How to Make Seafood Norfolk

The Norfolk in the name of this simple seafood in butter dish might refer to Norfolk, Virginia, but generations of Washingtonians will forever associate this specialty of the house with two great seafood restaurants just outside of the District of Columbia: Bish Thompson's and O'Donnell's, both of Bethesda, Maryland. Sadly, Bish Thompson's has long since closed its doors, but O'Donnell's (now relocated to Gaithersburg, MD) is still serving up several versions of this classic dish. This recipe is adapted from O'Donnell's, and will allow you to enjoy this delicious (if far from healthy) seafood treat in your own home.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• 1 lb. fresh jumbo lump crab meat, lobster meat, shrimp, or scallops
• 1/2 c. (1 stick) butter
• 1 tbsp. tarragon vinegar

1. Prepare the seafood. If you're using crab or lobster meat, pick it over to make sure there are no little bits of shell. If you're using shrimp, peel and de-vein. If you're using sea scallops you may wish to cut them in halves or quarters, but bay scallops are smaller so may be used whole.
2. Melt the butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium high heat. Add the seafood and stir it gently, cooking until it begins to brown (if using crab or lobster) or become translucent (for shrimp and scallops).
3. Remove from the heat and stir in the tarragon vinegar. Serve in individual serving dishes, ramekins, or little portion-sized skillets.

Tips & Warnings

• The butter must be salted-unsalted butter will make the dish taste flat.
• This dish is best served sizzling hot.
• Serve with a loaf of crusty bread for sopping up the juices.
• A baked potato or french fries and a garden salad also make good "sides."
• The very best "side" of all is a warm rum bun, long a staple of old-time DC- area seafood restaurants (and now only available at O'Donnell's).
• Do NOT substitute margarine or any kind of "spread" for the butter in this recipe--only the real dairy version will do
• Yes, it's very high in cholesterol, and fat, and probably sodium (from the salted butter), and you may even get mercury poisoning from the seafood so you'd probably better not eat this unless you are A) very healthy or B) don't care.