Watermelon And Crab Napoleons Recipes

CRAB APPETIZER NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Cut the pastry sheet into 12 (2-inch) circles with a cutter. Place the pastry circles onto a baking sheet.
• Bake for 15 minutes or until the pastries are golden brown. Remove the pastries from the baking sheet and let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Split each pastry into 2 layers, making 24 in all.
• Stir the cream cheese in a medium bowl until smooth. Stir in the milk, horseradish, black pepper and crabmeat.
• Spread the crabmeat mixture on 12 bottom pastry layers. Top with the onions, almonds and top pastry layers. Sprinkle with the paprika.

WATERMELON AND CRAB SALAD

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients except for the rind in a small saucepot, simmer for 5 minutes. Add rind, let steep for 5 minutes. Pour into a bowl and cool over an ice bath.;
• In a small sauce pan heat the vinegar and add the mint sprigs. Reduce by half. Add the remaining ingredients, except the oil and cool. Remove the mint sprigs.When cool whisk in the oil.;
• Toss the watermelon and rum together, set aside. Toss the crab in half of the vinaigrette. Toss the greens and radishes in 1/3 to 1/2 of the vinaigrette. Place the greens and watermelon on the plate, sprinkle with pickled watermelon rind, and top with the crabmeat.
• This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

NAPOLEON OF PEEKY TOE CRAB AND APPLE

Steps:

• Pick over crab meat to remove any bits of shell and cartilage and if using lump crab meat lightly shred. Peel and core apple and cut enough into 1/4-inch dice to measure 1/2cup plus 1 tablespoon. Peel and seed tomato and cut enough into 1/4-inch dice to measure 1/3 cup. Reserve 1 tablespoon each diced apple and tomato for sauce and in a bowl combine crab meat, remaining diced apple and tomato, 1 tablespoon chives, 3 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 1/2 tablespoons sour cream, 1 1/2 tablespoons mayonnaise, and 1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder, tossing to combine well. Chill filling.
• In a bowl whisk together milk and remaining tablespoons lemon juice, sour cream, and mayonnaise and stir in reserved diced apple and tomato, remaining teaspoon chives, 1/2 teaspoon curry powder, and white pepper and salt to taste. Chill sauce while making tuiles.
• Make tuiles:
• Preheat oven to 350°F. In a small saucepan melt butter over moderate heat and cool slightly. In a bowl whisk together flours, sugar, salt, white pepper, and nutmeg and whisk in whites until just combined. Whisk in cream until just combined and whisk in butter until just combined. On a baking sheet spread 2 teaspoons batter in an arc shape. With a pastry brush spread batter into a 5-inch-long arc, about 1 1/2 inches wide. Make 3 more arcs with some of remaining batter in same manner, spacing them about 1 inch apart. Bake tuiles in middle of oven until bubbly, crisp, and golden, 3 to 5 minutes. Carefully transfer tuiles with a thin spatula to a rack to cool and make more tuiles in same manner. (There will be enough batter to make about 26 tuiles, more than you need for the napoleons; leftovers may be used as an hors d'oeuvre.)
• Spoon 2 tablespoons filling onto a plate and top with a tuile. Make 2 more layers with 4 tablespoons filling and 2 tuiles. Make 3 more napoleons in same manner. Drizzle sauce around napoleons and garnish with tomato, chives, and curry powder.

TOM COLICCHIO'S CRAB-MEAT-AND-CELERY-ROOT NAPOLEON

Steps:

• In a bowl, combine the curry powder and mustard. Beat in the vinegar, then slowly add the grape-seed oil to make a well-emulsified dressing. Set aside.
• Peel the celery root. Cut into 3 sections horizontally, making the middle section about 2 inches thick. Slice the middle section into 12 thin, large disks, wrap them in plastic wrap and reserve. Cut the other 2 sections, along with any of the celery root remaining from the middle section, into small dice.
• Bring a pot of water to a boil, add the diced celery root and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until just tender. Drain and refresh under cold water. Drain well and set aside.
• Pick over the crab meat to remove any stray bits of cartilage. In a bowl, mix the crab meat with the cooked, diced celery root and the tomatoes. Reserve 6 of the chives, finely chop the rest and mix them in. Beat the dressing and fold half of it into the crab-meat salad. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Heat the peanut oil in a wok or a skillet until very hot. Dry the reserved celery root disks on paper towels if necessary and fry the slices, turning them once, until golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
• To assemble, place a round of celery root on each of 6 plates, top each with a portion of the crab-meat salad, then with another round of celery root. Mix the remaining dressing again and pour it around each of the napoleons. Cut the reserved chives in half and place two pieces across the top of each celery-root disk.

CRAB APPETIZER NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400°F.
• Unfold pastry sheet on lightly floured surface.
• Cut into 12 rounds, using a 2" cookie cutter.
• Place 2" apart on baking sheet.
• Bake 15 minutes or until golden brown.
• Remove from baking sheet and cool on wire rack.*.
• Stir cream cheese until smooth.
• Stir in milk, horseradish, pepper and crabmeat.**.
• Split pastries into 2 layers, making 24 in all.
• Spread crabmeat mixture on 12 bottom layers.
• Top with onions, almonds, paprika and other layer of pastry.
• Enjoy!
• *Can be made up to that point, ahead of time about 5-6 hours.
• **Can be prepared ahead of time and kept in the refrigerator - when ready to use - allow to come to room temp before using.

CRAB SALAD NAPOLEONS WITH FRESH PASTA

Steps:

• Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta sheets and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 2 minutes. Drain the pasta and cool under cold running water. Cut each sheet into 4-inch squares. (You need 18 squares in all.)
• In a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, half of the chopped chives, the lemon juice, and black pepper.
• In another, larger bowl, combine the crab and the peas and toss to combine. Add 1/3 cup of the chive mayonnaise mixture and toss gently to combine.
• To assemble the Napoleons, place one square of pasta on a plate. Spread a small spoonful of chive mayonnaise on the pasta sheet. Top with 1/4 cup of the crab salad and gently spread the salad out to the edges of the pasta square. Top with another sheet of pasta. Spread another spoonful of chive mayonnaise on the pasta square. Top with another 1/4 cup of the crab salad and gently spread the salad out to the edges of the pasta sheet. Top with a final pasta square, and add a small dollop of chive mayonnaise. Sprinkle with a pinch of lemon zest, a pinch of the remaining chives, and a grind of black pepper.
• Repeat to make 5 more Napoleons.

SPICY THAI WATERMELON WITH CRAB

Steps:

• Peel watermelon, and cut the flesh into large chunks. Put them in a food processor along with tomatoes, garlic, lime juice, minced fresh hot chili (like Thai or serrano) and fish sauce (both to taste). Pulse the mixture, adding a few ice cubes, one at a time, if necessary, to get the machine going. Chill in the fridge. After pouring the soup into bowls, top with a small mound of lump crabmeat. Garnish: Fresh cilantro.

NAPOLEONS

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
• Roll out three sheets of puff pastry, each to the same size and a thickness of 1/8 inch. Prick with a fork, and place on baking sheets.
• Bake in preheated oven until golden, about 10 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, combine cornstarch and 1/2 cup milk with fingers until smooth. Stir in cake flour and half the sugar. Beat in egg yolks. Set aside.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, bring remaining milk and remaining sugar to a rolling boil. Stir in egg yolk mixture; continue stirring and bring to a boil again. Remove from heat and stir in butter and vanilla. Let cool.
• In a small saucepan or in the microwave, heat the jam until runny.
• Place one sheet of pastry on a board. Spread with cooled pastry cream to a thickness of 1/2 inch. Place a second pastry sheet over the cream. Brush with fruit glaze. Spread remaining pastry cream over glaze. Top with final pastry sheet and gently compress layers, using a baking sheet to press.
• To make icing, beat together confectioners' sugar and lemon juice with enough of the egg whites to make a creamy consistency like that of a cream soup. Working quickly, color a small portion of the frosting with red food coloring. Frost the top and sides of the assembled pastry with white icing. Pipe parallel lines of red icing on top of dessert, then draw a pick or knife crosswise through icing to make the traditional design. Let icing set before cutting into bars.