Florida Stone Crab De Polenta
From jimrug1 15 years ago
- 50 minutes to make
- Serves 4
When in Season, Florida Stone Crab Claws are a delicacy that supersedes Lobster for many people. I first had a dish similar to this at a restaurant in Key West. They included Hot Drawn Butter as an option for dipping. Read more For my taste, a swipe of the claw in the creamy tomato sauce was so good, I never touched the butter. It does though, make for a nice presentation if you are so inclined. The Tomato Reduction, spiked by a hint of mustard, also picks up a nice whiff of Crab from the sauté liquid which seems to tie the dish together nicely. It may seem a little long and drawn out at first but once you gather all your ingredients, it’s not as complicated as it sounds. Roasted Asparagus would make a great side for this dish. Hope you enjoy. See less
Ingredients
- For the Crab: shopping list
- 16 large Stone crab Claws (Approx 3lbs) shopping list
- ¼ cup olive oil shopping list
- ¼ cup extra-dry vermouth shopping list
- 2 Tbls lemon juice shopping list
- 1 Tsp salt shopping list
- ½ Tsp white pepper shopping list
- ************************** shopping list
- Creamy Tomato Reduction Sauce shopping list
- 1 15oz can good quality whole tomatoes, drained (save the juice for thining later if necessary) shopping list
- 1 ripe red Chile, roasted, peeled, seeded shopping list
- 2 pinches Old Bay Seasoning shopping list
- 1 clove garlic, crushed shopping list
- 1 whole shallot (two halves), finely chopped shopping list
- 1 Tbls chopped fresh basil shopping list
- ¼ Tsp brown mustard seeds shopping list
- ¼ cup Cream shopping list
- ************************** shopping list
- polenta Soufflé shopping list
- 1 ½ cups corn Meal shopping list
- 4 cups vegetable stock shopping list
- ½ Tsp salt shopping list
- ¼ Cup Half & Half or whole milk shopping list
- 6 egg whites shopping list
- 2 oz goat cheese shopping list
- ½ cup Shredded Fontina cheese shopping list
- ½ cup Grated Parmesan shopping list
- ½ cup cottage cheese shopping list
- 1 Tbls cornstarch shopping list
- 1/2 Tsp powdered garlic shopping list
- 1 cup grape tomatoes, quartered lenthwise shopping list
- 3 medium poblano chiles, roasted peeled, seeded and sliced into rings shopping list
- 1 Tbls chopped fresh basil shopping list
- ************************ shopping list
- Garnish: shopping list
- goat cheese (4 Slices) shopping list
- 2 Tbls fresh basil, julienned shopping list
How to make it
- Polenta Soufflé
- Bring Vegetable Stock to a boil and slowly add polenta, whisking continuously for 2 minutes. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 40 minutes, stirring often with a wooden spoon.
- Stir in Half & Half and Salt and pour into a buttered 8 x 8 baking dish. Evenly top with Tomatoes and sliced Poblano rings.(Its ok if they sink in a little.) Set aside.
- Beat egg whites into stiff peaks. In a separate bowl, combine the Goat Cheese, Parmesan Cheese, Fontina Cheese, Cottage Cheese, cornstarch and garlic powder. Fold in egg whites.
- Stir Basil into the Egg White and Cheese mixture and pour over the Chiles and Tomatoes. Bake in a preheated 400° oven for 10-15 minutes or until soufflé is puffy and golden brown on top. Set aside 10 minutes to cool slightly. Use a cut out large tuna can to cut into 4 rounds or alternatively, divide into four equal size squares.
- ************************
- Puree Tomatoes:
- In a blender, combine Tomatoes, Red Chile, Garlic, chopped Shallot, Basil and Old Bay. Puree until very smooth. Set aside.
- **************************
- Crab
- Crack the Stone Crab Claws and remove shell and movable pincer, leaving the meat attached to the remaining pincer.
- Heat Olive Oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add stone crab claws and cook for 3 to 4 minutes until heated through, turning claws frequently. Turn heat to high; add Mustard Seeds. Cook until they begin to pop. (about 30 Seconds) Add vermouth, lemon juice, salt and pepper to pan. Cook 1 minute more, spooning vermouth sauce over claws. Remove Claws to a plate and cover loosely with foil. Stir in the tomato puree and bring to a rapid simmer. Reduce until slightly thicken(2 - 4 minutes). Add Cream and any juices that have collected on the Crab Plate. Cook another 2-3 minutes to warm through and thicken further. If sauce seems too thin, (you don’t want it too thick but just thick enough to stay where you put it on the plate) reduce a little longer. If too thick, thin with reserved Tomato Juice. Adjust Salt
- *******************
- To Serve.
- Spoon a small amount of the Creamy Tomato Reduction in the center of 4 plates. Place a round or square of the Polenta Soufflé on top of the Sauce. Top each Soufflé with a round of Goat Cheese. Spoon warm Tomato sauce over Goat Cheese and Polenta. Sprinkle with Fresh Basil. Arrange 4 large Stone Crab Claws in a spoke like fashion around the Polenta on each plate. Serve at once.
- Note** If making the Polenta as a stand alone side dish, omit Crab Claws and start with Mustard seeds. Also omit Old Bay in Tomato reduction unless serving with Fish or Seafood.
The Rating
Reviewed by 14 people-
This is a wonderful recipe, Jim!! Thank you
and a 55555!! :) Added to group.
lanacountry
in Macon loved it
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Oh I will enjoy! Love them. Wonderful recipe. I am availlable to break bread with you for this delicious meal. You deserve more than a 5. Very nice job. Joymarie
mystic_river1
in Bradenton loved it
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Incredible!!! I absolutely adore stone crab claws. Probably one of my favorite foods! I just wish I had better access to them. Living in Wisconsin kind of limits my options for fresh seafood.
This is a real winner, Jim! Keep em' coming!!
meals4abby
in Valders loved it
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