Here’s the Dish with Quahog’s Seafood Shack Chef: Lucas Manteca
206 97th Street, Stone Harbor | 609-368-6300 | quahogsshack.com
Q&A
1. What did you always want to be when you grew up?
I was always very self-motivated, I guess entrepreneurship was always in my blood. Growing up, I liked the idea of making money while having fun. And I guess I found my niche.
Chef Zuheiris Atiles and Chef Lucas Manteca of Quahogs Seafood Shack
2. Who/what inspires you?
My mother, an amazing chef by nature. I left Argentina when I was young and decided to travel to surf and used cooking as my way of income. Always loved food.
3. What is your favorite summer dish?
Ceviche. Fresh, healthy, and light.
4. What is the hardest cooking technique you have mastered?
To make souffle, I can do it, but I wouldn’t call it mastered. That would be Julia Child only.
5. Where do you find yourself most when you are not in the kitchen?
In the ocean or thinking about food or restaurants or what’s next.
6. What type of cuisine do you excel at, and why?
Seasonal and spontaneous. I can cook anything, you name it.
7. What is the best part of being in the kitchen?
My crew, our people. We have an amazing staff.
8. If you could cook anywhere in the world, where would you go?
Still trying to figure it out, and when I find it, I’ll be there. I love it here, hard to beat this lifestyle.
9. What ingredient do you like to add to everything?
Fennel.
10. How do you handle working in a fast-paced restaurant environment?
Another day in paradise …
Moqueca Mixta (Brazilian Seafood Rice Dish)
Ingredients:
Coconut Rice (serves 4)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 cups minced onions
2 cups short grain rice
1 cup clam juice
1 cup white wine
1 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon salt
Coconut Broth
1 quart clam juice
2 cans coconut milk
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 cup diced white onions
1 tablespoon salt
Stew
16 mussels
16 little neck clams
1 pound shrimp, shelled
with the tail on
½ pound calamari rings
1 pound small scallops
2 links cooked chorizo sausage diced
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons butter
(room temperature)
1 cup minced scallions
Salt and pepper to taste
Directions:
Heat a large pan on high heat with cooking oil and carefully add all seafood and shellfish; taking the pan out of the fire, toss seafood and return to high heat. Add garlic, enough coconut broth to cover all of the seafood, and put on a lid and let simmer until all shellfish is opened. Add room temperature butter and toss to make the butter emulsify and thin the sauce. On a separate pan, heat up two cups of coconut broth and add four cups of cooked rice. Mix until the texture of the rice becomes creamy like risotto. Plate a cup of rice in the middle of a bowl, arrange a variety of seafood around the rice and add a few spoonfuls of broth. Finish with minced scallions on top and serve!
