Experimentation

Good, but Not Great

There is something that sounds so amazingly appetizing about jumbo, lump crab meat, baked, buttered baguette slices, and cream! So, it is no surprise that when I came across this recipe in the February 2012 issue of Food & Wine Magazine for Buttery Crab Bread Pudding, I immediately abandoned my previous dinner plans. 

Much to my disappointment, the result was good, but not great.  The amount of lemon juice and cayenne called for is simply not enough to show through the creaminess of the custard.  I added more parsley than called for, and should have done the same with the chives. The custard is a great accompaniment, but be sure to cook the dish a little longer than called for.  The top of my baguette slices were browned, but the bottoms were soupy from the cream. 

Do-over:
1.  Add more chives, lemon juice, and cayenne pepper.
2.  Bake longer to allow the bread to become crusty on top and less soupy throughout.
3.  More crab!  I was afraid to over-stuff the dish, but I should have known better - more crab is always better!
4.  If you are not concerned about a heart-attack, add a little melted butter to the milk and half and half mixture.


 Tip: When combining a warm mixture and cold milk or cream, take a separate, small dish of the cold milk.  Slowly add a few spoonfuls of the warm mixture.  Add this mixture to the rest of the cold milk.  Wait a few seconds, and slowly spoon the rest of the warm mixture into the milk.




A Satisfying Side

My side dish turned out to be a much more worthy experiment.  The same issue of Food & Wine featured chef Jose Andres's Garlicky Potatoes, Green Beans, and Cauliflower.  I could eat this as a meal!

I used French green beans (sometimes labeled Haricot Verts in the grocery store - they usually come pre-packaged), smoked Spanish paprika, and red wine vinegar.  My grocery store was out of fingerling potatoes, so I used tiny red potatoes, cut in half. 

Oh, yum!  The drizzle of oil, and sprinkle of vinegar (although I like a little more vinegar) keeps the overall effect of the dish light, while the potatoes and cauliflower keep it satisfying.

Tip:  Use a lid and time your veggies!
 Using a lid will help bring the water to a boil faster, and help the veggies steam.

Add the cauliflower before the green beans.  You want them both tender, but firm (they should be a little crunchy).  They will both cook quickly, but the cauliflower will take just a little longer.  A good way to test the cauliflower is to stick a fork in one of the florets - you should be able to take it out of the pot, without it sliding off. 

Add the green beans absolutely last.  The water will be super hot, and they will cook very quickly.  So, a few seconds in the bath should be sufficient.

Wine Pairing:  My favorite winter white is Wente Chardonnay.  It's the perfect blend of buttery, creamy, oaken goodness and pairs perfectly with seafood, chicken, or pasta.

Cheers!