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| Summer Seafood Supper |
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Bibb lettuce, lemon wedges, and chives garnish simple crabmeat flavored with herb-layered Green Goddess Dressing.
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Lotus Ice Cream makes a refreshing end to the meal.
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For years, I made crabmeat maison (lump crabmeat tossed in homemade mayonnaise with capers and sliced green onion) or crab Louis for a first course (or as hors d’oeuvres served on toast points), and I still do. But my friend Suzanne Rheinstein, a brilliant interior designer and an excellent hostess, always insists on Green Goddess Dressing, and when I finally had it at her house, I realized why. It’s delicious, and the colors -- creamy, herby green atop a snowy mound -- are gorgeous. With shrimp, the possibilities are endless. I love them in a mustardy rémoulade sauce piled beside white celery root rémoulade on a platter; I love them sautéed in garlic and ginger with basmati rice, or in a sauce Creole enlivened with a pinch of curry. (The 19th-century English believed that the heat slowed down the digestive system and that the curry powders they learned to make from the Indians worked as a stimulant.) For dessert, “cold” and “lemon” are my warm-weather bywords. Among my favorites is the lemon-and-almond “lotus” ice cream that was a mainstay at the late Justine’s in Memphis. Always, there should be lots of cold white wine, and to start, the most refreshing cocktail there is, a Pimm’s Royale, another import from the Brits who, in their heyday, knew an awful lot about hot weather.
For Julia Reed's Pimm's Royale recipe, click here.
| CRAB SALAD |
Yield: 8 servings 1 head Bibb lettuce
2 pounds jumbo lump crabmeat, picked and drained
Green Goddess Dressing (recipe follows)
Garnishes: chopped fresh chives, lemon wedges 1. Place one large leaf of lettuce on each of 8 salad plates. Top with 1/4 cup crabmeat, and drizzle with 3 tablespoons Green Goddess Dressing. Garnish, if desired. Green Goddess Dressing
This dressing is best when made a day ahead to give the flavors time to meld. 1/2 cup sour cream
1 cup homemade or good quality mayonnaise
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon anchovy paste
1/3 cup chopped green onion
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon leaves
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
1/8 teaspoon sea salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1. Purée all ingredients together in a food processor until creamy and pale green. Cover and chill 8 hours. |
| LOTUS ICE CREAM |
Yield: About 1 quart (6 to 8 servings) 2 2/3 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup finely chopped toasted almonds
2 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
Gourmet almond cookies
Garnishes: chopped toasted almonds, lavender sprigs and flowers, lemon zest
1. Combine cream and next 6 ingredients (through almond extract) in a bowl. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
2. Pour into freezer container of an electric ice-cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer’s directions. Serve with almond cookies, and garnish, if desired. |
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