Crab Rolls

Crab Rolls

• 20 slices soft white bread
• 8 oz. cream cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 6 oz. tin crab meat
• 2 tablespoons parsley or chives, chopped
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• Sesame seeds

1. Remove crusts from bread. Flatten slices lightly with a rolling pin.
2. Combine cream cheese and butter and soften in microwave until easily stirred.
3. Drain crab meat; add to cheese mixture along with parsley or chives.
4. Spread 1 tablespoon of cheese mixture on each slice of bread and roll up.
5. Place rolls on baking sheet lined with parchment paper, seam side down.
6. Brush melted butter over rolls. Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
7. Broil for 3-4 minutes or until golden.
8. Cut each roll into 3 pieces.

Cedar Planked Crab Stuffed Sockeye Salmon

Fresh British Columbia Wild Sockeye Salmon is a perfect BBQ treat for special friends.

You will need to buy some untreated cedar planks that can be found most places that have BBQ supplies. We soaked the planks for 5 hours in water. They float so you will need to weigh them down. Just before you are ready to BBQ the salmon, you will preheat your grill to 425.

Put your planks down on the grill, leave 2 minutes and turn over. . leave 2 minutes and flip them onto the other side. Just before putting the salmon on the planks. . drizzle a bit of olive oil on each plank and a sprinkle of salt. . . and place your salmon on the board. I found individual portion sized planks which I placed on each plate and then allowed each person to remove the salmon and I collected the boards before the dinner started.

Crab Stuffing

• 2 cups of crab meat. . I bought a can of crab in the deli section at Costco made up filling from the whole can and froze half for next time.
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup diced onion
• 1/2 cup finely diced bell pepper .. any color works. . I used yellow
• 2 beaten farm fresh eggs
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon lemon dilly dip mix. . I used epicure. .but you could use fresh dill and some lemon juice and it would be great. .
• some salt and pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs. . any crumbs would do but the Japanese crumbs is what I had on hand

1. Saute the onion and pepper until translucent. Add the seasoning and the mustard and the crab. I would taste it at this point to make sure it does need salt. . add a grind of fresh pepper.
2. Add the beaten eggs and the bread crumbs.
3. Cover and refrigerate until you are ready to stuff your salmon.

I bought 2 sockeye salmon fillets. I carefully removed the skin with a sharp knife. It is a bit tedious but only took a few minutes. I then cut 1 1/2 inch long strips down the length of the salmon. Depending on the weight of your salmon you will get either 3 or 4 strips per fillet.
After they are sliced, roll each strip of salmon into a circle. . a little hole will remain in the center for you to plop your crab filling. I used an ice cream scoop to put the crab filling into each circle of salmon. I covered it with plastic wrap and refrigerated it the rest of the afternoon.
When the cedar planks were ready, I took a large egg flipper and slid each salmon/crab circle onto the plank. If your grill tends to flare have a spray bottle ready with water to douse the flames.
As I said at the top in the preparation for the cedar planking. . the grill should be 425 F. Set your timer for 14 minutes. . Have your plates ready and enjoy.
I made an easy cucumber sauce to go with the salmon
Cucumber Sauce

• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup finely diced cucumber
• a squeeze of lemon juice
• some fresh chopped dill
• some fresh chives
• a fresh grind of salt and pepper to taste

refrigerate this until the salmon is served. .

Julia Child's Lobster Thermidor

Ingredients

• Covered, enameled or stainless steel kettle with tight-fitting cover or stainless steel saucepan
• enameled or 4-cup stainless steel saucepan
• 1/2-quart enameled
• Wooden spoon
• Wire whip
• 3-quart mixing bowl
• 12-inch enameled or stainless steel skillet
• Shallow roasting pan or fireproof serving platter

• 3 cups dry white wine or 2 cups dry white vermouth
• 2 cups water
• 1 large onion , thinly sliced
• 1 medium carrot , thinly sliced
• 1 stalk celery , thinly sliced
• 6 sprigs parsley
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 tsp. thyme
• 6 peppercorns
• 1 Tbsp. fresh or dried tarragon
• 3 live lobsters , 2 pounds each
• 1/2 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
• 1 Tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp. salt

• 5 Tbsp. butter
• 6 Tbsp. flour
• 1 Tbsp. cream
• 1 Tbsp. dry mustard
• 2 egg yolks
• 1/2 cup whipping cream
• 4 to 6 Tbsp. more whipping cream
• Pinch cayenne pepper

• 4 Tbsp. butter
• 1/3 cup cognac

• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan or Swiss cheese
• 2 Tbsp. butter , cut into bits

Directions

Steaming the lobsters: Simmer wine, water, vegetables, herbs, and seasonings in the kettle for 15 minutes. Then bring to a rolling
boil and add the live lobsters. Cover and boil for about 20 minutes. The lobsters are done when they are bright red and the long head-feelers can be pulled from the sockets fairly easily.

While the lobsters are steaming, stew the mushrooms slowly in the covered saucepan with the butter, lemon juice, and salt for 10 minutes.

The sauce: When the lobsters are done, remove them from the kettle. Pour the mushroom cooking juices into the lobster steaming juices in the kettle and boil down rapidly until liquid has reduced to about 2 1/4 cups. Strain into the 4-cup enameled or stainless steel saucepan and bring to the simmer.

Cook the butter and flour slowly together in the 1 1/2-quart saucepan for 2 minutes without browning. Off heat, beat in the simmering lobster-cooking liquid. Boil, stirring, for 1 minute. Set aside. Film top of sauce with the cream.

Split the lobsters in half lengthwise, keeping the shell halves intact. Discard sand sacks in the heads, and the intestinal tubes. Rub lobster coral and green matter through a fine sieve into the mixing bowl, and blend into it the mustard, egg yolks, cream, and pepper. Beat the sauce into this mixture by driblets.

Return the sauce to the pan, and stirring with a wooden spoon, bring it to the boil and boil slowly for 2 minutes. Thin out with tablespoons of cream. Sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon fairly heavily. Taste carefully for seasoning. Set aside, top filmed with a spoonful of cream.

Sautéing the lobster meat: Remove the meat from the lobster tails and claws, and cut it into 3/8-inch cubes. Set the skillet with the butter over moderate heat. When the butter foam begins to subside, stir in the lobster meat and sauté, stirring slowly, for about 5 minutes until the meat has turned a rosy color. Pour in the cognac and boil for a minute or two, shaking the skillet, until the liquid has reduced by half.

Final assembly: Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Fold the cooked mushrooms and two thirds of the sauce into the skillet with the lobster meat. Arrange the split lobster shells in the roasting pan. Heap the lobster mixture into the shells; cover with the remaining sauce. Sprinkle with cheese and dot with butter. The recipe may be prepared ahead up to this point and refrigerated.

Place in upper third of 425-degree oven for 10 to 15 minutes, until lobster is bubbling and the top of the sauce is nicely browned. Serve immediately on a platter or serving plates.

Copyright © 1961, 1983, 2001 by Alfred A. Knopf. Reprinted by arrangement with the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.

Juicy Shrimp with roasted chili and avacado sauce

Ingredients

• Sauce:
• 3  Anaheim chile peppers, each about 6 inches long
• 1  medium Haas avocado
• 1/4  cup  sour cream
• 1/4  cup  mayonnaise
• 2  tablespoons  roughly chopped fresh dill
• 1  large garlic clove
• 1/2  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper

Rub (yes this is the same rub as from the chicken):

• 1  teaspoon  granulated garlic
• 1  teaspoon  paprika
• 3/4  teaspoon  kosher salt
• 1/2  teaspoon  ground cumin
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Prepare the grill for direct cooking over medium heat. Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the chile peppers over direct medium heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until they are blackened and blistered in spots all over, 8 to 12 minutes, turning occasionally. Put the chiles in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let steam for 10 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove and discard the stem ends, skins, and seeds. Drop the chiles into a food processor or blender. Add the remaining sauce ingredients. Process to create a smooth dipping sauce. If the sauce seems too thick, add a little water. Spoon the sauce into a serving bowl.

2. In a small bowl mix the rub ingredients.

3. Lay 5 to 7 shrimp on a work surface and arrange them so that the shrimp on one end lays one way and all the rest lay in the same direction (see photo at left). Choose shrimp that are the same size so that you can nestle them together with no empty spaces between them. This will help to keep the shrimp from spinning and prevent them from drying out on the grill. Pick up and skewer each shrimp through the middle, pushing the shrimp together on each skewer. Repeat the process with the remaining shrimp and skewers. Lightly brush or spray the skewers with oil and then season them evenly with the rub.

4. Increase the temperature of the grill to high heat. Brush the cooking grates clean. Grill the shrimp over direct high heat, with the lid closed as much as possible, until slightly firm on the surface and opaque in the center, 2 to 4 minutes, turning once. Remove from the grill and serve warm with the dipping sauce.