Crab Pound Cake

Chef Chris Lusk

This recipe was created by an award chef, Chris Lusk.  A New Orleans twist on a traditional dessert.

Ingredients

2 cups corn flour
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 3/4 cups sugar
7 whole eggs
1 cup sour cream1/2 tablespoon salt
3/4 pound butter (melted)
3/4 tablespoon baking powder

Port Salut Icing

1/2 quart heavy cream
1/2 quart half and half
1/4 ounce fresh thyme
1 garlic clove minced
1 shallot diced
1 bay leaf
6 ounces port salut cheese
1/2 teaspoon butter
2 ounces brandy
8 ounces crab meat
salt and pepper to taste

Pepper Sprinkles

1 green bell pepper (very small diced)
1 red bell pepper (very small diced)
1 yellow bell pepper (very small diced)

Directions

Preheat your oven to 300˚F.
Whisk together sugar and eggs.
Sift all other dry ingredients.
Combine dry ingredients with egg mixture. Add melted butter to strained mixture. Place mixture in a large square cake pan (9” or 10”) with tall sides, filling pan only half full. 
Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick can be removed from the center of the cake clean.

Note: Corn flour is finely-ground corn meal.
Port Salut Icing

Sauté garlic and shallots in butter until shallots are translucent.  Deglaze with brandy and ignite. Add remaining ingredients except port salut. Cook on medium low heat until mixture is reduced by half.
Whisk in the port salut. Allow to cook for five minutes or until cheese is thoroughly combined.  Remove from heat and purée. Strain through mesh strainer. Add picked crab meat to mixture and season to taste.
Pour over a small piece of pound cake. Top with pepper sprinkles to taste (recipe below).

Pepper Sprinkles

Place on a non-stick pan and place in the oven, with just the pilot light, on overnight to dry out.
If you do not have a gas stove you can cook in electric oven at 140˚F or the lowest setting on the oven for 30 minutes.
Check peppers for dryness, cook longer if not dried out completely.

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