, and smoked salmon on a platter with lemon wedges and brown bread. Serve the warm herb butter with the hot seafood for drizzling or dipping.