Chilled
Cream of Asparagus Soup
Avocados
stuffed with Crabmeat
Rémoulade
Caramel
Custard
Chilled Cream
of Asparagus Soup
(4 servings)
2 cups chicken stock*
or canned chicken broth
1 15-ounce can asparagus
spears, drained
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 small bay leaf
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
salt and white pepper
1/4 cup whipping cream
Bring chicken stock
to boil. Add drained
asparagus, onion, and
bay leaf. Bring to a
boil, reduce heat, and
simmer, covered, for
30 minutes. Discard
bay leaf. Melt butter
in a saucepan. Stir
in flour and cook over
medium heat for 3 minutes,
stirring constantly.
Do not let the mixture
brown. Heat milk and
add it to the butter
and flour mixture, whisking
until the mixture is
smooth and thick.
Purée the asparagus-chicken
stock mixture in food
processor or blender.
Strain through a sieve
into the milk mixture,
pressing down hard on
the solids with the
back of a wooden spoon.
Cook over medium heat,
whisking constantly,
until the mixture is
slightly thickened.
Add salt and white pepper
to taste. Chill thoroughly.
Taste for seasoning
after the soup is chilled.
Stir in cream just before
serving.
*Chicken Stock
(4 quarts)
1/2 tsp. thyme
1 bay leaf
1/2 tsp marjoram
3 sprigs parsley
6 peppercorns
2 onions, sliced
salt
3 ribs celery with leaves,
sliced
3 carrots, sliced
2 leeks, sliced
5 pounds chicken necks,
backs, and wings.
Tie the thyme, bay
leaf, marjoram, parsley,
and peppercorns in a
cheesecloth bag. Place
in soup pot. Add onions,
celery, carrots, leeks,
and chicken. Cover with
cold water. Bring to
a boil, reduce the heat,
and simmer partially
covered, for 2 to 3
hours, or until the
chicken separates easily
from the bones. Remove
the chicken. Simmer
uncovered until the
stock is reduces to
4 quarts. Add salt to
taste. Refrigerate.
Strain the stock and
remove all fat. Stock
can be frozen for future
use.
Avocados Stuffed
with Crabmeat Rémoulade
(4 servings)
12 ounces backfin crabmeat
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Rémoulade sauce*
2 large ripe avocados
lettuce
tomato wedges
lemon wedges
black olives
Pick over the crabmeat
and discard bits of
shell or cartilage.
Gently toss crabmeat
with lemon juice and
fold in the Rémoulade
Sauce. Peel the avocados,
halve them, and remove
seeds. Arrange lettuce
leaves on each of 4
plates. Place an avocado
half on each plate.
Fill the center with
crabmeat mixture. Garnish
with tomato and lemon
wedges and black olives.
*Rémoulade
Sauce
(3/4 cup)
1 tsp capers, finely
chopped
1 tsp gherkins, finely
chopped
1/2 tsp fresh tarragon,
finely chopped
1 anchovy fillet, finely
chopped
3/4 tsp Dijon mustard
3/4 cup mayonnaise*
Combine capers, gherkins,
tarragon, and anchovy
fillet. Add mustard
and mayonnaise. Mix
well, and chill thoroughly.
*Mayonnaise
(1 1/4 cups)
2 egg yolks
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp white pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons white
wine vinegar, or lemon
juice
Allow all ingredients
and bowl to come to
room temperature. Whisk
egg yolks, mustard,
salt, and white pepper
together in a small
bowl. Add the oils slowly,
whisking constantly,
until the mayonnaise
begins to emulsify.
When the mayonnaise
has thickened, add the
vinegar or lemon juice
alternately with the
last of the oil.
Caramel Custard
(4 to 5 servings)
2 eggs
2 egg yolks
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups milk
1/8 tsp salt
3/4 tsp vanilla extract
Caramel syrup*
Preheat the oven to
350° F. Beat eggs
and egg yolks. Gradually
add sugar and beat until
the mixture is light
and fluffy. Scald the
milk. Gradually pour
it over the egg mixture,
beating constantly.
Add salt and vanilla.
Pour into individual
custard cups or ovenproof
glass dishes. Place
dishes in a roasting
pan. Fill pan with enough
hot water to come 2/3
way up the sides of
the dishes. Bake at
350° F. for 30 minutes
or until the custard
tests done. Remove custard
cups from water bath
and cool on a rack.
Just before serving,
run a knife around the
edge of the custard
and invert into sherbet
or champagne glasses.
Pour cold caramel syrup
over the custards.
*Caramel Syrup
(1/2 cup)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cold water
1/2 cup boiling water
Combine sugar and cold
water in heavy saucepan.
Swirl mixture until
sugar dissolves. Do
not stir. Add the boiling
water. Boil over medium
heat without stirring
until the syrup is the
color of butterscotch.
Remove from heat. Cool.
Refrigerate. Note: the
syrup will thicken as
it cools.
Historic Triangle