Shrimp Remoulade

Classic, tangy remoulade sauce is a luxurious accompaniment to any chrustacean: try swapping out the shrimp in this retro dish for crawfish or lump crabmeat, when in season.  Enjoy.  Serves 4

Ingredients

• ⅔ Cup Mayonnaise
• 2 Cornichons, finely chopped, plus 1¼ Teaspoons reserved pickling brine (from Cornichons)..
• 1½ Teaspoons Capers, finely chopped
• 2 Teaspoons finely chopped Parsley
• 2 Teaspoons finely chopped Tarragon, plus extra whole leaves, for garnish
•  1 Teaspoons finely grated Lemon Zest
• 1 TB fresh Lemon Juice, plus more as needed to taste (add after you have tasted final sauce)
• 1 TB plus 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt, plus more as needed to taste (add after you have tasted final sauce)
• Freshly ground Black Pepper plus 2 Teaspoons whole Black Peppercorns
• ⅔ Lb. Medium Shrimp (with shells), peeled, shells reserved for later
• 1⅓ Cup Dry White Wine
• 2 Sprigs fresh Thyme
• 3 Sprigs fresh Italian Parsley
• 1 small Yellow Onion, thinly sliced
• 1 small Celery stalk, thinly sliced
• 1 Bay Leaf
• 4 Green Leaf or Butter Lettuce leaves
• 2 ripe Hass Avocados, halved, pitted, and peeled
• Finely chopped fresh Chives, for garnish
• 4 Lemon wedges
• Buttered toast, for serving

Procedure

1. Make the remoulade sauce: To a medium bowl, add the Mayonnaise, Cornichons and the brine, Capers, Parsley, Tarragon, Lemon zest, and 1 TB Lemon juice and stir to combine.   Season with Salt and ground Black Pepper, and additional Lemon juice to taste, then refrigerate until ready to use. 
2. To a medium pot, add the Shrimp shells, wine, 1 TB plus 1 Teaspoon Salt, the whole Peppercorns, Parsley, Thyme, Onion, Celery, Bay Leaf, and 4 Cups of cold water.  
3. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower the heat to maintain a simmer and cook until the vegetables are softened, 18-20 minutes.
4. Set a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl and strain the stock, disrcarding the solids.
5. Rinse out the pot, then return the stock to it and bring to a simmer over medium heat.  
6. Add the Shrimp, then immediately turn off the heat, cover, and set aside until they are cooked through, 2-3 minutes.
7. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the Shrimp to a large plate (or baking sheet), spreading them out so they cool quickly.  Devein the Shrimp, then cover and refrigerate until chilled.
8. Toss the Shrimp in the remoulade sauce to coat.  For each salad, place a lettuce leaf on a plate and set an avocado half on top, cut side up.  Spoon some of the Shrimp over the avocado, sprinkle with Chives and top with a few leaves of fresh Tarragon.  
9. Serve with Lemon wedges and buttered toast. 

Pork Riblets Simmered in Carmel Sauce (Xu"o"n Kho)

This recipe starts with Baby Back Ribs with a sauce that is almost like candy making - the sugar cooks to the edge of burning. You can make extra, bottle it, and use it for other purposes.  Understand that this recipe takes a lot of time and requires very close attention to the cooking steps.  It is a challenge, but well worth it, if you are successful.  Enjoy the fun of cooking this one.  Serves 6

Ingredients 

• 3 lb. Baby Back Portk Ribs, cut in half crosswise by a butcher and separated into riblets. 
• ½ small Yellow Onion, peeled and minced (¼ cup)
• 2 Cups plus 2 TB Sugar.
• 1 Teaspoon freshly ground Black Pepper
• 2 TB Vegetable Oil
• ¼ Cup Vietnamese Fish Sauce, divided.
• Thinly sliced Scallions for garnish
• Steamed Jasmine rice, for serving (optional)

Procedure

1. To a large bowl, add the Pork, Onion, 2 teaspoons Sugar, the Black Pepper, Oil and 2 TB Fish Sauce.  Toss to combine and coat the Ribs. Marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
2. Meanwhile, preheat a broiler to high and line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil. Transfer the Riblets to the baking sheet and broil, turning once, until the meat is charred in places, 15-20 minutes.  Remove from the broiler and set aside.
3. Fill a large bowl with ice water and set it by the stove.
4. In a large pot, stir together the remaining 2 cups of Sugar and ⅓ Cup tap water.  Cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat until the sugar dissolves, 4-5 minutes.  Uncover and continue cooking until the sugar turns dark reddish-brown (370°F on a candy thermometer), 10-15 minutes. Remove from the heat and immediately set the bottom of the pot in the ice water to stop the cooking. 
5. Add 1 Cup of cold water to the pot, return it to medium heat, and cook, stirring continously, until the carmel has liquified. Add the reserved riblets and any accumulatede juices, as well as the remainig 2 TB Fish Sauce, them bring to a simmer.
6. Partially cover the pot, lower the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook, skimming and discarding the fat occasionally, until the port is very tender, about 1 hour.
7. Top with scallions and serve with rice or as an appetizer. 

Barbecued Shrimp

Turns out, New Orleans style barbecued shrimp nevers hits a grill!  At first, I was concerned that Commander's Palace had sent me a recipe riddled with typos, given its dizzying measurements of mis-matched ingredients: fresh Rosemary steeped in Crystal hot sauce, and 6 tablesooons of Worcestershire where I'd normally use a dash?  But, the sharp and buttery results fashioned a powerful memory (while visiting New Orleans during my tour in the Naval Air Reserve in Millington, Tennessee (ourside of Memphis), as I leaned over the counter (at Commander's Palace), using warm bread to wipe up every bit of sauce.  Enjoy. Serves 4

Ingredients

• 16 Jumbo Shrimp (1 lb.), peeled and deveined (tails left on)
• 2 TB. Creole or Cajun Seasoning, preferable Tony Chachere's
• ¼ cup Canola Oil
• 4 Garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 TB. finely chopped Fresh Rosemary
• ½ Cup light to medium Lager, prefereably Abita Amber
• ¼ Cup plus 2 TB hot sauce, preferably Crystal Brand
• ¼ Cup plus 2 TB Worcestershire Sauce
• ¼ Cup plus 1 TB Fresh Lemon Juice
• 12 TB cold, unsalted butter cut into small pieces
• Cooked Grits or Crusty French Breas for serving

Procedure

1. To a medium bowl, add the Shrimp and Creole seasoning, and toss well to coat.  Set aside to marinate at room temperature.
2. Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium heat.  Add the oil and garlic, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the Garlic is fragrant and just beginning to color, about 1 minute. 
3. Add the Rosemary and cook for a few seconds more before adding the Shrimp.  Cook, flipping the Shrimp once, until they begin to turn pink, about 30 seconds per side.  Transfer to a large plate and set aside.
4. Return the skillet to medium heat, then add the Lager, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and lemon juice.  Cook, stirring and scraping any browned bits from the bottom of the pan until the sauce has thickened enough to lighly coat the back of a spoon, 7-8 minutes. 
5. Turn off the heat and begin whisking in the butter a few pieces at a time.  The sauce will thicken further as the butter is incorporated.
6. Add the reserved Shrimp to the skillet, toss to coat, and return to medium heat. Cook 2-3 minutes more, then transfer to a deep serving dish and serve immediately with either Grits or Bread for dipping. 

French Onion Soup

James Edisto Mitchell was an illustrator and artist.  He studied in Paris at the Academy de la Grande Chaumiere and with modernist artist, Edouard Goerg.  Postward Paris had a lifelong influence on James as an artist and a cook.  Shane Mitchell, James' son, found a recipe for French Onion Soup in his fathers letters.  This recipe was adapted from his father's recipe by Shane.   His father recommends to ask your butcher not to trim or scrape down to the marrowbones: their meat, fat, and connective tissue contribute significant flavor and body to the soup. This recipe serves 6.

Ingredients

For the Stock:

• 3 Large Beef Marrowbones (4½ lb.)
• 2 Large Carrots (12 oz.)
• 2 Medium Celery stalks (3 oz.)
• 1 Large Yellow Onion (14½ oz.), unpeeled, halved
• 2 Garlic cloves, unpeeped, smashed
• 2 Small Dried Hot Chilies, such as Bird, Arbor, or Kashmiri 
• 1 Small bunch Italian Parsley
• 1 Small bunch fresh Thyme
• 2 Bay Leaves
• 1 TB. Black Peppercorns
• 1 TB. Kosher Salt

For the Soup:

• 10 TB. unsalted Butter, divided
• 4 Large Yellow Onions (3½ lb.). peeled, halved lengthwise, and sliced ½ inch thick (yields 11 Cups).
• 1 Teaspoon Sugar
• 1 Fresh Baguette, cut into twelve ½ inch slices
• 2 Garlic cloves, peeled and halved
• 2 Cups coarsely grated Gruyêre Cheese
• 2 Cups coarsely grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 Cup Dry White Wine
• ¼ Cup Dry Sherry
• Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Black Pepper

Procedure

The following steps are very detailed.  They are included so that the reader understands the process used by James to make his favorite French Onion Soup.

1. Make the stock: preheat oven to 400°F.  Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminium foil, place the bones on it, transfer to the oven, and roast until the bones are sizzling and browned and most of the fat has rendered, about 1 hour. 
2. In a large stockpot, add the bones (reserving the pan drippings) and the rest of the stock ingredients.  Cover with 1 gallon cold water, then place over high heat and bring to a boil.  Skim and discard any form that forms on the surface, then lower the heat to maintain a strong simmer.  Cook, uncovered until the liquid has reduced by half, about 2½ hours.
3. Remove the stock from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.  Line a large mesh strainer with cheesecloth and place it over a large heatproof bowl.  Strain the stock, discarding the solids, and let it rest for 10 minutes. Skim and discard and grease that collects on surface.  Measure 8 cups of the stock and reserve any extra for later. 
4. Make the soup.  In a large pot or deep skillet over medium heat, add 8 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of of the reserved beef drippings.  When the foam begins to subside, add onions and sugar, and season lightly with salt and pepper.  Cook stirring frequently, until the onions have entirely wilted 8-10 minutes, then lower the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring frequently, until they turn soft and golden brown but have not yet completely broken down, 60-70 minutes.  Turn off the heat, then cover to keep the onions warm as you finish the soup.
5. Spread the remaining butter on both sides of the baguette slices.  In a heavy skillet over medium-high heat, toast the bread on both sides until crispy and browned, 8-10 minutes.  Rub each slice all over with the cut side of a garlic clove, the set the toast aside.
6. In a large bow, combine the cheeses and set aside.
7. Preheat the broiler and place an oven rack directly below it. Meanwhile, wash out the stock pot and return it to medium-high heat. Add the reserved 8 cups of beef stock, bring to a bowl, then add the white wine and sherry.  Lower the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook just until you can no longer smell the alcohol, 5-7 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper. 
8. Line a large rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil, and place 6 oven proof soup bowls on it.  Divide the onions between the bowls (about ¼ cup in each), then ladle the hot broth into each bowl to cover the onions. 
9. Cover each bowl with one or two slices of toast (depends upon the size of the soup bowls), then pile them generously with the reserved cheese.  Carefully transfer the bowls to the broiler and cook until the cheese is melted, bubbly, and browned in places, 5-10 minutes.
10. Serve immediately.