Imagine hearing ocean waves crashing down while you’re lounging on a prime spot on the beach. That’s the feeling Ocean Prime‘s crew gave guests with their summer seafood feast this Thursday night! Executive Chef Jenn Grosskruger put on a four-course meal consisting of oysters, lobster, halibut, more lobster and coconut cake… talk about paradise! Read on to learn more about the delicious dishes that Jenn shared. Plus, get a recipe for a super seasonal cucumber cocktail.

Cucumber Gimlet

To kick the night off John Witmer, Ocean Prime Bar Manager, surprised everyone with a highly refreshing cucumber gimlet. Extremely easy to batch, this cocktail is perfect for parties! Just multiply the measurements based on how many people you are serving and you’ll be ready to go.

Ingredients

• 1.5 oz Bombay Sapphire gin
• 1 oz simple syrup
• 1 oz freshly squeezed lime juice
• 4 or 5 pieces of cucumber

Directions

Combine all ingredients into mixing glass or shaker tin. Muddle the pieces of cucumber, then shake and strain. Serve over ice and garnish with a cucumber ribbon as pictured.

Once guests were loosened up from their gimlets, Jenn sent out oysters on the half shell with a white balsamic granita, shallot and thyme. Jenn explained that the key to shucking an oyster is to think of it like picking a lock, find the right spot and wait until it gives, don’t force it!

Next came the lobster toast with avocado and sweet pea. Since this seems like the perfect summer lunch, I want to give you the steps to recreate Jenn’s dish, as it’s fairly simple! First, take chunks of lobster meat and cook them about 90% of the way, either steamed or in the oven will work. While the lobster is cooking blend together sweet English peas with some white pepper and salt. Transfer the pea blend into a large bowl and mash a couple of avocados in with it. Now for the toast base. Take slices of brioche and toast lightly. Once your lobster meat is ready, poach it in clarified butter. Assemble your open faced sandwich by smearing your pea and avocado blend onto the brioche and top with the lobster meat. Jenn finished it with a summer salad of pea tendrils, red onion, lemon zest and a lemonette dressing (balsamic and lemon juice), garnished with dehydrated lobster roe!

After the lobster toast, Chef Jenn served up a warm bowl of seared halibut with Parisian gnocchi in a seafood broth. Luckily for COOK guests, there was extra lobster, so Jenn tossed that in with the broth which she claimed was a “happy accident”. Surprise lobster is always a good thing.

Lastly, the night was capped off with a coconut icebox cake with warm chocolate sauce. A riff on Ocean Prime’s coconut cake, this version had layers of chilled coconut semifreddo. Sprinkled with toasted coconut this dessert truly had “beachy” vibes all over it.

Head in to Ocean Prime to get a taste of the sea for yourself this summer, and tell them COOK sent you!

Address: 124 South 15th Street, Philadelphia, PA 19102

Phone: (215) 563-0163