Wood Roasted Soft Shell Crab And Asparagus Salad Food

ASPARAGUS & CRAB SALAD

Steps:

• Bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and cook the asparagus for 2 mins until just cooked. Drain, tip into iced water to refresh and drain again. Cut each spear on the angle into 2-3 pieces.
• For the dressing, mix all the ingredients with brown crabmeat, if you have it. Toss the asparagus through the dressing, then build a nest of asparagus spears on plates. Place some white crab meat in the centre of each nest, top with a small bundle of rocket and drizzle everything with olive oil before serving.

CRAB SALAD WITH ASPARAGUS, LEMON AND PARMESAN

Steps:

• Bring a large skillet of salted water to a boil. Add the asparagus, and cook until just tender on the edges, but still firm in the middle, about 4 minutes. Drain, and rinse under very cold water until cool. Dry on tea towels. Cut in 3-inch lengths.
• In a large serving bowl, combine the asparagus and crab meat. Sprinkle the lemon zest into the bowl. Season with salt and sprinkle with olive oil. Toss very gently to mix. Cover, and chill for a few hours, stirring once or twice. Taste, and adjust salt.
• Meanwhile, juice 1 lemon and reserve. Just before serving, add the juice and toss once more. Spread the cheese shavings over salad, and serve.

HOW TO COOK ASPARAGUS

Steps:

• Asparagus is best and freshest in spring from a local source. Generally, the West Coast season runs from February to May; East Coast asparagus appears in May and June. Asparagus from Peru is available year-round, of course, but it is not as good.At the market, look for spears that are brightly colored and have compact, tightly closed tips. Spears that are ridged or look dry have lost their flavor. Check the root ends to see how dried out they are; if they are truly brown, reach for a different bundle.For stovetop cooking, a stainless steel or enamel-coated cast-iron pot is best. If you're stir-frying, you'll need a wok or a deep-sided cast iron skillet. For roasting, use a baking sheet or a small roasting pan.Asparagus cooks quickly, so make sure to have all your ingredients ready by the stove. It's best served warm or room temperature; ice-cold asparagus is unpleasant.
• Asparagus comes in different shades and sizes, and each has its strengths. Here are some tips on how best to choose, clean and store it. There are three colors of asparagus: green, purple and white. Green asparagus is by far the most common and is available year-round in American supermarkets. You'll find thin, medium and fat green spears in almost any market. Whatever its thickness, green asparagus should be cooked al dente. White asparagus is more common in Europe. It is white because the plants are covered in mulch to prevent them from developing chlorophyll, which gives plants their green color. White asparagus must be completely peeled from tip to tail, and, unlike green, should be well-cooked. It is a mistake to cook green and white asparagus together. Purple asparagus has a beautiful violet skin that turns dark green when cooked. Its taste is similar to that of green asparagus. Asparagus usually comes in three sizes: Pencil-thin, medium and jumbo. The thickness of the asparagus does not indicate its maturity; a thin asparagus spear does not grow into a fat one. What you'll choose is based on personal preference and what you're cooking. Some describe thin spears as grassy or thicker ones as meaty.Thin asparagus is great for stir fries and sautéing. Fat asparagus is good for roasting or grilling, and best when you want to serve whole spears, even simply steamed. Medium spears work in almost any cooking method. Store your asparagus in your crisper drawer, wrapped in a damp paper towel and then in a plastic bag, no longer than three days. Do not clean it first. Or you can store asparagus upright in a container with an inch of water. Place it in the fridge, uncovered.
• Before you begin cooking, take a minute to snap or cut off the tough bottom ends of the asparagus. If you have nice fat spears, peel their tough skin away too. We'll show you how. Snapping off woody asparagus bottoms gives you spears of slightly different lengths, but guarantees no tough ends when you sit down to eat. To snap, hold a spear with both hands and find the natural bending point near the bottom of the stalk. Then snap. Make sure your hands really are near the bottom, or you risk discarding too much; a stalk will snap in the middle if you're not careful. The spear should break at a point where the asparagus has started to lose its moisture.Cutting your spears is fine as long as you take care to avoid the woody ends. (But please, don't use the discarded ends to make anything but compost.)The skin on larger asparagus spears doesn't soften with cooking, which is why it's best to peel the lower stalks of medium or fat spears, both green and purple. Always peel white asparagus.To peel, place the spear flat on your work surface. Using a vegetable peeler, preferably one with a swivel blade, peel the asparagus from about halfway up the spear toward the root end. Never peel the tips. Use a light hand, or you'll peel off too much of the sweet core. Asparagus can be peeled a few hours ahead of time, wrapped and refrigerated.
• Roasting asparagus allows for a slight caramelizing of the vegetable's skin, and it's just luscious. It's also a fast way to get delicious asparagus on the table without standing at the stove.Here's a very simple method for roasting that just requires olive oil, salt and pepper, but you can add other spices as well: cayenne, red pepper flakes or smoked salt. Or try chopped walnuts, a sprinkle of grated Parmesan and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar.Heat your oven to 425 degrees, and dress asparagus spears lightly with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Spread them on a baking sheet or in a roasting pan in one layer and roast until lightly browned and sizzling, and just firm-tender. If you are roasting on a baking sheet, that should take 10 to 12 minutes, or about 15 minutes in a heavy-bottomed roasting pan. The trick here is getting the spears nicely colored without overcooking them, and you should always err on the undercooked side - asparagus will continue to cook off the heat.
• Simply steamed or simmered asparagus is delicious, and you can dress the spears however you like: in a bagna cauda, or a mixture of lemon juice and olive oil, or nothing at all. These are very easy cooking methods, and any size spear will work, although medium is best. We'll also tell you how to blanch asparagus, a useful method when incorporating the vegetable into other dishes. It's easy to cook asparagus in a steamer. Bring one inch of well-salted water to boil in a pot with a steamer insert, and place the spears in the steamer in a single layer. (If necessary, work in batches; do not pile in the asparagus or try to cook too many at a time.) Cover the pot and cook for about 3 minutes, depending upon size of spears. Err on the undercooked side - asparagus will continue to cook off the heat. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon or tongs and blot the excess water away with a towel.Simmering asparagus is another easy way to cook asparagus quickly, and a good option if you don't own a steamer. In a wide pot, boil a few inches of generously salted water and add your asparagus. Cook at a rapid simmer for 2 to 4 minutes, depending on the size of your asparagus. Again, don't cook too many at one time; a dozen in the pot at once is plenty. Remove from the pot with a slotted spoon or tongs and blot to remove any remaining water. Old recipes sometimes call for using twine to tie asparagus into bundles, to make it easier to retrieve them from the water. If you do, blot the cooked bundle, transfer to a platter and snip the twine with kitchen shears. Some recipes, such as spring pasta dishes, call for blanching asparagus. It's easy to do. In a wide pot, boil a few inches of generously salted water and add your asparagus, either whole stalks or cut into pieces. Cook at a rapid simmer for 1 minutes. Then immediately plunge the spears into a bowl of ice water to halt the cooking and to keep them green. Remove from ice water and blot, otherwise risk waterlogged asparagus.
• Tender, sweet asparagus can be delicious raw and dressed simply with olive oil, lemon and salt. And you don't even need to turn on your stove.Fat asparagus works best in raw preparations, like this fast recipe for a delicious asparagus salad.Using a sharp, thin-bladed knife, slice 6 to 8 fat asparagus spears very thinly on the diagonal. (Alternatively, you can cut them on a mandoline, or use a peeler to slice them lengthwise into long, thin ribbons.) Pile them into a bowl and dress with 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 3 tablespoons olive oil and a few pinches of salt. Toss and serve.
• Asparagus is great quickly stir-fried or sautéed over high heat. You could sauté spears in butter or olive oil with delicious results, but throwing some chopped herbs or sliced chiles into the pan adds wonderful flavor. Both of these methods produce juicy asparagus that retains its crunch.Thin spears are best for sautéeing or stir-frying. For Asian recipes, use a wok if you have one; otherwise, a cast-iron skillet or large sauté pan will work fine. Here's a simple method for spicy wok-fried asparagus (you can leave out the spicy elements if you wish): Cut 6 to 8 cleaned and trimmed medium asparagus spears into 2-inch lengths. In a wok or cast-iron skillet, heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil until nearly smoking. Add the asparagus to the wok or skillet, season generously with salt and pepper and cook about 2 minutes until it is bright green, stirring constantly and making sure that the asparagus is coated completely with oil. Then, add 3 minced garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon grated ginger and one finely chopped serrano or other hot chile pepper. Cook for another 30 seconds or so, then transfer to a serving platter and scatter on top a handful of chopped fresh basil, mint or cilantro leaves (or all three.) And here's how to sauté asparagus: Heat a skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Cut 6 to 8 cleaned and trimmed medium asparagus spears into 2-inch lengths. Add olive oil or butter to pan; when hot, add asparagus, season generously with salt and pepper and cook about 3 to 4 minutes, until bright green, shaking or stirring the pan frequently. The key is to cook the asparagus just enough so that the exterior browns a bit, but the interior remains crunchy. Finish it with anything you like: a squeeze of lemon, a favorite sweet vinegar, a fistful of chopped herbs.
• Frying asparagus is easier than it sounds, and results in crispy, tender spears that you won't want to stop eating. Don't forget a good dipping sauce.You'll need a deep heavy-bottomed pot, like a Dutch oven, to make tempura, and a thermometer to test the temperature of your oil. Medium spears work best. Here's an easy method:In your heavy-bottomed pot on the stovetop, heat three inches or so of vegetable oil until it reaches 360 degrees. While it heats, in a bowl, combine 2 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda, 2 tablespoons corn starch and ½ teaspoon salt. In a separate bowl, combine 2 cups ice water and 2 eggs, lightly beaten, and then add that to the flour mixture. Mix it briefly with a fork or chopsticks, but do not overbeat; lumps are fine. Dip your cleaned, snapped asparagus spears in the batter and drop them gently in the hot oil. Fry for about two minutes, until the spears are just lightly browned. Remove them from the oil with a slotted spoon or tongs and drain on absorbent paper.

CRAB & TANGLED ASPARAGUS SALAD ON TOAST

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.

SOFT SHELL CRAB

Steps:

• Combine chili paste, white vinegar, rice vinegar, garlic cloves, kosher salt, sugar, and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes and skim if needed. Add cornstarch and bring back to a boil to thicken. Set aside and let cool.
• Heat oil to 360 degrees F. in a deep pot.
• Dredge crab in buttermilk and dip in tempura flour. Fry in oil for 2 minutes until crisp. Set aside. Place asparagus spear in oil for one minute. Set aside.
• Place 2 ounces of the cooled chili paste sauce in a shallow bowl along with a mound of cooked rice noodles. Arrange carrot and sprigs of basil, cilantro, and mint next to the noodles. Place lime wedge along side the noodles. Put fried crab on top of noodles with asparagus spear.

TEMPURA SOFT SHELL CRAB AND ASPARAGUS WITH YUZU-MAUI ONION SALAD

Steps:

• In a large bowl, mix flour, chile powder and sesame seeds. Whisk in soda water until a pancake batter consistency is achieved. In one hand, grab one crab, 3 asparagus and 2 onions rings and completely coat in the batter. Lightly drop in 350 degree oil and fry for 4 to 5 minutes until golden brown. Season with salt and drain on paper towels. Repeat with remaining crabs, asparagus and onion.
• In a food processor, puree everything together until smooth. Check for seasoning. Toss the salad lightly with the vinaigrette.
• PLATING On a large plate, drizzle some remaining vinaigrette. Place a small mound of salad and top with the tempura crab sliced in half.

WOOD ROASTED SOFT SHELL CRAB AND ASPARAGUS SALAD

Steps:

• Special equipment: Wood-fire oven.
• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Create a fire in a wood-fire oven.
• For the vinaigrette:.
• Render the pancetta over low heat in a pan until slightly crisp, and then remove from the pan and reserve the fat. Return a small amount of fat to the pan and gently cook the garlic, shallots, oregano, thyme and some salt and pepper.
• Remove from the heat and pour in the vinegar to deglaze (do not simmer to reduce). Scrape up any remaining bits stuck to the pan, then pour into a bowl and whisk in the mustard. Measure the remaining pancetta fat; add enough of the olive oil to make 1 cup. Whisk the oil into the vinegar mixture and season with salt and pepper.
• For the salad:.
• Drizzle the asparagus spears with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast in the oven and let char until tender but still toothsome.
• Sprinkle the crabs with salt and pepper and rub with a small amount of oil. Place on a heatproof pan and into the fire and roast until cooked through.
• Combine the radishes, spring onions, green garlic, herbs and pea tendrils in a bowl. Toss with enough vinaigrette to coat. Add a small amount of vinaigrette to the hot pan with the asparagus and coat.
• Divide the asparagus among 4 plates and top with the salad and 1 crab each. Drizzle with the remaining vinaigrette.

WOOD ROASTED SHAVED ASPARAGUS, PARMESAN, BREADCRUMBS AND LEMON

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• Trim the woody ends from the asparagus. Using a vegetable peeler, shave the asparagus lengthwise into strips (if using Brussel sprouts, use a knife or mandoline to shave the sprouts).
• In a large bowl, gently toss the shaved asparagus with 2 tablespoons olive oil and a few pinches of salt and pepper. Pour the asparagus mixture into a 12-inch cast-iron skillet and loosely arrange a "nest." Roast until slightly browned and softened, about 3 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat 1/4 cup olive oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cubed bread and toss to coat in the olive oil. Allow the bread to toast evenly, tossing often, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the garlic to perfume the oil and bread. Remove the bread from the pan to a cutting board and roughly chop the bread pieces. Toss with the grated Parmesan and black pepper, to taste.
• Top the asparagus with the breadcrumbs. Garnish with more grated Parmesan.

SOFT-SHELL CRABS WITH CURRY BUTTER

Steps:

• Make the curry butter: Put the cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds and cloves in a dry skillet over medium heat. When spices are lightly toasted and fragrant, after a minute or so, grind them to a powder in a mortar or electric spice mill. Add nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne and turmeric.
• Put butter in a bowl. Add spices, garlic, ginger, salt and lime zest and juice. Mash seasonings into butter with a wooden spoon. Add crushed almonds and scallions, then mix until well incorporated. (May be prepared several hours ahead, or up to 1 day in advance.)
• Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons curry butter, let melt and swirl pan to distribute. Dust crabs lightly with rice flour, if using. When butter is foamy, add crabs in one layer and raise heat. Let crabs cook 3 minutes, then turn, using tongs, and cook 3 minutes on the other side. (Be careful, as crabs may spatter.) Remove crabs and keep warm.
• Add 4 tablespoons curry butter to pan and let sizzle. Add pea shoots and cook briefly until wilted, 1 minute or less.
• Arrange crabs on a warm platter or individual plates. Garnish with wilted pea shoots and lime wedges. Spoon melted curry butter from pan over crabs and serve at once.

SOFT-SHELL CRAB TOAST

Steps:

• In a blender, combine parsley, jalapeño, lemon juice and salt. Add oil and 3 tablespoons water. Purée until sauce is smooth, adding additional water if needed, a tablespoon at a time, until you have a thick yet pourable sauce. Transfer sauce to a bowl and add more salt or lemon juice, or both, if needed.
• Heat broiler. Place bread slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. Broil, turning once, until golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Rub toast with cut garlic. Drizzle with oil or slather with butter (butter is nice on pain de mie), remove from pan and set aside.
• Lightly coat crabs with oil and season with salt and pepper. Transfer, belly side up, to a large baking sheet (you can use the same one you used for the toast). Broil, turning once, until crisp and golden, about 2 minutes per side.
• Place one crab on top of each toast. Spoon a generous amount of sauce over each crab and serve with lemon wedges on the side.

ROASTED ASPARAGUS SALAD

Steps:

• Place asparagus in a 13-in. x 9-in. baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine oil and garlic; pour over asparagus and turn to coat. Bake, uncovered, at 400° for 20-25 minutes or until tender, turning after 10 minutes. Cool completely., In a small bowl, whisk dressing ingredients; pour over asparagus and turn to coat. Serve immediately or allow to marinate. Serve at room temperature.

CRAB ASPARAGUS SALAD

Steps:

• In a medium heat pan sweat the shallots until translucent. Add the slice morels and then turn heat to high.
• Allow shallots and morels to cook then deglaze with sherry wine. (careful of flames) let sherry reduce by half; then emulsify the butter and cream then reduce by half again. Add the crab, peas, and confit tomato. Adjust salt and lemon seasoning.

ASPARAGUS AND CRAB SALAD

Steps:

• Combine crabmeat, rice wine, soy sauce, lemon juice, chili, and green onion.
• Blanch asparagus in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until bright green, about 1 minute. Drain and rinse with cold water until chilled.
• Toss asparagus and crabmeat mixture in a salad bowl. Top with nuts and serve.

GRILLED SOFT-SHELL CRAB, CORN, AND ASPARAGUS WITH ARUGULA PESTO

Steps:

• In a large pot filled with cold water, soak the corn for 30 minutes.
• Blanch the asparagus in a large pot of boiling water and transfer to a bowl of ice water. Meanwhile, prepare the Arugula Pesto.
• Prepare a stove-top griddle or outdoor grill. Grill the corn in the husk, turning occasionally, for 15 to 20 minutes. (If your grill has a cover, close it to allow the corn to steam.) Brush the asparagus with some of the olive oil and grill for 4 to 5 minutes, turning once or twice. Use a vegetable tray to prevent the asparagus from falling through the grill rack. Transfer the corn and asparagus to a large platter and serve with the Arugula Pesto.
• Grill the crabs until bright orange and slightly charred, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Season with salt and pepper. Place the greens in a large salad bowl and set the crabs on top.

WARM ROAST ASPARAGUS SALAD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 200C/Gas 6/fan 180C. Snap off the woody ends of the asparagus and discard. Arrange the asparagus in a single layer in a baking tray with sides. Cut the tomatoes in half widthways, nestle them in with the asparagus, season with sea salt and pepper and drizzle with olive oil. Roll each bacon rasher into a tight roll (if large, first cut in half crosswise), and arrange in the tray. Drizzle the bacon rolls with the honey and bake for 20 minutes until the tomatoes are soft and the bacon is crisp.
• In the meantime, boil the potatoes until tender. Whisk the vinegar, olive oil, mustard, some sea salt and pepper in a large bowl until blended. Toss the rocket or spinach leaves in half of the dressing, and arrange on a large serving platter.
• Drain the potatoes and cut in half. Gently toss them in the rest of the dressing, and arrange on the platter with the asparagus. Tuck in the tomatoes and bacon.