Fruits De Mer Platter Recipes

Steps:

• Make the court-bouillon: Prepare a large ice-water bath. Fill a 3-gallon pot with cold water. Add wine, salt, lemons, paprika, coriander seeds, celery seed, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil.
• Cook seafood: Add lobsters head first to court-bouillon. Cover; return to a boil. Cook 10 minutes. Using tongs, transfer lobsters to ice-water bath. Add crab legs to court-bouillon. Return to a boil; cook 8 minutes. Transfer lobsters to a plate; immediately add crab legs to ice-water bath, adding more ice as needed. Add shrimp to court-bouillon. Return to a boil; cook until shrimp are pink and opaque, about 3 minutes. Add shrimp to ice-water bath; let crab legs and shrimp cool completely. Transfer to a plate.
• Separate tails, claws, and knuckles from lobsters; using kitchen shears or a knife, split tails lengthwise through shells, then halve crosswise. Crack claws and knuckles so that meat can be easily removed. Separate crab legs at knuckles. Using kitchen shears, cut away a piece of shell so meat can be easily removed. Peel and devein shrimp, leaving tails intact. Transfer lobster pieces, crab legs, and shrimp to a rimmed baking sheet; wrap tightly in plastic. Refrigerate until ready to serve, or overnight.
• Assemble the platter: Just before serving, fill a 3-tier glass serving stand with crushed ice. Shuck the oysters and clams; set flat on bottom tier so that juices do not spill. Arrange lobsters and shrimp on middle tier. Put caviar into a small bowl, and set in center of top tier; arrange crab legs around caviar. Serve with toast points, the cocktail sauce, saffron mayonnaise, mignonette sauce, and lemon wedges.

Steps:

• Make the 3 sauces first to allow them to sit for 30 minutes before serving. Arrange seafood over ice on a 3-tiered platter. Serve immediately with 3 sauces.
• Black Pepper Mignonette:
• Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Let sit for 30 minutes before serving.
• Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Let sit for at least 30 minutes before serving.
• Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Make the 3 sauces first to allow them to sit for 30 minutes before serving. Arrange seafood over ice on a 3-tiered platter. Serve immediately with 3 sauces.
• Whisk all ingredients together in a small bowl. Let sit for 30 minutes before serving.
• Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Let sit for at least 30 minutes before serving.
• Whisk together all ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• For the periwinkles and crabs: place the periwinkles in a small saucepan and all the crabs in another small saucepan. Cover both with cold water, add 1/4 teaspoon salt to each pan, cover and bring to a boil. Remove pans from the heat and set aside until shellfish is cool. Refrigerate until cold.
• For the crayfish and langoustines: drop the crayfish and langoustines into separate small saucepans of boiling salted water, cover and simmer for1 minute. Remove the shellfish from the pans and place in a bowl until cool. Refrigerate until cold.
• For the cockles and mussels: in each of two small saucepans, combine half the wine and half the shallots and heat to boiling. Add the cockles to one pan and the mussels to the other pan. Cover and steam about 2 minutes or until the cockles and mussels open. Remove the shellfish from the pans and place in separate bowls. Refrigerate until cold.
• For the lobsters: heat a large saucepan of salted water to boiling, add the lobsters, cover and cook 8 minutes or until shells are bright red and tails curl around the bodies. Remove lobsters to a cutting board and split lengthwise. Refrigerate until cold.
• To serve, arrange cooked seafood on platter with the oysters and clams and intersperse with the lemon wedges. Serve with your favorite herb mayonnaise.