Dungeness Crab Bisque Wroast Pepper Crème Fraîche Recipes

DUNGENESS CRAB BISQUE

Steps:

• Remove the claws from the crabs and quarter the bodies. Heat a 6-quart stockpot. Add the oil and saute the crab pieces until they are red. Remove the pieces as they are cooked. Add the carrot, celery, tomatoes, garlic, shallots, and tarragon and continue to saute for 10 minutes. Pour in the cognac and ignite. When the flame has subsided, deglaze with white wine, and add the tomato paste, crab, and enough fish stock to cover. Season with salt, pepper, cayenne, thyme, and bay leaf and boil gently for 15 minutes.
• In a small saucepan, reduce the cream by half. Remove the crab bodies from the pot and set aside. Add the reduced cream to the soup. Puree the soup, in batches, in a food processor. Strain the pureed soup and keep warm.
• Remove the meat from the claws and cut into bite-size pieces and add to the soup. Season with lemon juice, salt, and pepper. Serve in heated soup bowls and garnish with minced chives or parsley.

CRAB BISQUE

Steps:

• Break up the large pieces of crab shell: If you have large pieces of crab shell, you'll want to break them into smaller pieces. A good way to do this is to put them in a plastic freezer bag and use a rolling pin or wine bottle to roll over them to break them up a bit. Don't crush them.
• Roast the shells: For extra flavor at this point, put them on a roasting pan in a 400°F oven for 10 minutes. That will help bring out more of the crab flavor.
• Cover the shells and (almost) simmer: Put the crab shells in a large stock pot and cover with an inch of water. Put the heat on medium high and slowly heat up the water. When you see little bubbles of air starting to rise to the surface, lower the heat to medium. Do not let the water boil! You want to keep the water temp at just below a simmer, around 180°F if you have an instant thermometer. The bubbles should only occasionally come up to the surface. Do not stir! Stirring the shells will muddy the stock. As foam develops on the surface of the water, skim it away with a large spoon. Keep skimming off the foam every so often, and maintaining the heat at just below a simmer, for about an hour.
• Add the wine, carrots, onions, celery, tomato paste, herbs, and peppercorns: Once the stock is no longer generating foam, add the wine, carrots, onions, celery, tomato paste, thyme, bay leaves, parsley and peppercorns. Increase the heat to return the stock to a low simmer, then lower the heat to maintain that very low simmer for 30 minutes. Skim off any new foam that develops. Add salt and remove from heat.
• Remove the large solids and strain through a lined sieve: Use tongs or a spider strainer to remove and discard the largest pieces of shells from the stock. Then place a few layers of dampened cheesecloth or paper towels over a large, fine mesh strainer placed over a large bowl or another pot. Pour the stock through the strainer to strain. Discard the solids. Either use the stock right away, or cool for future use. If you aren't going to use the stock in a couple of days, you can freeze it. Remember to leave enough headroom at the top of any jar you use so that the liquid has room to expand as it freezes. You should use frozen shellfish stock up within 2 months. Makes 2 to 3 quarts. Reserve 4 cups for the crab bisque, refrigerate or freeze the rest.
• Sauté the shallots in butter: In a large, 4 or 6 quart saucepan, melt butter on medium heat, add the shallots and cook gently until translucent, about 5 minutes.
• Add the wine, stock, rice, tomato paste, and then simmer: Add the wine, stock, white rice, and tomato paste. Raise the heat and bring to a simmer; reduce heat to continue to simmer until rice is completely cooked, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for several minutes.
• Add two thirds of the crab meat, and then purée: Add about two thirds of the crab meat to the soup. Working in batches, ladle the soup into a blender and purée until completely smooth. Return puréed soup back to soup pan.
• Add the cream, remaining crab meat, salt, and cayenne: Add cream and gently heat soup until it is hot enough for serving. Add the remaining one third of the crab meat. Add salt and cayenne pepper to taste (about 1⁄2 teaspoon salt and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne).

DUNGENESS CRAB BISQUE W/ROAST PEPPER CRèME FRAîCHE

Steps:

• 1. For the Crab Bisque: In a deep stock pot, heat butter over medium heat and sauté crab sections until they become bright red. Remove from pot and reserve. Add onion, celery and carrot to stockpot, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add tomato, garlic and sauté 2 more minutes. Add tomato paste and combine well. Add wine and deglaze pan until almost dry. Add fish stock, thyme, paprika, cayenne, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. Bring to boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes.
• 2. While the bisque is reducing, crack and remove crab meat from sautéed crab sections and set aside. Add heavy cream and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain the bisque and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• 3. For the Pepper Crème Fraîche: Mix pablano pepper purée and red (or yellow) pepper purée together in small bowl. Add crème Fraîche and mix well.
• 4. Add crabmeat to the bisque and serve immediately with a dollop of Roasted Pepper crème Fraîche.

DUNGENESS CRAB SALAD WITH AVOCADO, BEETS, CRèME FRAîCHE, AND LIME

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Cut the leaves from the beets, leaving 1 inch of stem still attached. (Save the greens for another dish.) Clean the beets well, and toss them with 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 teaspoon salt. Place the beets in a roasting pan with a splash of water in the bottom. Cover with foil, and roast 30 to 40 minutes, until tender when pierced. (The roasting time will depend on the size and type of beet.) When the beets are done, carefully remove the foil. Let cool, and peel the beets by slipping off the skins with your fingers. Cut the beets into 1/2-inch wedges. Toss them in a medium bowl with 1 tablespoon olive oil, a generous squeeze of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Taste for seasoning.
• While the beets are in the oven, combine the shallots, jalapeños, lime juice, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a small bowl, and let sit 5 minutes. Whisk in 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil. Taste for balance and seasoning.
• Cut the avocados in half lengthwise, remove the pit, and peel. Cut into 1/4-inch slices, and season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and freshly ground black pepper. Fan the avocado slices on one side of a chilled platter. Place the beets on the other side, and arrange the watercress in the center.
• Toss the crab gently with two-thirds of the jalapeño-lime vinaigrette, the parsley, and the cilantro in a large bowl. Taste the crab, and season with more salt or lime if you like. Pile the crab on the watercress, and top with the crème fraîche. Sprinkle a little cracked black pepper over the crème fraîche, and drizzle a little more vinaigrette over the avocado.

DOUBLE-CORN FRITTERS WITH DUNGENESS CRAB CRèME FRAîCHE

Steps:

• For fritters:
• Mix first 5 ingredients in medium bowl. Whisk buttermilk and egg in small bowl to blend. Stir egg mixture into dry ingredients, then stir in corn kernels, onion, and bell pepper (do not overmix).
• Pour enough oil into large skillet to coat bottom. Heat oil over medium heat. Working in batches, drop 1 scant tablespoon batter for each fritter into hot skillet; spread each to 2-inch round. Fry until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to baking sheet. (Can be made ahead. Let stand at room temperature up to 2 hours or cover and chill overnight. Bake uncovered in 350°F oven until heated through, 6 to 8 minutes.)
• For crème fraîche:
• Place crabmeat in medium bowl. Fold in crème fraîche, 1/4 cup chives, white pepper, and cayenne. Season with salt. (Can be made 2 hours ahead. Cover; chill. Stir before using.)
• Arrange warm fritters on platter. Top with crab mixture and garnish with additional chives.

DUNGENESS CRAB BISQUE W/ROAST PEPPER CRèME FRAîCHE

Steps:

• For the Crab Bisque: In a deep stock pot, heat butter over medium heat and sauté crab sections until they become bright red. Remove from pot and reserve. Add onion, celery and carrot to stockpot, and sauté for 5 minutes. Add tomato, garlic and sauté 2 more minutes. Add tomato paste and combine well. Add wine and deglaze pan until almost dry. Add fish stock, thyme, paprika, cayenne, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaves. Bring to boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 15 minutes.
• While the bisque is reducing, crack and remove crab meat from sautéed crab sections and set aside. Add heavy cream and simmer for 15 minutes. Strain the bisque and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• For the Pepper Crème Fraîche: Mix pablano pepper purée and yellow pepper purée together in small bowl. Add crème Fraîche and mix well.
• Add crabmeat to the bisque and serve immediately with a dollop of Roasted Pepper crème Fraîche.