Q). We bought some beautiful
Dungeness crabs from Liberty Fish Market on Fisherman’s wharf and
consumed them blissfully right on the kitchen counter. The crab is so
good right now, can you recommend any of your favorite recipes? We would
like to try something new, if we can just resist the urge to eat it all
right when we get home.
Bob and Susan Thornton
Seaside, CA
Via e-mailA). Is there
anything better from the sea than just cooked, fresh-as-can-be Dungies?
Here’s a recipe from my first cookbook, including simple instructions on
cooking your crab yourself. If you really don’t want to cook your own
crabs, Vince or Anthony at Liberty will be happy to crack and clean them
for you.
Sicilian Crab Pasta
Recipe
3 large live or fresh cooked crabs
1 pound angel hair pasta
6 garlic cloves |
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1 large yellow onion
olive oil
1/2 cup sundried tomatoes
1/4 bunch Italian parsley2 bunches green onions
6 Roma tomatoes
1 cup Calamata olives (pitted)
1/4 t. red pepper flakes
1/2 cup clam juice or white wine
1/2 pound butter
1 lemon, quartered
salt and pepperBring a large pot
(8 quarts) of salted water to a rapid boil. Carefully drop live crabs
into pot. Cook for 15-20 minutes (cooked crabs need not be re-heated).
Forget what you’ve heard about the crabs “screaming”, they really don’t
mind. Remove crabs from the pot (do not rinse) and let cool until able
to handle. Remove outer shell. Remove lungs (fingers) and mouth from
shell and discard. Scrape out remaining crab butter from outer shell to
add to sauce. Remove crab legs and crack gently to remove meat. Cut
between knuckles and remove meat. Prepare a 4-quart pot of salted water
for |
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pasta. Bring to a rapid boil before adding
pasta. Add pasta to boiling water and cook according to package
instructions – to al dente. Drain, toss with a splash of olive oil and
set aside. You will need a large skillet and a 4-quart pot for remaining
ingredients. Chop garlic cloves and onions coarsely. Remember, the finer
the chop, the more powerful the flavor. Place in a skillet with olive
oil and brown. Soak sundried tomatoes in warm water for 5 minutes to
soften. Remove stems from Italian parsley and chop. Chop green onions.
Add the sundried tomatoes, Roma tomatoes, green onions, parsley, olives,
red pepper flakes, clam juice (or white wine), crab butter and simmer.
Add butter. When butter has melted into the sauce, fold in the crabmeat.
Add pasta to sauce and gently mix together. Season with salt and pepper
to taste. Add a lemon garnish, serve immediately with some good crusty
Italian bread and watch out! |
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Q). We were in Las Vegas recently and
had lunch at the Eiffel Tower Restaurant. We were served an asparagus
flan with tarragon in a small ramekin. I love asparagus but have only
had it steamed or barbecued up till this point. I would love the recipe
for this delicious dish. Is there any way you
could get that for me?
Via e-mailA). You are
talking about a restaurant owned by my good friend Chef J. Joho, also of
the award-winning Chicago restaurants Everest and Brasserie JO. Chef
Joho has been a frequent participant in the annual Masters |
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of Food and Wine at the Highlands Inn as
well as a great guest several times on my
cooking show. Although I couldn’t get hold of his recipe from Eiffel
Tower, here is one you can try:
Asparagus Flan Recipe
2 pounds asparagus (trim the stems of woodiness with a potato peeler)
4 large eggs
1 1/3 cups whole milk
2 T. freshly grated Reggiano Parmesano
1 1/4 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. fresh ground black pepper
1/4 t. freshly grated nutmeg, or to taste. |
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Put oven rack in middle position and preheat
oven to 325°F. Butter 8 individual-size soufflé molds. Steam asparagus
in a steamer set over boiling water, covered, until very tender - 6 to 8
minutes. Purée asparagus in a food processor until smooth, 1 to 2
minutes (you will have about 2 cups of purée.). Whisk together eggs,
milk, cheese, salt, pepper, and nutmeg in a bowl, then whisk in
asparagus purée. Pour asparagus mixture into pan and bake in a hot water
bath until flan is set and a wooden pick or skewer inserted in center
comes out clean, 45 minutes to 1 hour. Transfer pan to a rack to cool
slightly, 10 to 15 minutes. |
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Winter is coming as so are the shrooms! I am
often asked this time of year for advice as to how to get started as a
mushroomer. Well, here is a great opportunity. I just received a notice
from old friend Charmoon Richardson of wildaboutmushrooms.com, about an
upcoming mushroom camp in Sonoma County. For a very reasonable fee of
$250 for the entire weekend (January 13-15, |
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2007), you can enjoy “comfy cabins, all
meals and great mushroom camaraderie”. Three days of
mushroom activities with experts, including forays, classes, workshops,
artwork, specimen tables, feasting and presentations. To register, call
(707) 837-8028 or check out
SOMAmushrooms.org.
Turkey recipes you may not have heard of:
Now, and usually after |
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Christmas, it is leftover turkey recipe time.
Aside from the usual tetrazzini, al a king, soups and enchiladas, a
friend sent me a list of the least popular leftover turkey dishes. Among
these are: turkey-house cookies, carcass cacciatore, the forgotten
giblet bag paté, turkey smoothies and, my favorite of the least
favorites – regurgiturkey surprise – Happy holidays. |
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