Pontchartrain Chiffonade Salad

LASCO Dish from Chef Amy Sins

Light, fresh and full of flavor, this recipe puts Louisiana crab and shrimp in the spotlight. 

2 Hours 4 Servings
Ingredients
  • Citrus-Poached Shrimp
  • 1 gallon water
  • 1 carrot, peeled and chopped
  • 1 stalk celery, chopped
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
  • 1 sprig fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1 clove garlic
  • 1 cup white wine
  • 3 Tbsp. kosher salt, divided
  • 1 tsp. whole black peppercorns
  • 2 lbs. large fresh Louisiana Gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 2 cups fresh citrus juice (ideally a combination of lemon, orange & lime)
  • 2 quarts ice Seafood Salad Marinade
  • 3 cups vegetable oil
  • 1/2 cup cane vinegar
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 1 jalapeno, seeded and minced
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 shallots, minced
  • 1/2 cup fennel
  • Minced Kosher salt, to taste
  • Marinated Crab Claws
  • Marinated Shrimp
  • Butterbean & Green Pea Puree
  • 1 bunch green onions, trimmed at the root
  • 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon zest
  • 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
  • 2 cups fresh baby butter beans, cooked to tender and cooled
  • 1 cup fresh green peas, cooked to tender and cooled
  • 1/2 to 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 tsp. Herbsaint Kosher salt and white pepper, to taste
  • Summer Chiffonade Salad
  • 1/2 cup lump crabmeat
  • 2 large fennel bulbs
  • 6 oz. sugar snap peas
  • 4 large radishes
  • 1 large fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded and deveined
  • 2 fillets preserved lemon rind
  • 1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
  • 1/4 cup olive oil Kosher salt and pepper, to taste
  • Sous Vide Egg Yolks 4 – 6 egg yolks
  • Vegetable oil
  • Crunchy Fried Butter Beans
  • 2 quarts peanut oil
  • 2 cups baby butter beans, cooked to tender and cooled Kosher salt to taste
  • Shrimp Cracklins 2 lbs. raw Louisiana shrimp or prawns, peeled and deveined
  • 2 lbs. tapioca starch
  • 1 heaping Tbsp. sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp. ground white pepper Vegetable oil
Directions

Citrus-Poached Shrimp

  1. In a large stockpot, combine the water, carrot, celery, onion, thyme, bay leaf, garlic, wine, 2 Tbsp. of salt and peppercorns over high heat.
  2. While the water heats to a rolling boil, combine the ice, citrus juice, and 1 Tbsp. salt in a large mixing bowl. Top with enough cold water to cover the ice. 
  3. Add the shrimp to the boiling, seasoned water. Poach until the shrimp are just cooked through and turn pink, about 6 minutes.
  4. With a slotted spoon, transfer the shrimp to the bowl of citrus ice water to cool. Drain the shrimp and transfer to a zip-top bag.

Seafood Salad Marinade

  1. Combine all ingredients in a plastic container with a tight-fitting lid. Shake vigorously to combine. 

Marinated Crab Claws

  1. Place 1lb. cleaned crab claws in a zip-top bag. Pour 1/2 cup marinade into the bag. Marinate the crab claws for 45 minutes. 

Marinated Shrimp

  1. Pour 3 cups of the Seafood Salad Marinade over the citrus poached shrimp. Marinate for 30 minutes.

 

Butterbean & Green Pea Puree

  1. In a small saucepot set over high heat, bring 1 quart of salted water to a boil.
  2. the green onions and blanch until wilted and tender, about 30 to 45 seconds.
  3. Transfer green onions to an ice bath to cool. Drain immediately.
  4. Combine the green onions, lemon zest, Herbsaint and juice in a blender and puree to a smooth paste.
  5. In a food processor, combine the butter beans, green peas and green onion puree. Pulse to combine. With the food processor running on high, drizzle the oil into the mixture and blend until the puree reaches the desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Chill and set aside.

Summer Chiffonade Salad

  1. Clean, trim and julienne the vegetables and preserved lemon.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, toss the chiffonade vegetables with the lemon juice and olive oil. Season to taste. Keep prepared salad and crabmeat chilled until plating.

Sous Vide Egg Yolks

  1. Preheat sous vide water bath between 61.1 – 64°F depending on texture desired. (Yolks will be runny at 61°, firm and spreadable at 64°.)
  2. Separate the yolks from the whites, reserving whites for another use.
  3. Carefully place yolks in a vacuum bag. Depending on firmness of yolk lining, you may want to add a little vegetable oil or olive oil to the bag to protect the exterior of the yolk. 
  4. Carefully vacuum the bag to avoid breaking the yolks. Sous vide for 1 hour.
  5. Remove from water bath, carefully strain and serve.

If holding for service, gently drop in oil until service, then and strain and serve. Can be stored up to 3 hours in oil. Crunchy Fried Butter Beans Heat oil to 375°F in a 6-quart cast iron pot.

Using a slotted spoon, gently add the butter beans to the hot oil and fry until some of the beans are slightly brown, about 5 minutes. Using a wire mesh strainer, transfer the butter beans to a wire cooling rack and allow excess oil to drain away. Season with kosher salt to taste. Shrimp Cracklins In the bowl of a food processor fitted with a metal blade, process the shrimp into a smooth paste. Add the tapioca starch, salt, and white pepper and process until well combined and a dough forms. (Depending on the size of your food processor, you may need to do this in 2 batches.) Knead the dough on a Silpat mat or lightly floured surface (use tapioca starch) until it is smooth and no longer sticky, about 2 to 3 minutes. If the dough is too sticky, add a bit more tapioca starch. If it is too dry, add water by the 1/2 tsp.  Prepare a steamer with water and bring the water to rolling boil over high heat. Roll the dough into two logs and place the logs on a lightly greased, heatproof dish (such as a glass pie plate). Place the dough in the hot steamer and steam until cooked through, 35 to 60 minutes depending on the thickness of the dough logs. (You may need to replenish water in the steamer periodically.) Reduce the heat under the steamer to maintain a steady, rolling simmer. The dough will expand slightly as it cooks. To test the doneness, cut a log in half crosswise – if the color is consistent throughout, the dough is cooked through. Transfer the dough to a fresh plate and place it in the refrigerator. When the dough is completely chilled, thinly slice the logs into chips using a large, thin, sharp knife or a mandolin. Place the shrimp chips in a food dehydrator in a single layer. Dehydrate the shrimp chips until completely dried, about 24 hours. The chips will curl slightly.  Preheat the oven to 150°F. Place the chips in a single layer on a baking sheet. Bake them until the chips are heated through, approximately 10 minutes.  Pour 2 inches of vegetable oil into a wok or large, heavy pot and heat to 350°F. Test the temperature of the oil by placing one shrimp chip into it. If the oil is hot enough, bubbles will immediately form around the chip. Within seconds, it should puff, enlarge, and float to the top.

Do not allow the chips to brown. When the color of the shrimp chip is consistent throughout, remove from the oil using a wire mesh strainer. Transfer the chips to a plate lined with paper towels or a brown paper bag.  

Note: To serve, spoon some of the butterbean and green pea puree on a plate and top it with the chiffonade salad. Garnish with marinated crab claws, marinated shrimp, sous vide egg yolks, butter beans and shrimp cracklin.

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