Today's Case:
Herren’s Restaurant Planked Seafood
Re: Herren’s Restaurant Planked Seafood
From: Mary
To: Phaedrus
Date: 12/27/2024, 9:13 PM
On 12/27/2024 6:13 PM, Mary wrote:
Hello Recipe Sleuth!
I’m a native Atlantan and have wonderful memories of Herren’s Restaurant.
Their “Planked Seafood” entrees was very special, and I cannot find any
info on how it was made. There are several sources for their cinnamon and
dinner rolls which were stellar, but I cannot find more than mentions of the
Planked Seafood and one image which I have posted below. As I remember
it included several seafoods a cream sauce and maybe mashed potatoes.
If you come up with the recipe, you can make big $! I’ll be your first paying
customer. 😊
Thank you for your time!
Mary
Hello Mary,
I wish that I had good news for you, but I'm afraid that I had no success finding any recipes or even a detailed description of Herren's "Planked Seafood".
The only recipes that I can find at all from Herren's are the cinnamon rolls and Parker House rolls.
There is a photo of a "Ye Olde Herrin's" menu here: http://ciadigitalcollections.culinary.edu/digital/collection/p16940coll1/id/14356
I don't see "Planked Seafood" on it, but it does have a listing for "Our Assorted Fried Seafood Platter."
There is a book by Ed Negri with Michael J. Cain called "Herren’s: An Atlanta Landmark: Past, Present & Future"(Roswell, GA: Roswell Publishing Company, 2005). From the John T. Edge Collection. Call Number: TX945.5 H47 N45 2005. It's a history of Herren's, but it contains no recipes other than the cinnamon rolls and Parker House rolls.
The only suggestion that I have with a hope of success is for you to locate and contact any existing descendants of Ed Negri and Steve Negri. I know they are both deceased, but there is a chance, however small, that a surviving member of the family might have some of the recipes. Too bad Steve didn't include more of the recipes in his book.
I will post this for reader input. You can never tell, perhaps someone who read it will have the recipe and respond.
Phaed
Re: Herren’s Restaurant Planked Seafood
From: M's Gmail
Date: 12/27/2024, 10:29 PM
To: Phaedrus
Hello Phaedrus,
Thank you for the very prompt response. You and I had the same results to the search,
and I do own the book you shared.
There are several mentions of Planked Seafood in discussions of Herren’s Restaurant.
Here is the source of the pic I shared:
Steve Negri
I did not think about descendants. That’s a good idea. I guess we are
at a dead end but, since it’s a maze, I’ll turn and keep going!
Thanks again. I love what you do!!
Mary
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On 12/30/2024 10:24 AM, Mary wrote:
Hello again, Phadeus!
Look what I found!! Images attached. This is a very old scan of the Herren’s menu
which includes a description of Planked Seafood. With this info, do you think you
can find a similar recipe?
Again, I appreciate all you do for the myriads of people you help.
Mary
Hi Mary,
That menu tells us what kinds of seafood were on that plank:
Planked Seafood a la Herren's
"Shrimp, Lobster, Oysters, and Sea Bass chunks on a plank
surrounded by mashed potatoes and covered with Seafood
Sauce ... baked and sprinkled with sherry.
However, it doesn't tell us something very important, which is the recipe for the "Seafood Sauce." There are several places on the web with instructions for cooking sea bass and other seafood on a cedar plank, but without that "Herren's Seafood Sauce," it's not going to taste like Herrin's Planked Seafood.
See these sites for instructions on how to cook seafood on a cedar plank:
Planked Chilean Sea Bass
Plank Grilled Seafood and Fish
I still cannot find a recipe that's specifically for "Herren's Planked Seafood," nor can I find a recipe for "Herren's Seafood Sauce"
Phaed
Again, I’m impressed by your quick response, Phaedrus!
I’ll give these sites a look and, if I come up with a suitable (excellent ) recipe I’ll share it.
Thanks again!
Mary
