Issue Date: February, 2010
Serves: Serves 8
Pairings:
Courtesy of:

Chef Brian Landry of Galatoire’s Restaurant was crowned King of the Louisiana Seafood Cook-Off May 24,2008 for this winning dish and provides us his recipe as a courtesy.

Ingredients:

Sautéed Cobia

• 8 each Cobia, 6-7 oz portions (Also try Lemon Fish or Pompano with this recipe)
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2 cups clarified butter
• Salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

Louisiana Crab Butter

• 5 each Louisiana whole gumbo crabs
• 2 lb. plugra unsalted butter (European style)
• ½ tsp paprika
• 1/8 tsp white pepper or dash of cayenne
• ½ tsp salt
• ¼ tsp turmeric
• 1 shallot, minced
• 1 cup vermouth

Caramelized Fennel

• 3 each large onions, julienne
• 3 each fennel bulbs, julienne
• ¼ lb. butter

Fingerling Potatoes

• 2 lb. fingerlings
• 1 cup white wine
• 3 cups water
• 1 each fresh thyme sprig
• 1 each bay leaf
• Salt, to taste
• 2 Tbsp. butter

Vegetable Pearls

• 2 each zucchini (pearled)
• 2each yellow squash (pearled)
• 2 each carrots (pearled)
• 2 cups water
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Jumbo Lump Crabmeat

• 1 lb. Louisiana jumbo lump crabmeat
• 1 Tbsp. fresh tarragon, chopped
• 2 Tbsp. butter
• Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Sauted Cobia
Season fish with salt and pepper, and dust with flour.  Cover the bottom of a large saute pan with clarified butter and set over medium-high heat.  Saute for four to five minutes per side, until golden brown crust is formed.

Louisiana Crab Butter
Place gumbo crabs in an 8 qt. (non-reactive) sauce pot.  With a food mallet or potato masher, break up shells as well as possible. Add the butter and seasoning to the saucepot and place on a very low flame or burner.  Allow shells to barely simmer or stew in the butter for 30-40 minutes.  Continue during this cooking time, to crush shells more, to release all crab flavor. Turn off heat; allow crab butter to set for 10 minutes. Strain butter through a very fine chinois or strainer into a stainless bowl. Place stainless bowl with butter over a large bowl filled with ice water.  Whisk butter until it starts to solidify and become firm, but not too tight. Place butter into a food processor with an additional 1/3 pound of butter (cut into small pieces.)  Blend crab butter with fresh butter together.

Heat shallot in vermouth in a 2 quart sauce pan.  Allow to simmer until liquid in pan is almost dry.  Over medium-high heat whisk in crab butter tablespoon at a time until all incorporated.  Strain sauce through chinois.  Keep in a warm place.

Fingerling Potatoes
Place all ingredients in 8 quart sauce pot.  Turn to high heat, and allow the potatoes to cook until just tender (about 20 minutes).  Remove potatoes from water, allow to cool, and then cut on a bias.  Add butter to sauté pan on medium-high heat.  Add potatoes and cook until outside is browned and crispy.

Caramelized Fennel
Heat sauté pan to medium-high heat.  Add butter, onion and fennel.  Turn heat down to medium –low.  Allow to cook until they start to caramelize.  Deglaze the pan with ½ cup of water to moisten the onion and lift the sugars from bottom of pan.  Remove from heat and set aside.

Vegetable Pearls
Cut each vegetable with small parisienne scoop.  Place zucchini and squash pearls in 1 cup of water seasoned with butter salt and pepper. Simmer until pearls are tender.  Do the same for carrots, but in a separate pan (cook time is a few minutes longer). 

Jumbo Lump Crabmeat
In a sauté pan, heat butter in about 1 cup of water.  Add crabmeat and simmer until warmed through.  Add tarragon and salt and pepper. 

Plate Assembly
Toss fingerling potatoes with caramelized fennel.  Place in center of a large shallow bowl.  Place cobia over potatoes.  Next, top the fish with 2 oz. of crabmeat.  Next, use a sauce spoon to sauce around the fish so that it pools at the bottom of bowl.  Sprinkle the vegetable pearls around the sauce