Crabmeat And Spinach Flan With Smoked Tomato Buerre Blanc Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a skillet heat 2 tablespoons of butter. When hot add shallots, carrots and celery, cover and cook until wilted, about 5 minutes. Add the shrimp and crab and saute, stirring continuously for 3 to 4 minutes or until seafood is just cooked through. Stir in Cognac and evaporate over high heat. Stir in tomatoes and cook 10 minutes, uncovered, or until mixture is quite thick. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Make a roux: Melt the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and add 4 tablespoons flour. Whisk in cream and milk and simmer five minutes or until thick. Remove from heat and stir in 1/2 cup of the gruyere cheese; season to taste with salt, pepper and nutmeg Cut the pasta sheets into strips 3 to 4 inches wide and long enough to fit into your gratin or baking dish. Boil, a few sheets at a time until 3/4 done. Drain and cool on clean cloths. Generously butter 3 quart capacity baking pan. Spread a thin film of cream sauce over bottom of baking dish. Arrange a layer of 4 overlapping sheets of lasagne. Spread a thin film of cream sauce over pasta, then seafood mixture. Top with pasta and repeat, reserving 1/3 cup of cream sauce for top layer. Finish with a layer of pasta, cream sauce and remaining 1/4 cup of gruyere. Bake, loosely covered with foil for 20 minutes. Uncover and bake 10 minutes or until hot throughout and only slightly golden on top. Let stand in pan for 5 minutes then serve.

Steps:

• For the crab cakes: In a large bowl, combine all ingredients for crab cakes. Gently mix to combine. Using an ice cream scoop, make 8 balls and place on a baking sheet or large plate. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. (If crab is very fresh, this may be done a day ahead of time.)
• For the Crystal beurre blanc: In a small saucepan, combine hot sauce, lemon and wine. Bring to boil over high heat, then simmer until reduced by a third, 3 to 4 minutes. Add cream and again reduce by a third, about 5 minutes. Lower heat and whisk in butter a few pieces at a time, making sure each addition is incorporated before adding next. Pour sauce through a fine-mesh strainer and add salt to taste. If desired, keep warm over a double-boiler.
• For the spinach base: For the spinach base: Place a large skillet over medium heat, and heat butter and olive oil in it. Add onion and sauté until soft, about 5 minutes. Add spinach in batches, stirring and adding more until it all cooks down. Season to taste with salt and pepper, set aside and keep warm.
• For frying: Line up three shallow bowls. Place flour in one and season to taste with salt and pepper. Place eggs and milk in the second bowl; beat until mixed. Put bread crumbs in the third. Pat crab cakes into thick disks, like oversize scallops. Dip each into flour mixture, then egg mixture, then roll in bread crumbs. Set on a plate and chill for 30 minutes.
• Place a large sauté pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Pour in enough oil to come 1/2 inch up side of pan. When oil shimmers, add crab cakes. Cook, turning once, until light golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes a side. Transfer to paper towels to drain.
• To serve, place a mound of spinach on each of four serving plates. Place 2 crab cakes next to spinach and pour sauce around them. If desired, serve with more hot sauce.

Steps:

• Make beurre blanc:
• Soak tomatoes in warm water until softened, 20 to 25 minutes. Drain and pat dry, then mince. Stir together tomatoes, butter, and salt, then form into an 8-inch log on a sheet of plastic wrap and chill, wrapped in plastic wrap, until firm, about 1 hour. Cut tomato butter into 12 equal pieces.
• Cook shallot in 1 piece of tomato butter (keep remaining butter chilled) in a small heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add wine and boil until liquid is reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 10 minutes.
• Reduce heat to low and whisk in remaining cold tomato butter 1 piece at a time, adding each piece before previous one has completely melted and lifting pan from heat occasionally to cool mixture (sauce should not get hot enough to separate). Whisk in water and lemon juice, then season with salt and pepper.
• Transfer beurre blanc to a bowl and keep warm, covered, in a larger bowl of warm water.
• Sauté scallops:
• Pat scallops dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then sear 6 to 8 scallops, turning once, until golden brown and just cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes total. Transfer to a platter as cooked and keep warm, loosely covered with foil. Sear remaining scallops in same manner, wiping out skillet and adding about 1 teaspoon oil between batches.
• Spoon 3 tablespoons beurre blanc onto each of 6 plates, then top with scallops.

Steps:

• Mix wine, shallots, and lemon juice in small saucepan. Boil over medium-high heat until mixture is reduced to 1/3 cup. Add cream; boil gently until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Whisk eggs and milk in bowl. Mix flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper in shallow dish. Dip each fish fillet into egg mixture, then coat both sides of fish with flour mixture. Heat oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add fish; cook until just opaque in center, about 4 minutes per side.
• Whisk sauce over medium heat until heated through; remove from heat. Add butter a few pieces at a time and whisk just until melted. Stir in lemon peel. Season sauce with salt and pepper.
• Place 1 fish fillet on each of 4 plates; top with crabmeat. Spoon sauce over; sprinkle with parsley and serve.