Pompano Pontchartrain Recipes

EGGS PONTCHARTRAIN

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• Bake bacon in a single layer on a sheet pan for 10 to 15 minutes. When crisp break bacon in halves. Set aside.
• Pour cold water into a 10-inch saute pan to a depth of about 2 inches. Bring to a simmer, then reduce the heat so that the surface of the water barely shimmers. Add the vinegar. Break 4 of the eggs into individual saucers, then gently slide them out 1 at a time into the water and, with a large spoon, and lift the white over the yolk. Repeat the lifting once or twice to completely enclose each yolk. Poach until the whites are set and the yolks feel firm yet soft when touched gently, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the eggs with a slotted spoon and either serve immediately, or place in a shallow pan or large bowl of cold water.
• Repeat with the remaining eggs, adding more water as needed to keep the depth at 2 inches, and bringing the water to a simmer before adding the eggs.
• To serve, reheat the eggs as necessary by slipping them into simmering water for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Place 2 toasted English muffin halves on each of 4 plates and lay 2 half strips of bacon on each. Place 1 poached egg on top of each muffin half and drizzle with the Tasso Hollandaise. Arrange the oysters on top of the eggs and around each plate, garnishing with the chopped green onions and parsley, and serve immediately.
• In the top of a double boiler, or in a bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, whisk the egg yolks with the lemon juice and 2 teaspoons water until egg yolks are thick and pale yellow. Remove the double boiler or bowl and saucepan from the heat and gradually add the butter, whisking constantly to thicken. Add enough tepid water to thin to pouring consistency. Add the tasso, salt, and cayenne and whisk well to blend. Adjust the seasoning, to taste.
• Serve immediately, or cover to keep warm for up to 10 minutes, whisking occasionally to keep from separating.
• In a bowl, combine the buttermilk with 1 tablespoon of the Essence. Add the oysters and marinate for 20 minutes.
• Combine the masa harina and flour with the remaining Essence in a shallow dish.
• In a deep-fryer or a medium, heavy pot with high sides, heat the oil to 360 degrees F.
• Dredge the oysters in the flour mixture and shake the pieces in a strainer to remove any excess. Carefully add to the hot oil in batches, and cook, turning occasionally, until golden on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the oysters with a slotted spoon, drain on paper towels, and serve immediately.
• Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
• Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch
• Published by William Morrow, 1993.

SHRIMP PONTCHARTRAIN

Steps:

• Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat; add the butter, onion and garlic and saute until translucent. Deglaze the pan by adding the Chardonnay and making sure to scrape all the delicious bits that may have started to stick from the bottom. Juice the lemon through your fingers into the saute pan, tossing any seeds, then throw the lemon rinds in the pan as well. Simmer this mixture until reduced by half, 2 to 3 minutes. Stir in thyme, paprika and cayenne, followed by the chicken stock, then bring everything to a rolling boil. Add the heavy cream and bring back to a boil. Upon reaching a second boil, immediately reduce the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
• Carefully remove and toss the lemons. Season your creamy base with salt and pepper. To thicken the base into Pontchartrain sauce, you will need to combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water into a thin paste, or slurry, in a bowl, and slowly whisk into your simmering base. Continue to make and add slurry at the same 1-to-2 ratio as needed and add a little at a time until sauce starts to show gentle trails behind the whisk, much like a thin gravy. Once adequately thickened, add the crawfish tail meat to the sauce and simmer for another couple minutes to cook out the raw cornstarch flavor and heat the crawfish through.
• And now you have Pontchartrain sauce! At this point it can be refrigerated for up to 3 days before serving.
• To prepare for serving, add the Pontchartrain sauce to a saute pan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add the raw shrimp to the sauce and simmer until the shrimp have become opaque and begun to curl, 5 to 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
• Place a pile of rice on each of four plates, then top each with 4 cooked shrimp and spoon the Pontchartrain sauce over everything.

POMPANO BUSTER

Steps:

• Rinse fish and pat dry. Baste the grill rack with clarified butter. Break the eggs onto a platter and mix with the clarified butter to form an egg wash for the fish. Preheat the broiler. Dust the fish with flour. Brush with egg wash on both sides. Place under broiler and broil for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven turn the fish over and brush and brush with egg wash. Return to the broiler and broil until golden brown. Remove the shell and then the sand track from the shrimp and cut them in half lengthwise. Wash the mushrooms, dry and cut into 1/2-inch slices. Saute shrimp and mushrooms a few minutes in a hot pan coated with a little clarified butter. Squeeze about 2 teaspoons of lemon juice over the mixture and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Add 2 ounces Sherry and ignite. Wash, dry and chop the chives. Add to shrimp-mushroom mixture.
• Blend the 2 teaspoons of salted butter with the 2 tablespoons of flour to form a "Beurre Manie." Add butter-flour mixture to the pan and stir until well combined. Heat a serving platter. Slide fish onto platter, cut in half from the head to the tail and pour shrimp-mushroom sauce over fish.

PONTCHARTRAIN SAUCE (PAPPADEAUX'S)

Steps:

• To make shrimp stock, combine reserved shrimp shells, chopped vegetables and water in a large stockpot; simmer over medium heat for about 30 minutes until liquid is reduced to 3 cups; strain and set aside.
• Sauté shrimp in 1 tablespoons butter until turning pink and set aside.
• Make roux by melting 4 tablespoons butter in saucepan until about to turn brown; whisk in 4 tablespoons flour until mixture thickens to a paste; cook until it turns a light, golden brown. Set aside.
• In a saucepan, melt 1 tablespoons butter and add garlic and remaining onion; sauté over medium heat 2 minutes.
• Add shrimp stock and crushed bouillon cube; stir and let simmer.
• While the stock is simmering, melt 1 ¼ stick of butter in a separate saucepan until it turns golden brown then set aside.
• Add roux to stock mixture and stir until fully incorporated; simmer for 3-5 minutes.
• Whisk melted butter into stock until fully incorporated then whisk in ¼ cup Madeira wine until fully incorporated; mix in Cajun seasoning and simmer for 1-2 minutes.
• Add 6 oz. back fin crab meat and cooked shrimp into sauce; simmer for 3-5 minutes and then ready to serve.

CAJUN PONCHARTRAIN SAUCE

Steps:

• In a medium saucepan, saute mushrooms in 1 teaspoon butter until tender. Stir in shrimp, and cook until pink. Transfer to a bowl.
• In the same saucepan, melt the remaining 2 teaspoons butter. Slowly mix in cream. Stir in the shrimp and mushroom mixture, and season to taste with garlic powder and black pepper. Simmer over very low heat until thick. Just before serving, stir in wine.