Chef Larry's Essence of Crab Olympic
Yield: 8 - 10 Servings
Ingredients:
1 tbsp. Butter
1 1/2 cup Onions, diced
1 cup Celery, diced
1 cup Carrots, diced
1/2 tsp. Garlic, minced
1 tsp. Shallots, minced
2 Bay Leaves
1/4 tsp. Thyme leaves
3 Blue crabs, fresh
1 Rock crab, fresh
3 oz. Brandy
3 oz. White wine
1/4 cup Tomato Paste
2 qt. Fish Stock
as needed Flour Roux (approximately 1/2 - 3/4 cup, recipe follows)
2/3 cup Heavy Cream
to season Salt
to season Fresh Ground Black Pepper
to garnish Avocado, diced
to garnish Poppy Seed Fleurons (recipe follows)
to garnish Chives, minced
Method:
Prepare Blond Roux and Poppy Seed Fleurons per recipes, reserve. Clean crabs by removing top of shell and rinsing thoroughly under cold water.
Cut crabs into small pieces or crack with a mallet. In a large saucepan or pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onions, carrots, and celery; sauté until translucent. Add shallots, garlic, bay leaves and thyme, continue to sauté. Add crab to vegetables and sauté for 3 - 4 minutes. Add tomato paste and saute for 3 - 4 minutes. Carefully add brandy; simmer until liquid is reduced by 1/2. Add white wine and again simmer until liquid is reduced by 1/2. Add fish stock and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer over low heat for 25 - 30 minutes.
Add half of the roux, whisk well and simmer for 10 -15 minutes to thicken, adding additional roux if needed. Strain and return soup to low heat.
Stir in cream and season with salt and black pepper. Finish soup by blending with a hand-held immersion or stick blender. Portion soup into warm soup bowls and garnish with Poppy Seed Fleurons, diced avocado and minced chives.
Chef Larry's Notes:
Fresh live crabs are available at Asian markets. 2 - 3 additional Blue Crabs may be substituted for the Rock crab.
Chef Larry’s Blond Roux
Yield: approximately 1 cup
Ingredients:
4 oz. (1 stick) Butter
1 cup All-purpose flour
Method:
Melt butter over low heat in a small saucepan. Add flour in intervals while stirring until incorporated and mixture forms a thick paste. Cook over low heat for 3 - 4 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove and cool. Used as needed to thicken soups and sauces.
Chef Larry’s Crab Claw Poppy Seed Fleurons
Yield: approximately 16 each Fleurons
Ingredients:
1 Puff pastry sheet
1 Egg beaten with 1 tbsp. water
as needed Flour
1 tsp. Poppy seeds
1 Round pastry cutter, 2 1/2 - 3 inch diameter
Method:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Lightly dust work surface with flour and lay out puff pastry dough sheet. Using pastry cutter punch out 2 ½ - 3 inch pastry circles. Using the same round pastry cutter, cut circles again to form a "wide leaf shape". Using the tip of a paring knife cut out "v-shaped" notches out of one end of each "leaf" to create a pastry "crab claw.”
Place pastry claw fleurons on a lined baking sheet. Brush each pastry claw fleuron with egg wash and sprinkle with poppy seeds. Place fleurons in oven and bake at 375 degrees F for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Use as a garnish for Chef Larry's Essence of Crab Olympic.
Chef Larry’s Ginger Crème Brulee with Fresh Berries
Yield : 6 Servings
Ingredients for the Brulee:
2 oz. Ginger root, peeled, grated
1 qt. Heavy cream
10 Egg yolks
9 oz. Sugar
For service:
2 tbsp. Sugar (for sugar crust)
to garnish Fresh raspberries, blueberries and strawberries
1/3 cup Almonds, sliced, toasted
1 cup Sweetened whipped cream
6 Fresh mint sprigs
Method:
Combine ginger and cream in a saucepan, heat to boiling. Remove from heat and let cool for 15 minutes. Strain. Place egg yolks and sugar in mixing bowl, mix using wire whisk. Slowly incorporate into cooled cream. Pour mixture into brulee dishes or ramekins. Create “bain marie” by placing filled brulee dishes in a deep baking pan and adding 1 inch of water to the same pan. Bake in preheated oven at 325 degrees F for 1 hour. Remove and refrigerate. Sprinkle 1 tsp. sugar over each Ginger Crème Brulee.
Glaze in top broiler or with small torch. Top each with an assortment of fresh berries and sweetened whipped cream. Garnish with toasted almonds and mint sprigs.
Chef Larry's Warm Berry Compote
Yield: 6 Servings
Ingredients:
4 oz. Chambord raspberry liqueur
1/4 cup Apple juice
1 tsp. Sugar
squeeze Lemon, fresh
1/2 pt. Fresh raspberries
1/2 pt. Fresh strawberries, stemmed, halved or quartered
1 1/2 tsp. Corn starch
1 1/2 tsp. Water
Method:
Combine cornstarch and water. Mix well and reserve. Place Chambord liqueur and apple juice in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Add small amounts of cornstarch /water mixture and whisk to thicken slightly. Simmer briefly. Turn off heat and add berries to steep. Reserve keeping warm until service.
