Aruba Seafood Trilogy:
Easy Fish Soup, Crab Cakes and Shrimp Croquettes

Aruba Seafood Recipes
Easy Fish Soup, Crab Cakes
and Shrimp Croquettes

Recipes by Chef Gerben de Lange of Fishes and More, which has an internationally trained kitchen staff providing standard dishes with influences from all over the world as well as daily specials. Located in the high rise area of Palm Beach at J.E. Irausquin Blvd 370, Arawak Garden.

Easy Caribbean Fish Soup

This Caribbean recipe uses mahi-mahi, grouper, snapper, mussels, calamari, scallops and shrimp in contrast to the French version including local mussels, oysters and white fish. Gerben uses homemade tomato sauce in this recipe, while the traditional version has a fish stock base. He says this is easy and fast to make, can be served as a main course. Use whatever seafood pleases you.

Ingredients:

12 green shell mussels
20 scallops
12 shrimp
120 gr calamari
200 gr catch of the day
2 tsps olive oil
1 tsp garlic, freshly chopped
1 liter fish bouillon
2 Tbl tomato sauce

Preparation

Stir fry in a little oil and add some freshly chopped garlic. Add fresh fish bouillon and a spoon of fresh tomato sauce and let simmer for 2 minutes until all ingredients are well done. Serve in a big bowl and let ingredients just stick out a little for “wow” effect.

Shrimp Croquettes

Fishes and More uses Canadian baby shrimp for a light taste as the base for our croquettes.

Ingredients:

8 oz shrimp
125 gr butter
1 cup flour
200 ml fish bouillon (stock)
2 eggs
breadcrumbs

Preparation

Melt butter and stir in flour. Keep mixture on medium heat to make it well-done.
Add shrimp and fish bouillon ( fish stock).
When it has the right texture and taste, spread mixture in stainless steel tray and place in refrigerator to cool. Once mixture is cooled, use ice cream scoop to make balls of the mixture.

Then roll by hand into croquette form and place in freezer to make them harder. Once croquettes are less mushy, dip in beaten whole eggs and roll in breadcrumbs. Deep-fry croquettes for 3 minutes in vegetable oil.
Served with small garden salad and tartar sauce.

Tartar sauce: combine mayonnaise, dill pickles, capers, lemon juice, salt and pepper, vinegar or juice from pickles. For something distinctive, add either mustard, olives or horseradish.

Crab Cakes

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 lb crabmeat, chopped
2 Tbl onions, finely chopped
2 Tblsps bell peppers, finely chopped
Dash Dijon mustard
Fish spices ( Chef Paul Prudhomme preferred)
2 eggs
Worcestershire sauce to taste
1 tsp garlic, fresh chopped

Preparation:

Beat eggs and mix all ingredients. Form into small patties and fry on medium hot plate grill or skillet in a little oil. Crab cakes are done when cooked through and are gold crusted/brown on both sides.

Serve with small garden salad and coconut curry sauce.

Curry coconut sauce: Combine mayonnaise, Indian curry powder, cream of coconut (sweet, not coconut milk) and dash Tabasco sauce. Mix in bowl and stir with whisk. If too thick, add more water.