Recipes [Crabmeat Prentiss] [Mushrooms Véronique] [Speckled Trout Meunière] [Caramel Cup Custard] Crabmeat Prentiss Serves 8 Named for Susan and Bill Prentiss, this specialty may also be offered as a a dip served with croutons or crackers. 1/4 cup unsalted butter 1 cup finely chopped onion 1/2 cup finely chopped celery 1/2 cup finely chopped green bell pepper 1 small clove garlic, very finely chopped 1 pound cream cheese, at room temperature 1 cup sour cream 1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over and all bits of shell and cartilage removed 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning spice mix such as Tony Chachere’s or Chef Paul’s 2 green onions, white and green parts, thinly sliced 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh parsley 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese 1 cup grated Swiss cheese Parsley sprigs, for garnish Preheat the oven to 350°. To make the croutons, slice the baguette into 1/4-inch rounds. Arrange the slices on a baking sheet and toast just until pale golden. Turn and brush the other side lightly with olive oil, toast again until golden and set aside. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium-low heat. Add and sauté the onion, celery and bell pepper until translucent, about 7 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for a minute or two, until tender but not browned. Add the cream cheese and sour cream and stir constantly until the cream cheese melts and the mixture comes to a simmer. Gently stir in the crabmeat, reduce the heat to very low and simmer for 3 minutes. Add the Creole seasoning, green onions, parsley, Parmesan and Swiss cheese. Stir together to blend and bring just to a boil, then remove from the heat. Divide the mixture among individual ramekins or shallow serving dishes and place on a plate with several croutons alongside each one, for scooping. Garnish with the parsley sprigs and serve hot. Mushrooms Véronique  [»top] Yield: 60 appetizers, or “bites” 60 white button or crema mushrooms, about 1 inch in diameter, stems removed (save the stems for soup, if desired) 60 white seedless grapes, washed 15 ounces Boursin au Poivre soft cheese (three 5 ounce packages), at room temperature 1 cup clarified butter, warm 2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese There is rarely a mushroom left when these appetizers are presented. Not only are they very simple to prepare, they are an excellent crowd offering. Considering allergies and diets, Mushrooms Véronique is high in protein and uses no shellfish, fin fish, meat or nuts—the usual food allergy and diet adverse ingredients.Preheat the oven to 425° and line one large or two smaller baking sheets with baking parchment. Brush the mushrooms gently with a soft brush or paper towels to clean. In a large vegetable steamer set over simmering water (or a bamboo steamer set over a wok), steam the mushrooms rounded-side up for 3 minutes, to rid them of excess water. Cool. Place the mushrooms rounded side down on a work surface and place one grape in the hollow of each cap. Scoop up about 1-1/2 teaspoons of the Boursin, and mound it over each mushroom cap, smoothing and completely enclosing the grape. Continue stuffing the remaining mushrooms. Place the Parmesan in a shallow bowl. With tongs, carefully dip each stuffed mushroom into the warm clarified butter, then dredge gently in the Parmesan. Gently shake off any excess and reserve the remaining Parmesan for another use. Place the stuffed mushroom caps on the paper-lined baking sheet(s) and bake for 8 to 10 minutes, until golden brown. Serve at once. Speckled Trout Meunière  [»top] serves 6 1-1/2 cups Meunière Sauce, for serving (recipe follows) Vegetable oil, for deep frying 6 skinless trout fillets, 6 to 7 ounces each, preferably speckled trout 1 cup all-purpose flour Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/2 cup whole milk 1/4 cup buttermilk 2 lemons, ends trimmed and cut into wedges, for serving Sprigs of fresh flat-leaf or curly parsley, for garnish Prepare or reheat the Meunière Sauce, if you have not already done so. In an electric deep fryer or a large and deep, heavy saucepan or stockpot no more than half filled with oil, heat the frying oil to 350°. Place the flour in a large, shallow bowl near the stove and season it generously with salt and pepper. In another large, shallow bowl combine the milk and buttermilk. Place a baking sheet lined with a double layer of paper towels in a low oven, and warm six dinner plates and a serving platter. Dredge two of the trout fillets in the seasoned flour, then dip in the buttermilk mixture, coating both sides evenly. Dredge again in the seasoned flour and gently shake off the excess. Gently lower the two fillets into the oil. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes, until golden brown, nudging occasionally. Retrieve the fillets gently with a skimmer and transfer to the baking sheet. Dredge and fry the next two batches of fillets in the same way. Transfer all the fillets to the hot platter and garnish with lemon wedges and parsley sprigs. Serve with the Meunière Sauce passed in a sauceboat, on the side. Meunière Sauce Yield: 2 cups (The sauce will keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.) 3 tablespoons Medium-Dark Roux 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter 1/2 stalk celery, finely chopped Half a white onion, finely chopped 1/4 cup finely chopped seeded and de-ribbed green bell pepper 1/4 cup finely chopped flat-leaf parsley 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 1 bouquet garni 1 clove 1-1/2 cups Veal Stock Juice of 1/2 lemon Kosher or sea salt and freshly ground black pepper Prepare the Medium-Dark Roux, if you have not already done so. In a saucepan, melt the butter over high heat. Add the celery, onion, green pepper, parsley, black pepper, bouquet garni and the clove. Sauté until nicely browned, about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the veal stock and lemon juice and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, then lower the heat and simmer the mixture gently for 10 minutes. Add a tablespoon of Roux and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, until thickened. Keep adding Roux one tablespoon at a time until the sauce coats a spoon. Season to taste with salt and a little more black pepper, and strain into a clean saucepan (or directly into the sauceboat, if serving right away), pressing down on the solids and scraping the bottom of the sieve to retrieve as much sauce as possible. Caramel Cup Custard  [»top] serves 6 Simplicity and elegance are underscored in this deceptively modest dessert. It comes to table molded as the cup shape in which it is baked, then overturned on a saucer for presentation. The silky smoothness of the custard is a revelation. It has long been a standard at Arnaud’s and would be impossible to remove from the menu. 1/2 cup granulated sugar, for the caramel 1 tablespoon water 3 large eggs 1/4 cup granulated sugar 2 cups whole milk, scalded 1/2 teaspoon best quality pure vanilla extract Preheat oven to 275°. In a small, heavy skillet over low heat, stir the 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon water until the sugar melts, is free of lumps and turns a light caramel color. Divide the caramel among six 4 ounce custard cups and let stand until cooled. Beat the eggs with the 1/4 cup sugar and add the scalded milk slowly, while stirring. Add the vanilla and strain carefully into the prepared cups, to avoid disturbing the caramel. Place cups in a pan of hot water. The water should come almost to the top of the cups. Cover with foil. Bake slowly for 1-1/2 to 1-3/4 hours, or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Remove from the water and cool to room temperature. Chill until serving time. To serve, run a knife around the edge of the custard and invert the cup onto a small plate. *For additional recipes, [»click here]. [»top] [»website comments] Arnaud’s - New Orleans Restaurant ©2006 Arnaud's Restaurant, Inc.