MAKES ABOUT 6 SERVINGS

Courtesy of Loren Wood

·         4 quarts water

·         2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar

·         Crab Boil, recipe follows (see note)

·         4 bay leaves

·         4 dried chile peppers

·         3 sprigs fresh thyme

·         1 head garlic, cloves separated and

Peeled

·         ¼ cup sea salt

·         2 lemons, halved

·         12 fresh crabs

·         3 pounds new potatoes, scrubbed

clean

·         4 ears corn, shucked and cut into

thirds

·         1 (10-ounce) bag pearl onions,

peeled

·         1 (10-pound) bag ice

1. In a very large stockpot, bring 4

quarts water, vinegar, Crab Boil, bay

leaves, chiles, thyme, garlic, salt, and

lemons to a rolling boil over high heat.

Add crabs, potatoes, corn, and onions.

Return mixture to a rolling boil, and

cook for 5 minutes. Turn heat off, and

cover pot for 15 to 20 minutes.

2. Pour ice into pot. (This helps the

crabs absorb the seasonings and

prevents them from overcooking.) Let

crabs stand in water for at least 1 hour

before serving. Crabs can be served

warm or completely cooled.

CRAB BOIL

MAKES ABOUT 1 CUP

·         ¼ cup yellow mustard seeds

·         3 tablespoons coriander seeds

·         2 tablespoons sea salt

·         2 tablespoons dill sprigs

·         2 tablespoons whole allspice

·         1 tablespoon crushed red pepper

·         1 tablespoon black peppercorns

·         1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1. In a small bowl, combine all ingredients.

On a large square of cheesecloth

or muslin, pile mixture in the center.

Bring cloth up and around mixture;

secure with kitchen twine like a sachet.

Note

Instead of homemade Crab Boil, you

can substitute 1 (3-ounce) package

crab boil in a bag, such as Zatarain’s.

“HOLD ON THERE BUSTER”

When the crab comes out of the

shell, it’s soft. If you take it out

of the water then and there, it’s a

buster crab because it just busted

out of the shell. But you don’t

want that buster. You want it to

soak up the water and expand

for three hours, before the shell

becomes hard again.”

—CHEF ALEX PATOUT

MAKES 4 TO 6 SERVINGS

Courtesy of Loren Wood

·         1 cup olive oil

·         1 cup tarragon vinegar

·         ¼ cup fresh lemon juice

·         3 tablespoons chopped fresh shallot

·         3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

·         2 tablespoons crushed red pepper

·         2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

·         2 tablespoons Cajun seasoning

·         1 pound cooked crab claws

Lemon wedges

1. In a small bowl, whisk together

olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, shallot,

chives, red pepper, parsley, and Cajun

seasoning; set aside ⅓ cup vinaigrette

in a small bowl.

2. Lightly wash claws to separate them.

Place crab claws in a resealable plastic bag.

Pour vinaigrette over claws. Refrigerate

for at least 2 hours before serving.

3. Remove claws from refrigerator 30

minutes before serving. Discard excess

marinade from claws, and serve with

lemon wedges and reserved vinaigrette.

Makes 4 servings
Courtesy of Chef Ryan André, Le Creolé, Baton Rouge

• 1 1/4 pounds tomatoes, halved
• 1 1/2 tablespoons butter
• 2 1/2 tablespoons chopped onion
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 1/2 teaspoons chopped thyme leaves
• 1/3 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
• 2 2/3 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 teaspoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon cold water
• White Wine Crab, recipe follows
• Thyme Crème Fraîche*, recipe follows
• Fresh thyme leaves, for garnish
• Basil-infused olive oil, for garnish

Preheat a smoker to 250º. Place tomatoes on large baking sheets, and smoke until tender, about 20 minutes.

In a large soup pot, melt butter over medium heat, and sauté onion and garlic until translucent. Add cream and next 3 ingredients to onion mix, and cook 3 minutes. Add smoked tomatoes to cream mixture, and cook until slightly reduced, 30 to 45 minutes.

Add tomato paste to tomato mixture. Purée soup with a handheld blender until smooth. Pour soup through a mesh strainer or cheesecloth. Discard solids and return liquid to pot over medium-low heat.
 
Add salt and next 3 ingredients, and cook 10 minutes more.

In a small bowl, combine cornstarch and 1 tablespoon cold water, stirring until smooth. Add cornstarch mixture to pot, and bring soup to a boil. Remove from heat after thickened. Divide soup among bowls, and top each with 2 tablespoons White Wine Crab and 1 tablespoon Crème Fraîche. Serve immediately. Garnish with basil-infused olive oil, if desired.

*Chef’s Note: Sour cream may be substituted for crème fraîche.

White Wine Crab

• 2 tablespoons white wine
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 pound Louisiana crab claw meat
• 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

In skillet over medium heat, bring wine and butter to a simmer. Add remaining ingredients, and cook until heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat, and keep warm until serving.

Thyme Crème Fraîche

• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 tablespoon buttermilk
• 1 sprig thyme

Mix all ingredients together and place in a container with lid. Store at room temperature for 24 hours until the mixture has thickened. Discard thyme sprig before serving.

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Courtesy of Marguerite Broussard

·         1 tablespoon butter, softened

·         ¼ cup vegetable oil

·         ¼ cup all-purpose flour

·         ½ large onion, chopped

·         1 stalk celery, chopped

·         ¼ cup chopped green bell pepper

·         ¼ cup chopped yellow bell pepper

·         6 ounces large shrimp, peeled,

deveined, and chopped

·         ⅓ cup chicken stock

·         4½ teaspoons butter, melted

·         1½ teaspoons hot sauce, such as

Crystal

·         4½ cups cornbread crumbs (about 1 pan)

·         ⅓ cup chopped fresh basil
½ teaspoon dried oregano

·         ½ teaspoon dried crushed rosemary

·         ¼ teaspoon filé powder

·         ¼ teaspoon Creole seasoning, or more to taste

·         Juice of 1 lemon

·         ½ pound lump crabmeat, picked free of shells

·         ¼ cup chopped green onion

·         ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley

·         ¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish

·         4 medium bell peppers of assorted

colors, halved lengthwise and seeded

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Grease a

13x9-inch baking dish with softened

butter, and set aside.

2. In a large pot or Dutch oven, whisk

together oil and flour over low heat; cook,

stirring frequently, about 15 minutes

until golden brown in color. Add onion,

celery, and chopped bell peppers; cook

5 minutes or until softened. Add shrimp,

and cook 5 minutes or until opaque.

3. In a medium bowl, combine chicken

stock, butter, and hot sauce. Add

cornbread crumbs and chicken stock

mixture alternately to shrimp mixture,

stirring well. Fold in basil, oregano,

rosemary, filé, Creole seasoning, and

lemon juice. Cook for 10 minutes. Stir

in crabmeat, green onion, parsley, and

Parmesan; remove from heat.

4. Fill bell pepper halves with shrimp

mixture, and top with additional Parmesan,

if desired. Arrange peppers in baking

dish, and bake 25 minutes or until

golden brown and heated through.

MAKES 8 SERVINGS

Courtesy of Lisa LeBlanc-Berry

·         6 large tomatoes, sliced and seeded

·         5 tablespoons butter, softened,

divided

·         ¾ cup chopped shallot

·         1½ cups seeded and chopped mini

yellow, red, and orange bell peppers

·         ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth

·         ¼ teaspoon Creole seasoning

·         1 cup Italian seasoned bread

crumbs

·         ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese

·         ⅓ cup extra-virgin olive oil

·         1 lemon, halved and seeded

·         6 (4-ounce) tilapia fillets

·         1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat,

picked free of shells

·         ¼ cup chopped fresh tarragon

·         2 tablespoons Japanese bread

crumbs (panko)

·         2 tablespoons white truffle oil

Creamy Gruyère Sauce, recipe follows

1. Preheat oven to 350º. Grease a

13x9-inch baking dish with 1 tablespoon

butter. Layer tomato slices in bottom

of dish.

2. In a small saucepan, melt remaining

4 tablespoons butter over medium

heat. Add shallot and peppers; cook

5 minutes or until softened. Add chicken

broth and Creole seasoning; cook for

5 minutes. Pour pepper mixture over

tomatoes in baking dish.

3. In a shallow bowl, mix together bread

crumbs and Parmesan. Place olive oil in

another shallow bowl. Squeeze lemon

over fish fillets, and dip each into olive

oil. Coat fillets in bread crumb mixture,

and place on top of pepper mixture in

baking dish.

4. In a medium bowl, stir together

crabmeat, tarragon, and bread crumbs.

Sprinkle crab mixture over fish fillets,

and drizzle with truffle oil.

5. Bake for 35 minutes or until tomatoes

are softened and fish is cooked through.

Serve with Creamy Gruyère Sauce.

CREAMY GRUYÈRE SAUCE

MAKES ABOUT 3 CUPS

·         2 cups milk

·         3½ tablespoons unsalted butter

·         ¼ cup all-purpose flour

·         1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard

·         ½ teaspoon hot sauce, such as

Tabasco

·         ½ teaspoon ground nutmeg

·         ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper

·         1⁄8 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce

·         10 ounces aged Gruyère cheese,

grated, divided

·         2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon

1. In a small saucepan, heat milk over

medium heat just until bubbles form

around edges of pan. Remove from

heat.

2. In a medium saucepan, melt butter

over medium-high heat. Add flour, and

cook, stirring constantly, for 4 minutes

or until it reaches a light golden color.

Gradually whisk in hot milk.

3. Stir in mustard, hot sauce, nutmeg,

white pepper, and soy sauce. Cook,

whisking constantly, for 4 minutes

or until thickened. Gradually whisk in

cheese and tarragon. Keep warm until

serving.

MAKES 6 SERVINGS

Courtesy of Elizabeth M Williams

·         2 ounces dried shrimp (see note)

·         1 (12-ounce) bottle pale lager beer

·         2 tablespoons rendered bacon fat

or vegetable oil

·         2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

·         1 large onion, chopped

·         ½ bunch green onions, chopped

·         2 stalks celery, chopped

·         ½ large green bell pepper, seeded

and chopped

·         2 cloves garlic, minced

·         2 quarts seafood stock

·         1 bay leaf

·         ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper

·         ¼ teaspoon ground thyme

·         1½ teaspoons lemon zest

·         1 pound large fresh shrimp, peeled

and deveined

·         2 cups shucked fresh oysters with

liquor

·         ½ pound lump crabmeat, picked

free of shell

·         1½ teaspoons filé powder, plus more

if desired

·         1½ teaspoons salt

·         ½ teaspoon ground black pepper

·         ½ bunch fresh parsley, chopped

·         4 cups hot cooked rice

Hot sauce

1. In a medium bowl, combine dried

shrimp and beer; let stand for 30 minutes.

2. Heat a large pot or Dutch oven with

rendered fat or oil over medium heat.

Add flour, and cook, stirring frequently,

for 15 minutes or until roux is the color

of dark chocolate. Stir in all onions, and

cook about 6 minutes or until onions are

soft. Add celery, bell pepper, and garlic;

cook 4 minutes or until garlic is fragrant.

3. Stir in seafood stock, bay leaf,

cayenne, thyme, lemon zest, and dried

shrimp with beer. Bring to a boil; reduce

heat to a simmer, and cook 30 minutes.

4. Stir in fresh shrimp, oysters, crabmeat,

filé, salt, and pepper. Simmer 10 minutes

or until seafood is cooked through. Stir

in parsley. Serve over cooked rice with

hot sauce and additional filé, if desired.

NOTE

Dried shrimp can be found in Asian

and some Hispanic markets.

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

Courtesy of Ember Grille & Wine Bar,

L’Auberge Casino Resort Lake Charles,

Lake Charles, Louisiana

November/December 2012

• 1 cup lump crabmeat
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 teaspoons Louisiana-style hot sauce, such as Tabasco
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 16 large sea scallops
• Bacon Bread Crumbs, recipe follows
• Béarnaise Sauce, recipe follows

Preheat oven to 375º.

In a medium bowl, combine crabmeat, mayonnaise, sour cream, hot sauce, parsley, thyme, mint, lemon juice, salt, and pepper.

Spray a rimmed baking sheet with nonstick cooking spray. Add scallops to pan, and top with crab mixture and Bacon Bread Crumbs. Bake for 8 minutes or until scallops are opaque. Increase heat to broil, and cook until topping is browned, about 2 minutes.

Spoon Béarnaise sauce onto plates, and top with scallops.

Bacon Bread Crumbs

MAKES 3/4 CUP

• 2 tablespoons rendered bacon fat, melted
• 3/4 cup Japanese bread crumbs (panko)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

In a small bowl, combine bacon fat, bread crumbs, salt, and pepper.

Béarnaise Sauce

MAKES ABOUT 3/4 CUP

• 2 large sprigs fresh tarragon
• 1/4 cup dry white wine
• 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 4 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Bring a small saucepan of water to boil, then reduce to simmer.

Remove tarragon leaves from stems and chop.Reserve leaves. In another small saucepan, add wine, vinegar, shallots, and tarragon stems; bring to a boil, and cook until liquid is reduced to 1/4 cup. 

Strain through a wire mesh sieve into a medium metal bowl, discarding solids.

Whisk egg yolks into vinegar mixture, then set bowl over pan of simmering water; do not let bottom of bowl touch water. Whisk constantly until mixture has thickened, about 6 minutes. 

Whisk in butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, letting each addition melt before the next is added. Remove from heat, and whisk in lemon juice, chopped tarragon, salt, and pepper. Keep warm until needed.

MAKES 12 APPETIZER SERVINGS
Adapted from Ralph Brennan’s New Orleans Seafood Book (Vissi d’Arte, 2008)
Printed in Summer 2012 

• 3 large Creole tomatoes
• 
3 avocados, halved lengthwise and peeled
• 
2 cups Spicy Vinaigrette, in all, recipe follows 
• 1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, picked
• 
6 sprigs flat-leaf parsley, for garnish

Trim ends of each tomato and cut crosswise into 1/2- inch slices. Cut each avocado half lengthwise into four slices.

Place a tomato slice in the center of each of 12 chilled salad plates. Fan 2 avocado slices over each tomato slice and season lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste.

Whisk 1 cup Spicy Vinaigrette in a large mixing bowl, add crabmeat and gently combine, keeping lumps intact.

In a separate bowl, whisk remaining vinaigrette and drizzle over each serving of tomato and avocado. Spoon a portion of the crabmeat over the edge of the tomato and avocado, allowing most of it to fall onto the bare plate, and decorate with a parsley sprig. Serve immediately.

Editor's Note: To mold this crab salad, as we did on the cover, pack portions into a ring mold and chill 30 minutes.

Spicy Vinaigrette

MAKES 2 CUPS

• 1/4 cup minced red onions
• 1/4 cup finely chopped red sweet peppers
• 1/4 cup finely chopped green sweet peppers 
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper 
• 1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano 
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup red wine vinegar 
• 2 teaspoons mild-flavored honey, such as clover

Combine all ingredients in a medium nonreactive mixing bowl, and whisk until well blended. Cover and chill overnight.

Chef’s Notes: If the oil congeals, return the vinaigrette to room temperature and whisk vigorously immediately before using.

Issue Date: November, 2009
Serves: Serves 6
Pairings:
Courtesy of:

Chef Brian Landry Galatoire’s Restaurant New Orleans, LA

Ingredients:

• 6 fresh artichokes
• Juice from one lemon
• 1 recipe Meuniere Butter (recipe follows)
• 1 pound domestic button mushrooms, sliced
• 1 bunch scallions (white and green parts), chopped
• 1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, cleaned or 2 pounds peeled fresh crawfish tails
• Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
• Lemon quarters for garnish (if desired)

Chefs note: Our rich, decadent, versatile Yvonne garnish was named for Yvonne Galatoire Wynne, Justin Galatoire’s stately, elegant daughter, who devoted herself to Galatoire's and served as front cashier and president of the restaurant (mid 1930s to the mid 1990s). When using crawfish tails use only fresh ones. Frozen ones will impart an undesirable gray hue.

Instructions:

Bring 2 quarts of water and the lemon juice to a boil in a large saucepan. Remove all the leaves and the fuzzy centers from the artichokes. Place the trimmed artichoke bottoms in the water; reduce the heat, and simmer, covered, about 20 minutes until tender. Drain and dry with paper towels. Cut the artichoke bottoms into quarters. Heat the Meuniere Butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the mushrooms, artichokes and scallions and saute. Gently fold in the crabmeat or crawfish. Add salt and pepper to taste and continue to saute until the crabmeat is heated through. Remove from heat. Serve immediately.

Meuniere Butter

• 5 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon butter
• 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat; cook, whisking often, until sediment from the butter separates and turns brown, about 12 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Slowly whisk in the lemon juice and vinegar, whisking until frothing stops.

Serves: 24

Ingredients:

1 bunch of green onions, chopped
1/3 bunch or parsley, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 pound of crabmeat
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
6 tablespoons of imported Parmesan cheese
4 tablespoons of unseasoned breadcrumbs
6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
4 cans (13.75 ounces) of artichoke bottoms 

Instructions: 

Mix first 7 ingredients thoroughly. Wash the artichoke bottoms, dry, and moisten each bottom with a little extra virgin olive oil. Place on a baking sheet and stuff each bottom with the filling. Mix the parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs and top each stuffed artichoke. Broil until tops are browned and filling is bubbly.