Asparagus Crab Tarragon Bisque Shanachie Recipes

Steps:

• Bring stock and bay leaves to a boil in a large pot. Cook asparagus until tender and add to stock pot. Melt butter in a separate saucepan and gently saute onions, celery, and carrots (mirepoix) until tender, then gradually add flour (with a non-reactive utensil such as a wooden spoon), and cook until similar to a roux. Transfer to the pot of stock to thicken soup. Let simmer for 45 minutes. Remove bay leaves from soup. *Blend to a puree with an immersion blender, or in batches in a blender or food processor. Add cream to the soup, and keep warm over low heat.
• For the crab "souffle," mix crab, mayonnaise, thyme, salt and pepper, and squeeze of fresh lemon juice, trying to avoid breaking up the lumps of crabmeat. Place a scoop of the crabmeat in the center of soup bowl and ladle the asparagus soup around. Garnish with a lemon wedge.
• *When blending hot liquids: Remove liquid from the heat and allow to cool for at least 5 minutes. Transfer liquid to a blender or food processor and fill it no more than halfway. If using a blender, release one corner of the lid. This prevents the vacuum effect that creates heat explosions. Place a towel over the top of the machine, pulse a few times then process on high speed until smooth.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a sheet tray with foil.
• Add the asparagus in a single row to the prepared sheet tray. Drizzle with the olive oil, toss, and then season with some salt and pepper. Roast until tender, 15 minutes.
• Serve on a bed of spring mix and drizzle with the Creamy Herb Vinaigrette.
• Add the mayonnaise, vinegar, mustard, tarragon and shallots to a bowl and whisk until smooth and emulsified.

Steps:

• Cook asparagus spears and green beans in 1-inch of salted boiling water, covered, for 3 or 4 minutes. Drain and cool the vegetables and arrange them on a serving plate. Combine the dip ingredients in a small bowl and garnish with sprigs of parsley and tarragon and set dip along side vegetables on serving dish.

Steps:

• For the Vegetable Saute: Warm the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallot and the garlic and cook until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and asparagus to the pan and cook until tender. Add the artichoke hearts and season with salt and pepper, then cook until the artichoke hearts are heated through. Remove the skillet from the heat, then add in the tomatoes and stir to warm them up.
• For the Tarragon Vinaigrette: Combine the oil, vinegar, tarragon, salt and pepper in a glass screw-top jar. Seal the jar and shake vigorously to mix the vinaigrette.
• Toss the vegetables with the vinaigrette and serve.

Steps:

• Put morels, porcinis or both in a bowl with very hot water to cover; soak until soft, about 20 minutes. Drain morels and reserve soaking liquid. Cut morels in half; if porcinis are large, chop them roughly.
• Melt butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat; when butter is hot and foam has subsided, add shallots and reconstituted and fresh mushrooms to pan. Cook until shallots soften and fresh mushrooms have released their liquid and it has cooked off, about 10 minutes.
• Add asparagus and 1/2 cup reserved liquid to pan. Bring liquid to a boil, cover, reduce heat so mixture simmers, and continue cooking for another 2 to 4 minutes, or until asparagus is crisp-tender. Add cream and tarragon or chervil and continue cooking, uncovered, until sauce thickens slightly and asparagus is tender, about 4 minutes more. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

Steps:

• In a large saucepan, saute onion and celery in butter. Stir in the flour, seafood seasoning, salt, pepper and nutmeg until blended; gradually add water and bouillon. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in potatoes. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 10 minutes., Add asparagus; cook 8-12 minutes longer or until vegetables are tender. Stir in the cream and crab; heat through. If desired, sprinkle with parsley and pepper.

Steps:

• 1. Remove the root and tough outer leaves from the leek; halve lengthwise. Soak in vinegar and water to cover for 30 minutes. Rinse. Cut into 1/4-inch dice.
• 2. Heat the oil and butter in a pot. Add the leek, onion and parsnip; cook over low heat to soften, 15 minutes.
• 3. Add the broth and tarragon; bring to a boil. Add the asparagus; cover, then simmer for 30 minutes or until very tender. Uncover and cool.
• 4. Puree the soup. (If it seems stringy, pour through a strainer.) Add the cream. The soup may be served chilled or reheated over low heat; do not boil. Serve 1 1/2 cups of soup per bowl, placing 3 melon balls in the center of each serving, surrounded by 4 mint leaves. Add a dollop of sour cream on one side of each bowl.

Steps:

• Place asparagus in a large saucepan with enough water to cover; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 3-5 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain well and pat dry. Arrange cooked asparagus over bottom of pastry. Top with crabmeat. Combine Swiss cheese and flour; sprinkle over crab. , In a small bowl, whisk eggs, cream, salt and hot pepper sauce. Pour into pastry. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Arrange fresh asparagus spears, spoke fashion, on top of quiche. , Bake at 350° for 35-40 minutes. Let stand for 5 minutes before cutting.

Steps:

• Thaw the asparagus.
• Combine all ingredients in saucepan.
• Bring to a boil; simmer covered 8 - 12 minutes or until asparagus is tender.
• Process with blender until smooth.
• Pour into bowl.
• Serve hot or cover and chill at least 4 hours.

Steps:

• On a lightly floured surface, roll out pastry into a 16-inch square and fit into an 11-inch tart pan with a removable fluted rim. Roll a rolling pin over top of tart to trim pastry flush with top of rim. Chill pastry shell while making filling.
• Preheat oven to 425°F. with a baking sheet on lowest rack.
• In a small skillet, cook scallions in butter with salt to taste over moderate heat, stirring, until softened, about 1 minute, and cool.
• In a steamer set over boiling water, arrange asparagus slices and top with reserved tips. Steam asparagus, covered, until crisp-tender, about 2 to 3 minutes, and drain well, reserving tips separately.
• In a blender, blend eggs, goat cheese, milk, and salt with pepper to taste. Add tarragon and pulse custard to combine.
• Spread scallions and asparagus slices in pastry shell and arrange reserved tips decoratively on top. Pour custard slowly over vegetables.
• Bake tart in pan on heated baking sheet in oven 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 375°F. and bake tart until set, about 8 minutes. Transfer tart in pan to a rack.
• Remove rim of pan and serve tart warm or at room temperature.

Steps:

• Place asparagus in a shallow baking dish coated with cooking spray. Drizzle with oil; sprinkle with pepper and salt. Toss to coat. Bake, uncovered, at 450° for 13-15 minutes or until crisp-tender, turning occasionally. Sprinkle with tarragon.

Steps:

• Cook and stir the bacon and onion in a saucepan over medium-high heat until the onion is translucent, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Stir the garlic and yellow bell pepper into the bacon mixture; cook and stir together another 2 minutes.
• Mix the diced potato, asparagus, crabmeat, skim milk, half-and-half, salt, and black pepper into the bacon mixture; bring to a simmer, reduce heat to medium, and cook until the potatoes are tender, 20 to 30 minutes.

Steps:

• Bring 4 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot.
• Add the asparagus, return to a boil, and cook about 2 minutes or until just tender.
• Rinse and drain under cold running water.
• Pat asparagus dry with paper towels.
• For tarragon sauce, combine the mayonnaise, sour cream, shallots, tarragon, lemon juice, salt, freshly ground pepper, and red pepper in a small bowl until well mixed.
• Arrange asparagus on a platter and serve with tarragon sauce.
• Makes 20 servings.
• Make-Ahead Tip: Prepare asparagus and sauce as directed above.
• Wrap and refrigerate asparagus and sauce for up to 24 hours.

Steps:

• In a large soup pot, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter over medium heat and add the carrots, shallots and celery. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are very soft, about 5 minutes. Set aside.
• Place a cutting board inside a sheet pan. (This will catch all the juices from the lobsters.) Lay a lobster on the cutting board. Place the tip of a large, heavy knife at the indentation where the carapace meets the head of the lobster, making sure that the cutting blade is facing toward the lobster's eyes. Swiftly and forcefully, plunge the knife through the lobster until the point of the knife hits the cutting board. Immediately force the blade down, splitting the head of the lobster. (The lobster will be dead, although it may still move.) Repeat with the remaining lobster.
• Twist off the tails and claws of the lobsters. Split the bodies in half and scoop out and discard the spongy green parts in the head. Put the lobster pieces and any juice that has accumulated in the sheet pan into the pot with the vegetables and cook, stirring, over medium-high heat until the shells are bright red, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the lobsters from the pot and cool a few minutes. Remove the meat from the claws and tails and refrigerate. Chop the shells into small pieces and return them to the pot.
• Cook the shells for a few minutes over high heat. Add 4 tablespoons of the Cognac and ignite it. When the flames die, add wine, stock, tarragon leaves, bay leaf, tomatoes, 1 teaspoon of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Lower the heat and simmer for 45 minutes.
• Remove as many large pieces of shell as possible and place them, a cup or two at a time, in a food processor. Pulse until the shells are finely ground. Return ground shells to the pot and add the rice and 3 cups of water. Dice the meat from the tails only and add it. Cover the pot and simmer another 30 minutes.
• Put the soup through a food mill. Discard the solids and strain the puree through a fine sieve. Put the puree in a large saucepan and add the cream, milk and remaining Cognac. Heat very gently, not allowing it to boil, until hot. Just before serving, whisk in the remaining tablespoon of butter. Ladle soup into bowls and chop the claw meat to use with a little chopped tarragon for garnish. Serve immediately.

Steps:

• On a large plate, toss asparagus with oil, salt and pepper. Grill, covered, over medium heat 6-8 minutes or until crisp-tender, turning occasionally and basting frequently with honey during the last 3 minutes. Sprinkle with tarragon.

Steps:

• Steam asparagus on a steamer rack set over boiling water, covered, until just tender, 3 to 5 minutes (depending on thickness), then transfer to a bowl of ice water to stop cooking. Drain well and pat dry with paper towels.
• Whisk together vinegar, shallot, mustard, salt, and pepper in a small bowl and add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Whisk in tarragon.
• Halve egg and force each half through a coarse sieve into a bowl. Toss asparagus with 1 tablespoon vinaigrette and divide among 4 plates. Spoon remaining dressing over asparagus and top with egg.

Steps:

• Use a swivel blade peeler to shave the asparagus into ribbons. Put in a bowl and season with salt and pepper, then dress with the lemon juice and olive oil and set aside.
• Mix the parsley, capers, gherkin and lemon zest into the mayonnaise in a small bowl, then gently fold through the crabmeat. Toast or griddle the sourdough and top with the crab mixture. Toss the rocket in with the asparagus and top each crab toast with a tangle of the asparagus salad. Season with flaky sea salt and serve.

Steps:

• Bring large pot of salted water to boil and choose a stainless steel mixing bowl that will sit on top of the pot without touching the water.
• Cut off the bottom of asparagus spears where they turn light colored and tough. If asparagus is thick (which is how I prefer it), peel bottom 2/3 of each spear with a sharp vegetable peeler.
• Whisk egg yolks in mixing bowl with lemon juice, water, salt and a few grindings of black pepper and set aside.
• Boil asparagus until it's tender but still has some snap, 4 to 6 minutes. Test it by holding a spear by the bottom with tongs held horizontally; it should be limp and bend like a bow toward the floor.
• When it's cooked, use tongs to remove asparagus from water and arrange on warm platter.
• Put bowl of sauce ingredients on top of rapidly boiling water and whisk vigorously until it is very thick and foamy. This will take only 2 to 3 minutes and you will easily be able to sense the point when the sauce becomes custardy and fully cooked.
• Whisk in butter and, when it's incorporated, add tarragon.
• Pour sauce over asparagus, or pass it separately in a serving bowl, and serve right away.

Steps:

• Trim woody ends from asparagus.
• Place the asparagus in a large frying pan with about 1 inch of boiling water.
• Cover with lid and cook for about 6-8 minutes, until the asparagus is tender but still firm.
• Drain well.
• Arrange the asparagus spears on a warmed serving dish.
• Make the tarragon butter by creaming together the remaining ingredients; heat it gently and pour over asparagus.
• Serve at once.

Steps:

• Pour water into large pot to depth of 1 inch and bring to boil. Place asparagus on steamer rack set over water in pot. Cover pot and steam until asparagus is crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer asparagus to bowl of ice water and cool. Drain. Place asparagus on paper towels. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Combine shallots, vinegar, tarragon and mustard in bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Place baby lettuces on large platter. Arrange asparagus atop lettuces. Drizzle with vinaigrette. Sprinkle with hazelnuts.