Crab and Sweet Corn Bisque

From Chef John Howie of Seastar Restaurant

Serves 6
This can be made a day in advance.  Cool it quickly.  When ready to serve, bring to boil over high heat and ladle into bowls.  The Madeira-Port reduction can also be made in advance and refrigerated; bring it to room temp or warm it before serving.

Ingredients for Bisque:
1 cup (2 sticks) salted butter
1/2 cup minced white onion
2 Tbl.  minced shallot
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup dry sherry
8 cups half-and-half
3/4 cup fresh sweet corn kernels
1 cup clam juice
1/2 tsp. dried ground thyme
1/2 tsp. white pepper
2 tsp. salt

Ingredients for Madeira-Port Reduction
1/2 cup Madeira
1/2 cup tawny port
2 tbl. Balsamic vinegar
2 tbl. Sugar

Ingredients for Serving
18 oz. Dungeness crabmeat, picked over to remove cartilage
1 1/2 Tbl. Fresh chives, cut on diagonal into 3/4 inch lengths

The Bisque:
In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the onion and shallot and sauté until translucent, about 8 minutes.  Sprinkle with flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden, but not browned, about 5 minute, lowering heat if necessary to keep roux from coloring too quickly.  Stirring constantly, add the sherry, then the half-and-half.  Bring to a simmer, stirring.

As the half-and-half mixture is heating, put the corn and clam juice in a blender and purée until very smooth.  When the bisque reaches a simmer, add the corn mixture and return to a simmer.  Add the thyme, white pepper, and salt and simmer until thickened, 15 or 20 minutes.



Madeira-Port Reduction:
In a small saucepan, combine the ingredients and bring to a boil over high heat.  Boil until the mixture is reduced to 1/4 cup, about 10-12 minutes.



To Serve:
Bring the bisque to a boil, add the crabmeat, then immediately ladle it into 6 soup bowls.  Drizzle with a bit of the reduction (you won't use all of it) and garnish with the chives.  Serve immediately.

Stuffed Salmon with Crab, Shrimp and Brie

From McCormick & Schmick's

Posted by Andie Evans

This is the best thing I've ever put in my mouth. Ever!

4 servings
1 c. beurre blanc sauce (recipe below)
4 (5 oz.) salmon fillets
6 oz. bay shrimp
6 oz. Dungeness crab meat
6 oz. brie cheese, cut into ½ inch cubes
3 Tbs. mayonnaise
1 Tbs. chopped fresh dill
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Prepare the beurre blanc sauce and set aside. Cut a slit vertically down the center of the fillet, just to the skin. Do not cut through the skin. Combine the shrimp, crab, brie, dill, salt and pepper. Gently blend in the mayonnaise to bind the mixture. Divide the stuffing mixture between the four fillets. Generously stuff the crab filling into the slit of the salmon and pack it nice and tight, mounding it on top. Bake in a lightly buttered baking dish for 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer to dinner plates and spoon the beurre blanc over the fish.

Beurre Blanc Sauce
Yield: 1 cup
6 oz. white wine
3 oz. white wine vinegar
3 whole black peppercorns
1 shallot, quartered
1 c. heavy cream
6 oz. cold, unsalted butter,cut into pieces
3 oz. cold, salted butter,cut into pieces
Combine wine, vinegar, peppercorns and shallot in a non-corrosive saucepan (stainless steel, Teflon,Calphalon). Reduce until the mixture is just 1 to 2 tablespoons and has the consistency of syrup. Add the cream and reduce again until the mixture is 3 to 4 tablespoons and very syrupy. Remove the pan from heat. Add the butter pieces, about 2 ounces at a time, stirring constantly and allowing each piece to melt in before adding more. (If the mixture cools too much, the butter will not melt completely and you will have to reheat it slightly. Strain and hold warm on astove-top trivet or in a double-boiler over very low heat until you are ready to use.

Crab, Mango and Avocado Salad

From McCormick & Schmicks

Posted by Andie Evans

The key is to build a tower using a ring mold (available in specialty cookware stores--or cut the top and bottom off a soup can) to form the salad tower. If you can't find the pomegranate reduction, use a light syrup or boil down pomegranate juice until it makes syrup.

Yield: 4 servings

3/4 c. diced mango
3/4 c. diced avocado
10 oz. canned crab
4 Tbsp. pomegranate reduction
4 Tbsp. chive oil (see below)
1/2 c. micro greens tossed in a small amount of the citrus vinaigrette

To create the tower, place a 2-inch ring mold on a salad plate. Spoon 2 heaping tablespoons of diced avocado into the mold. Layer 2 heaping tablespoons of diced mango on top of the mango. Finish with 1-1/2 oz. of crab meat to fill the mold. Press down lightly to set the ingredients. Keeping your fingers or a spoon on the top of the tower, apply pressure, and gently slide the ring mold up and off the salad. Rinse and dry the mold before moving on to the remaining plates.

Garnish the top of each salad with the micro greens. Drizzle pomegranate reduction, citrus vinaigrette and chive  oil on the plate and around the tower.

Chive Oil
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 bunches fresh chives

Blend the chives and vegetable oil in a blender for 5 minutes. Place the finished oil in a squirt bottle and set aside. This oil may be made ahead of time.

Dungeness Crab Appetizer

From Kincaids
Posted by Shirley Evans

1/2 lb. Dungeness crab meat
1 small onion, sliced paper thin into quarters
fresh parsley, minced
2 c. mayonnaise
14 oz. artichoke hearts, canned
1/4 c. parmesan cheese

Chop artichoke hearts into 1/4-inch pieces; drain well. Drain crab well. Combine all ingredients and mix well. Place in an oven-safe shallow baking dish and heat in a 350 degree oven for six to eight minutes, or until internal temperature is 140 degrees. Garnish with fresh parsley. Serve with assorted breads.

Note: When making this dish ahead, do not cover with foil or the crab meat will turn an off color.