The first time I ever tried a soft-shell crab po' boy I was in New Orleans eating at a place, that in my opinion, served up the best--Ugeslich's. Not much for a hero sandwiches (give or take a few), this sandwich blew me away. So much so, that every trip to New Orleans started with a meal of this splendid treat, plus some oysters and a cold beer or two served by the owners, Anthony and Gail Uglesich. On my last trip to NO, I was saddened to hear the restaurant closed. It was a conversation before Hurricane Katrina, so it wasn't a complete surprise.

So, in this glorious soft shell crab season, I tip my hat to Anthony and Gail for the many years of culinary seduction they gave us all, while I prepare one of the few sandwiches I would consider serving as a Seduction Meal.

panko crusted soft shell crab po' boy

2 cleaned soft-shell crabs
flour
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup Japanese Panko breadcrumbs
Peanut or Vegetable oil
Crusty Italian or French bread
mayonnaise (you can use plain, garlic aioli, a basil or cilantro mayonnaise)
mixed green lettuce
sliced cherry tomatoes
fresh squeezed lemon
garnish: sliced scallions

• In a deep heavy-bottom pan, heat 1 inch of peanut oil over high heat. You want the oil to cover the crab 1/2 way
• Dredge cleaned soft-shell crab in flour, coating all side
• Dip floured crabs into beaten eggs and then dredge into panko breadcrumbs, coating well
• Reduce heat to medium and place the soft shell crabs into the pan
• Fry crabs until golden brown and cooked through, turning a few times so as not to burn
• Drain the crabs on paper towels using a rack

• Warm the bread for the sandwich in the oven for about 3 minutes
• Remove the bread from the oven. Slather mayonniase on both sides
• Lay a small hand-ful of greens on the bottom of the sandwich and top with one of the crabs
• the legs will hang over the sandwich--this is a good effect and allows you to nibble on the legs first
• Next add sliced cherry tomatoes, sqeeze fresh lemon juice over sandwich, and garnish with scallions
• Salt and Pepper to taste, and dig in. I like a nice chilled glass of beer with my sandwich
• Here's to you Ugelsich's! We miss you  xoxoxo

You can purchase an Ugelsich's Cookbook if you are a fan.

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When preparing your Seduction Meal have a little fun with your creativity, specifically in how you plate the dish. Think of contrasting colors, architectural treatments (adding height), positive and negative space, mixing textures, and enhancing the dish with garnishes and sauces. For inspiration pay special attention to how chefs present the dishes served at your favorite restaurants. And take a look a the various styles and techniques of "plating" as seen on TV food shows and in the pages your favorite food magazines like Bon Appetit, Gourmet, and Saveur.

I have prepared a brunch for two: a simple smoked salmon dish served with creme fraiche potatoes garnished with capers and diced cornichons; and I have plated the dish using two different presentation styles.



For added color, and the opportunity to serve up a playful finger food, add a bowl of ripe juicy strawberries to your table or breakfast try. For added effect take advantage of this lovely time of year and move to an outdoor setting such as a patio, a luscious green lawn surrounded by flowers, or a boat moored in a remote location--what better way to enjoy a romantic meal for two?

Smoked Salmon with Creme Fraiche Potatoes recipe
recipe from 86 San Francisco (with some minor modifications)
Restaurant 231 Ellsworth

Creme Fraiche Potatoes
The potatoes are delicious on their own and can be served as a side dish to accompany many main dishes.

8 baby yukon potatoes
1 cup creme fraiche
2 diced cornichons
1 tbsp chervil, minced
1 tbsp chives, minced
1 tbsp parsley, minced
2 finely diced shallots (optional)
1 lemon, juice and zested
salt and pepper to taste

Smoked Salmon
1/2 lb smoked salmon, thinly sliced

Garnish
capers
finely diced or snipped parsley and/or dill

Preparing the Potatoes and Salmon
Add potatoes to a large pot of cold, salted water. Bring to boil and then lower heat, simmering until done. Drain and let cool until you can handle them. While the potatoes are cooking, combine the creme fraiche-potato ingredients in a medium-sized bowl.

Next, cover the middle of 2 large plates with thin slices of smoked salmon. Exactly how you arrange the slices is up to you and your preferred presentation. Set aside until ready to serve.

Mixing the Potatoes
When cool, peel the potatoes (it is easier while they are slightly warm). Slice or cut them based on how you choose to present this dish. When you are ready to serve, place the potatoes in a large bowl with creme fraiche mix and carefully combine until the potatoes are covered in the creme fraiche.

Plating the dish
Take the salmon plates and place a portion of the potatoes on top of, or on the side of the salmon. Again, this will depend upon how you prefer to plate your dish. Sprinkle salt and pepper and a good squeeze of fresh lemon on top of the salmon. Garnish with capers and snipped parsley and/or dill  Serve with toast points or sliced baguettes.

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No doubt about it, there is something special about being served breakfast in bed. As you lie there barely awake savoring images of the night before, your lover is in the kitchen creating the next interlude for seduction.

The aroma of brewing coffee permeates the room--a cup is delivered your way with a kiss. Soft sounds of slow, enchanting music ease you into the day. New aromas waft from the kitchen. In anticipation of something special to come, twisted sheets are smoothed out, pillows are propped up, blinds slanted to let the daylight in.

Breakfast is served and it is indeed special. On a serving tray with flowers and champagne, sit a plate of Corn and chipotle pancakes with grilled lobster and roasted corn pico de gallo topped with crema for two. A glass of champagne is poured. Now that's a Seduction Meal!


Another glorious recipe from the cookbook Mod Mex: Cooking Vibrant Fiesta Flavors at Home by Scott Linquist, executive chef of Dos Caminos---my new favorite cookbook.


While this recipe is enough to serve six, I assure you the flavors get better the next day so you will LOVE that fact that you can cook up more pancakes and have it again. For this breakfast-in-bed soiree, I highly suggest preparing everything the day before, allowing all flavors to settle in, and giving you more time to enjoy the late morning in bed before and after this memorable meal. The only thing you will have to do is make the pancakes and plate the dish.

And for those who like to dance into the wee hours, once all the elements of this dish are prepared, this can easily be served up as a truly seductive midnight snack after your night out on the town.

Basic Crema (needs to set overnight)
Makes 2/14 cups
2 cups heavy cream
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 canned chipoltle chiles in adobe, pureed
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

In a small saucepan, heat the cream to about 90 degrees F. Pour the cream into a bowl, whisk in the buttermilk, and cover with a cheesecloth or dry, clean towel. Set in a warm place such as a gas oven with just the pilot light on, overnight until thickened. (My pilot light isn't always on, however, I placed the bowl in my oven after having been cooking all night and this worked fine). If still not thickened in the morning, leave  in for 2-4 more hours. Stir well, cover and refrigerate.

Note: Just before serving the pancakes you will combine the crema, pureed chipotle, and lime juice. Season to taste with salt.

Roasted Corn Pico de Gallo
3 cups roasted corn (use 1 cup for recipe above)
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup diced red onions
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves
1/4 cup diced jalapeno chiles
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 cup olive oil
kosher salt

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the oil and the corn and saute until the kernels are lightly browned and tender, about 5 minutes. Reserve 1 cup for the pancake batter below.

In a large bowl, mix together 2 cups of corn with the rest of the Pico de Gallo ingredients, season to taste with salt, cover and refrigerate for at least 1/2 hour.

Pancake Batter
2 cups yellow cornmeal
2 cups all-purpose-flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup milk
5 large eggs
6 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
2 Tbsp melted butter to brush on lobster and griddle
4 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp canola oil
1 cup roasted corn (See below)
2 chipotle chiles (from a can), chopped
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

To make the batter, in a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, and salt.

In a separate bowl, combine the buttermilk, milk, eggs, 6 tablespoons of the butter, and the honey. Whisk together until smooth. Stir one cup of corn (reserved from the Pico de Gallo prep), the chipotles, and the cilantro into the buttermilk mixture, add the dry ingredients, and mix just until blended. Cover the batter and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before using.

Lobster
3 1lb lobsters (I went to my seafood market and bought fresh cooked lobster meat)

If you are cooking fresh lobster, in a large pot bring at least 4 quarts of salted water to a rolling boil. Add lobsters, cover the pot, return the water to a boil and cook for about 7 minutes, or until the shells are bright red. Remove the lobsters. Let cool. Gather the tail and claw meat whole, and any remaining meat from the shells. Cut the tails in half lengthwise. Set aside.

Next Morning Seduction: Bringing it all together!

In the morning, all you have to do is heat up the lobster meat, spice up the crema, and cook the pancakes, and plate the dish.

1. Take the meat and brush lightly with melted butter, season with salt and pepper to taste. Heat up a skillet, saute briefly in the skillet to warm and slightly brown the lobster meat. Remove from heat.

2. Remove the crema from the refrigerator. Combine the crema, pureed chipotle, and lime juice. Season to taste with salt.

3. And now for the pancakes. Heat a griddle or large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Brush with a little butter and ladle on enough batter to make 3- to 4-inch rounds. (I had to add a bit more milk to make it creamy enough for a ladle). Cook the pancakes until bubbles form on the surface and the bottom is golden brown, 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. (Be careful, as your skillet or griddle gets hot, this will cook faster). Turn with a spatula (press down gently), and cook the second side until golden brown. Prepare 2 pancakes for each person.

Plating the dish
On each plate, serve 2 pancakes, one garnished with half a lobster tail, and the other with a claw. Spoon on some Roasted Pico de Gallo, drizzle with Crema, garish with watercress sprigs, a bit of cilantro leaves, and serve. 

It doesn't get much better than this!  Thank you Scott Linquist!

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This recipe was sent to us by Diane, NYC.

"This Seducer's Breakfast was served to me the morning after by my very first lover---he was quite a bit older and taught me a thing or two. Since then I have served it to a few lovers of my own!"

 

Most important is the serve the eggs with mimosas using very good champagne and fresh squeezed orange juice. For the Eggs Benedict the real trick is to get everything ready at the same time. Start by making the Hollandaise Sauce. You will need:

1/2 cup unsalted butter

3 beaten egg yolks

1 tablespoon of lemon juice

1 tablespoon of water

salt and white pepper

paprika

Cut the butter into thirds and bring it to room temperature. In the top broiler (or just a pan or bowl sitting on top of a saucepan of boiling water) combine egg yolks, lemon juice and water. Add a piece of butter.

Cook, stirring rapidly with a whisk until butter melts and sauce begins to thicken. Add the remaining butter a piece at a time, stirring constantly until melted. Continue to cook and stir for 2 - 3 minutes until sauce thickens. Immediately remove from heat. If sauce is too thick or curdles, immediately whisk in 1-2 tablespoons of hot water. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Now for the rest--The Eggs. You will need:

4 eggs

2 English muffins, toasted

4 slices of Canadian Bacon, cooked to your liking

You can poach the eggs in an egg poacher, or if you don't have one you can use a pan of simmering water. Carefully slide the cracked eggs into the water (I use a cup). Simmer the eggs uncovered for 3-5 minutes cooking until egg whites are completely set and yolks are not too hard.

Remove eggs with a slotted spoon and place them on toasted English muffin halves which have been covered with 1-2 slices of Canadian Bacon which has been broiled or warmed in a frying pan for a couple of minutes. You can get the toasting + broiling done while the eggs are poaching but you have to keep moving! Top each egg with that delicious Hollandaise Sauce and a dusting of paprika, pop the cork and you'll soon be ready for the next round!

For your creative morning pleasures, I found these variations on Eggs Benedict on wikipedia:

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I used to take this great photography class at Cooper Union whereby the instructor, Eric Feinblatt, would throw out a word a week and our challenge was to go out and shoot our interpretation of that word. The work presented by the students was extraordinary; filled with creativity, thought-provoking approaches and enough conversation and critique to fill each class. You were inspired to push yourself beyond the expected.

I took this approach when I stumbled upon this image. I loved the way the food was styled, shot and presented; so I decided to reverse engineer this process by concocting a recipe to go with the photo. While I am not a food photographer, and this photo is definitely better than mine, I have to say this dish tasted as good as the original shot looked.

Salmon Tobiko Rolls

4 oz - 8 oz of smoked Scottish Salmon*

4 tablespoons of creme fraiche

2tablespoons of whipped cream cheese

2 tablespoons of tobiko caviar (fish roe)

1teaspoon of fresh, finely chopped chives

fresh cracked pepper

1/2 cup of mixed greens

2-4 tablespoons of fresh Malossol American Keta Salmon Caviar

*Note: This recipe provides enough of the creme fresh mixture for 8 rolls. 4 oz of smoked salmon makes 4 rolls, 8 oz = 8 rolls.

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This recipe was submitted by Stefan in NYC. A beautifully presented dish meant for breakfast in bed, the frittata, or open faced omelet, is easy to prepare and impressive to serve.

Mexican Frittata

8 eggs
1/2 cup of half and half
salt and pepper
3 tablespoons of sweet butter
3 heaping teaspoons of cilantro, chopped
3 tablespoons of chopped yellow chives (Chinese garlic chives)
1 medium tomato, coarsely chopped
1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese
Tortilla chips

Garnish
1 avocado quartered and thinly sliced
lemon juice
black pitted kalmata olives
Dollop of chipotle

Whisk together  eggs, half and half , and salt and pepper. Melt butter in a large skillet. Add cilantro and yellow chives, sauté over medium-low heat until soft. Pour egg mixture into skillet, cover and cook until outer edges begin to slightly brown. Add 1/2 cup grated cheese, replace cover and allow cheese to melt into the frittata.

Heat broiler. Slice avocado and drizzle with fresh lemon--set aside. Place the remaining cheese (1/2 cup), over the frittata and place the uncovered skillet under the broiler until starts to brown and frittata fluffs up, about 2-3 minutes. Slide the frittata on to a plate. Garnish with sliced avocado and place in a pinwheel fashion around the plate. Add olives and place a dollop of chipotle in the center. Grab two cups of coffee, a bag of tortilla chips and hop back into bed.

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