I've written many times about the
"Third Saturday Wine Dinner Club." This weekend we met at the
home of Mary and Joel Smith. April is our anniversary date, and we are
now marking the beginning of our eighth year, missing very few months along the
way.
As
a reminder, the host couple sets the theme and makes the main course.
Last month's host brings a cocktail and the other three couples sign up for
either first appetizer, seated first course and dessert.
The theme was "Like a
Virgin." We were to make a recipe we'd never made before, and bring
a wine we'd never tasted. I chose to make the seated first course.
After lots of looking through torn-out recipes and stacks of cookbooks, I chose
a recipe from the magazine "Cuisine et Vins de France." It was
a cucumber-crab roll. While a bit pricey, it was fast to make and
pronounced delicious by all.
I
bought fresh jumbo lump crab from Paradise Seafood. The recipe as
published calls for 10.5 ounces (300 grams) for four servings, but I was making
10 servings. I got two pounds of crabmeat, so we'll have crab cakes for
dinner tomorrow!
Although
the recipe didn't call for it, I had a bag of the mini-peppers I love to stuff
with hummus or Boursin for appetizers. I diced one red one and sautéed
with the shallots. It was a felicitous addition.
The
magazine says to use a mandolin or very sharp knife to cut the cucumbers.
Perhaps your knife skills are better than mine but I'm not sure I could have
cut them thinly enough for this recipe. Salting and letting them sit for
a while makes them more pliable but the first couple I did on a thicker setting
would have been difficult to roll.
The
recipe doesn't call for it but I put a handful of arugula on the plate and
topped it with the crab rolls.
The whole procedure for 20 rolls
took well under an hour, and since it must be done at least a couple of hours
ahead, it's perfect for special guests. You know how I hate to be
stuck in the kitchen when my guests are in the living room eating appetizers
and having a good time without me!
Rouleaux de concombre au crabe
(Crab Cucumber Roll-Ups)
To serve
four people (two rolls each)
2 cucumbers
12 ounces lump crabmeat (fresh, frozen, or canned)1 package fresh chives
2 shallots (to equal about 2 tablespoons chopped, sometimes
the shallots in our markets are enormous)
¼ cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Juice and finely grated zest of one orange
4 tablespoons good fruity olive oil
1 large pinch ground ginger
1 large pinch sweet (as in not hot) smoked paprika
Salt and pepper
Sauce:
2 tablespoons honey
6 tablespoons soy sauce1 tablespoon sesame seeds, lightly toasted
Wash the cucumbers. With a mandolin
or very sharp knife, cut the unpeeled cucumbers into very thin lengthwise
slices. Discard the first and last ones,
from the outside and if there are a lot of seeds, the very center ones as
well. You should have about 8 slices
from each cucumber. Lay the slices out on paper towels and sprinkle lightly
with fine salt and let set while preparing the filling.
Drain the crab in a strainer. With scissors, cut the chives
crosswise into small pieces and set aside.
Peel and chop the shallots. Heat the butter in a skillet and cook the
shallots for 6 to 8 minutes, or until tender. Let cool.
In a bowl, whisk the orange juice and olive oil
together. Mix in the reserved chives,
shallots, crab, ginger and paprika. Toss
to combine well.
When ready to serve, at the last
moment, slightly warm the honey, soy sauce together. Place the rolls on a serving platter or
divide among four individual plates and drizzle the sauce over them. Sprinkle
with the sesame seeds and serve at once.
