Persnickety: Shrimp and Crab Au Gratin

Friday, December 18, 2020

Shrimp and Crab Au Gratin

Shrimp and Crab Au Gratin

8 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, grated

8 ounces lump crab meat, rinsed and cleaned

1 can artichoke hearts, drained, cut into quarters

1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed

and cut in half

dash of cayenne pepper

10 tablespoons butter

1 clove garlic, minced

2 tablespoons finely chopped scallions

1 pound medium shrimp, uncooked, shelled and deveined

1/4 cup flour

1 1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup cream, at room temperature

1/3 cup dry white wine

salt and pepper to taste

3 tablespoons butter

1 cup Panko bread crumbs

1/3 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese

2 tablespoons dried minced parsley

dash of paprika

-In large skillet, cook thawed or fresh shrimp in 2 tablespoons melted butter over medium-high heat until opaque - about 1 minute per side. Remove shrimp from pan and add 2 tablespoons butter to melt. Saute mushrooms for 3 -4 minutes, then remove mushrooms and set aside. Melt 3 tablespoons more butter and saute scallions for 2 minutes.

-Stir in flour, salt and pepper. Stir with whisk for 1 minute. Add milk. Stir and cook until thickened. Add wine, dash of cayenne and freshly grated nutmeg. Stir in half the cheese until melted, then repeat with the remaining cheddar. Stir in the cream and simmer for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

-Gently stir crab, shrimp, artichoke hearts and mushrooms into cheese sauce and pour into a 2 quart casserole dish. Top with 1 cup bread crumbs mixed with 1/3 cup parmesan cheese, 2 tablespoons minced dried parsley, and 3 tablespoons melted butter. Garnish with paprika.

-Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes. Serve as a appetizer with crostini on the side.

To Prepare Crostini:

Slice 1 large baguette into 1/2 inch thick slices, at an angle to create more surface space. Brush a cooking sheet generously with olive oil. Place bread slices on tray and brush tops of each slice with more olive oil.

Bake in a 350 degree oven about 12 minutes, until golden and crunchy. Let cool and serve as base for appetizers.

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Foreign Cuisine in Plain English

SPAETLZE - Soft noodles of Swabish origin, the name translates as "little sparrow"-isn't that precious! For years I prepared spaetzle by pulling off a minuscule amount of batter, half a teaspoon at a time and plunging each into boiling, salted water - time consuming with a soggy result. Last year while eating spatezle in Germany I determined there must be a better way, particularly since I wasn't willing to dismiss this culinary treasure to the back of my recipe box! An inexpensive, effective kitchen tool has since revolutionzed spaetzle making for me. In fact the simple tool is so miraculous, I bought one for each of my daughters. The dumplings come out uniformly sized and processed in one swipe of the hand! If you decide you love spaetlze, which complements most German entrees deliciously, it is a worthy investment!

TABIL - the essential Tunisian spice! Tabil is a spice blend used in many Tunisian dishes, including cous cous, tajins, salads and soups. Tabil is available at some Middle Eastern Grocery stores. You may create your own by finely grinding 3 tab. coriander seeds, 1 1/2 tab. cumin seeds, 1 tab. caraway seeds and 1/2 tab. crushed red pepper flakes. May be kept several months in the freezer or stored in an airtight container at room temperature.

HARISSA - Tunisians like it spicy!! The addition of harissa, the national condiment of ground hot red peppers, should be carefully considered and used in moderation until the palettes of your feasters let you know otherwise. The mountain of dried red peppers in the Nabul open-air market and the unheeded tears streaming down the faces of exuberant gourmands slathering harissaon their baguettes, convinced me that here was an appetite of a hotter temperament than mine!