Text 11171, 81 rader
Skriven 2007-01-31 14:09:00 av MICHAEL LOO (1:123/140)
     Kommentar till en text av IAN HOARE
Ärende: Holidays 979
====================
 IH> Before we went to the west coast in 2004, one of the things I was most
 IH> looking forward to, was trying out these Dungeness crabs.

There has been some discussion here on the subject; my take is
that although the Dungeness crabs are fine, there's a reason why
the cuisine that has developed around them is a rather heavy and
highly seasoned one. Blue crab (Callinectus sapidus) is, to my
taste buds, the finest of all crabs but tends to be quite small
(and as you know, the amount of meat varies exponentially with
the outer dimensions of the beast) - one great advantage of the
Dungies is their size: up to 4 lb, of which 20-30% is edible.

That said, I would never turn down a live, fresh-caught Dungeness
cooked in salt water by a chef who knows the name of each one!
("Here, Louis, Louis, Louis.")

 IH> And talking of disappointments, I'm afraid Mme Neuville's grand
 IH> daughter told me that they won't have any capons ready for when you're
 IH> here.

Well, pooh. But I must remind you that capons, and truffles at
all for that matter, are if not nugatory, certainly beside the
point, which is tramping about the countryside for a few days
with friends.

 -=> Ian Hoare said to Hap Newsom <=-
 >I am so distressed that you never managed to get a good one while you were
 IH> here! Come back, and I'll 
 >prepare you one (or several) so you can enjoy the true goodness of them!
 IH> Nope... you've shot your bolt!! It's _my_ turn!! You come over here

To give the man his due, he does find good ones and cooks them well.

 IH> and _I'll_ prepare _you_ a plain dressed European crab! Nothing
 IH> complicated to enhance or disguise it.

Call me odd, but I prefer various states of undress.

 IH> Just cooked in salt water, taken to bits and the white meat simply
 IH> bound with a touch of mayo, & seasoned with a little S&P and some
 IH> mustard. The brown meat is thickened and diluted with some brown bread
 IH> crumbs and this epicurean feast is eaten with home made brown bread and
 IH> farm butter. A wedge of lemon on the side completes the feast.

Mayo is not a bad thing with crab, but a really fresh one
doesn't need even that. Nude, with melted butter on the side
(which I'd probably not use either).

 IH> (To spare Michael's shudders, I won't tell you what wine I serve with
 IH> it.) 

NZ SB? I'd not shudder so much at a Bordeaux-style Sem-SB.


MMMMM----- Recipe via Meal-Master (tm) v7.07

      Title: Nougat, Nougat Powder (The Art of Fine Baking, 1961)
 Categories: Cakes
   Servings:  1

      2 c  Sugar, granulated
      2 tb Lemon juice
    3/4 c  Almonds, blanched,toasted
    3/4 c  Filberts, toasted

  Servings: 1

  Chop nuts to medium fine size.  Combine sugar and lemon juice in a heavy
  skillet.  Melt over low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. When
  mixture is a deep golden color and sugar is completely dissolved, stir in
  nuts.  Pour out on a very well oiled pan.

  For Nougat Powder:  Break cooled nougat into pieces.  Grate into a powder
  with a nut grater or reduce to powder in the blender.  Store nougat powder
  in a covered jar.

  From "The Art of Fine Baking" by Paula Peck, copyright 1961

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