Carol’s Comfort Foods

Serve this rich and delicious crabmeat dish with a crisp green salad, crusty bread and a glass of your favorite white wine.

Yield:  8 servings

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup unsalted butter

1 large yellow onion, finely chopped

1 medium stalk of celery, finely chopped

½ cup all-purpose flour

2 (12 ounce cans evaporated milk

2 egg yolks

¾ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1 lb fresh crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage

1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Grease an 11×17 inch baking dish.  Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add onion and celery and sauté until soft and translucent, about 6 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add flour and stir until well-blended.  Cook 2 minutes, stirring constantly.  Gradually add the milk, stirring constantly.  Add a ladle of milk to the beaten egg yolk mixture, stir well.  Pour egg mixture into the milk mixture in the pan.  Add salt, cayenne pepper and black pepper; cook stirring until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Place crabmeat in a medium bowl.  Add sauce and mix gently, but thoroughly to blend.  Spoon the mixture into prepared pan and sprinkle with cheese.  Bake uncovered for approximately 25 minutes, until cheese melts and starts to begin to lightly brown.  Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Source:  Lillie Duhon – Port Neches, Texas

Yield: 4 Servings

INGREDIENTS

4 large baking potatoes

4 tablespoons butter

½ cup chopped yellow onion

½ cup finely chopped mushrooms

2 cups cooked crab meat

1 cup dry white wine

½ cup Crème Fraiche (see recipe below)

½ cup grated Swiss cheese, plus additional for topping potatoes

1-2 tablespoons heavy cream

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Scrub and dry potatoes.  Cut a small, deep slit in the top of each potato.  Set potatoes in the middle rack of the oven and bake for about 1 hour or until the potatoes are tender when pierced with a fork.  Remove from oven and let cool slightly.  Cut off tops of potatoes and scrape the potato pulp into a bowl.  Do not scrape so deeply that you tear the potato skin.  Salt and pepper the shells and set aside. 

Melt the butter in a small skillet and sauté the chopped onion, until tender and translucent, about 15-20 minutes.  Add the mushrooms and sauté for another 5 minutes.  Stir in the crab.  Season with salt and pepper and add the white wine and raise heat to a boil.  Stir frequently over high heat until all the liquid has evaporated.  Stir in the Crème Fraiche and remove from heat.  Combine the crab mixture with the potato pulp and ½ cup of Swiss Cheese and adjust seasonings.  Add tablespoons of heavy cream if the mixture is too dry. 

Stuff the mixture into the reserved potato skins; mounding the filling slightly.  Sprinkle with additional grated cheese on top and place on a rimmed baking sheet.  Bake again at 400 degrees F, until the potatoes are hot and the cheese is bubbling and brown.  Remove from oven and serve immediately.

Crème Fraiche

Yield:  2 cups

INGREDIENTS

1 cup heavy cream – not ultra-pasteurized

1 cup sour cream

PREPARATION

Whisk heavy cream and sour cream together in a bowl.  Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let stand in the kitchen or reasonably warm spot overnight or until thickened.  In cold weather this may take as long as 24 hours.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, after which the Crème Fraiche will be quite thick.  The tart flavor will continue to develop as the Crème Fraiche sits in the refrigerator.  Will keep in the refrigerator for about 2 weeks. 

Yield:  4 Servings

INGREDIENTS

4 tablespoons unsalted butter

6 green onions, trimmed and finely chopped

6 sun-dried tomatoes, packed in oil, drained and finely chopped

2 teaspoons dried tarragon

3 teaspoons Dijon mustard

1-½ cups milk

½ cup heavy cream

1 large egg, lightly beaten

1 lb cooked crabmeat, picked over for shell and cartilage

2 tablespoons cream sherry

Salt and freshly ground white pepper

1 ¼ cup fresh bread crumbs

PREPARATION

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.  Butter a 1 ½ quart soufflé dish or casserole.  Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat.  Add the green onions and sauté until softened, about 3 minutes.  Add the sun-dried tomatoes and tarragon; sauté another 2 minutes.  Whisk in 2 teaspoons of the mustard, the milk and cream.  Bring to a boil, then simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.  Beat a little of the hot milk mixture into the egg mixture, then beat this mixture back into the remaining milk mixture.  Stir in the crabmeat and sherry; season with salt and white pepper.  Cook over low heat until all is heated through, 2-3 minutes more.  Transfer the crabmeat mixture to the prepared dish.  Melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter and swirl in the remaining 1 teaspoon mustard.  Toss with the fresh bread crumbs to coat and then sprinkle the crumbs over the top of the casserole.  Bake the casserole until lightly browned and bubbling, approximately 25-30 minutes.  Serve immediately with baguettes or Crostini. 

Source:  Sarah Leah Chase – Cold Weather Cooking - 1990

I saw Rachael Ray make these on 30 Minute Meals recently and I decided to give them a try at home.  I made a few adjustments for personal taste, omitting the poppy seeds, but adding some bread crumbs to tighten up the burgers during the grilling process.  End result, they were delicious!  

Yield: 4 Salmon Burgers

INGREDIENTS

Salmon Burgers

4 – 6 ounce salmon fillets, cut in cubes

1 tablespoon grilling seasoning

1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

½ cup bread crumbs

Salt and pepper

3 tablespoons dill, finely chopped

Olive oil

Cream Cheese and Scallion Sauce

3 scallions – green and white parts – finely chopped

½ cup sour cream

4 ounces of cream cheese, softened

1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

Garnish

Tomatoes – sliced

Red Onion – sliced into rings

Lettuce leaves

Bread

4 Kaiser rolls, toasted

PREPARATION

Sauce:  Combine sour cream and cream cheese together in a medium mixing bowl.  Stir until smooth and creamy.  Add the chopped scallions and lemon juice.  Mix well and cover.  Refrigerate.

Salmon Burgers:  Place salmon chunks in a food processor and using the metal blade, pulse off and on until the salmon is the consistency of rough cut ground beef.  Remove from processor and mix in the grilling seasoning, sesame seeds, bread crumbs, dill and salt and pepper.  Form into 4 burgers and set aside.

In a large skillet, heat 3 tablespoons olive oil and then add the salmon burgers.  Cook for approximately 5 minutes on each side to ensure that the salmon is cooked through.  If you prefer pink in the middle, cook approximately 3-4 minutes per side.

Assembly:  Plate the salmon burger on a toasted roll and top with lettuce, tomato, red onion and a dollop of the cream cheese and scallion sauce. 

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

Grits

2 cups cream

4 tablespoons butter

2 cups water

1 cup quick cooking grits

Salt and pepper, to taste

Shrimp

4 tablespoons butter

½ medium onion, diced fine

1 shallot, minced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tablespoons all purpose flour

½ lb tasso ham, cut into small dice

4 cups low-sodium beef stock

1 cup sliced shitake or button mushrooms

1 ½ lbs medium shrimp (31-40 per pound), peeled and deveined, if necessary

Salt and pepper to taste

Scallions – chopped for garnish

PREPARATION

To prepare the grits: In a heavy bottomed saucepan, combine the cream, butter and water and bring to a rolling boil. Slowly add the grits, whisking constantly to prevent lumps. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes until thickened. Season grits with salt and pepper. Set aside while preparing the shrimp.

To prepare the shrimp: Melt the butter in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add onions, shallot and garlic. Saute 6-8 minutes until soft and translucent, but not browned. Add flour and tasso ham and cook stirring constantly for about 3 minutes. Slowly stir in beef stock and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook about 10 minutes, until the sauce is thickened and slightly reduced. Add mushrooms and shrimp, stirring occasionally, about 3 minutes just until the shrimp is cooked through. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve: Divide the cooked grits among 4 serving plates and top with the shrimp mixture. Garnish with chopped scallions and serve immediately.

Source: RockyTopHospitalityGroup