Bear Cuisine

Upperline's Fried Green Tomatoes with Shrimp Remoulade

Fried Green Tomatoes with Shrimp Remoulade

(serves 8)

For the Shrimp

• 3 pounds medium shrimp in the shell
  
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
  
• 2 cups water
  
• 1 small white onion, peeled
  
• 1 bay leaf
  
• 1 rib celery
  
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  
• 6 peppercorns
  

For the Tomatoes

• 1/4 cup vegetable or light olive oil, or more as needed
  
• 1 cup buttermilk, or 1 large egg beaten into 1 cup milk
  
• 1 cup cornmeal
  
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  
• 16 slices ( 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick) green tomato (4 to 5 medium tomatoes)
  
• Red Remoulade
  

1. Peel the shrimp and set them aside, reserving the shells. Place the shrimp shells and all the remaining shrimp ingredients in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and cook at a low boil for 30 minutes.

2. Prepare a bowl of ice water.

3. Remove the stock from the heat, strain out the solids and return the stock to the saucepan. Bring it to a boil Add the peeled shrimp and simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, cooking until they are just done (until they are no longer translucent). Do not overcook. Strain out the shrimp (reserving the stock for use in a soup), and plunge them into ice water to stop the cooking. Drain the shrimp, and place them in a covered container in the refrigerator. The shrimp can be cooked up to a day ahead of time.

4. If you plant os serve all eight portions at the same time, preheat the oven to its lowest setting. Place a wire rack on a baking sheet and put it in the oven.

5. Heat 1/4 cup oil in a heavy saute pan over medium heat. Pour the buttermilk into a shallow bowl. In another shallow bowl, combine the cornmeal with the salt and pepper. Dip each tomato slice into the buttermilk and then into the cornmeal, coating the slice well and shaking off any excess. Add as many tomato slices to the pan as will fit, and cook them slowly until golden brown on the bottom, about 2 minutes. Turn the slices and brown on the other side, another 2 minutes. Transfer the cooked tomatoes to the wire rack to keep warm in the oven while you fry the remaining slices. You may have to wipe out the pan between batches; if so, you will have to add more oil.

6. For each serving, place two slices of tomato on each plate, top each slice with 3 or 4 chilled shrimp, and top them with 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons remoulade.

RED REMOULADE

(about 1 1/2 cups)

• 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
  
• 1 scant teaspoon Creole or Dijon mustard
  
• 1 scant tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  
• 1 1/2 tablespoons prepared or freshly grated horseradish
  
• 3 tablespoons mixed chopped fresh herbs of your choice (parsley, chervil and tarragon are traditional)
  
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  
• 1 tablespoon grated white onion
  
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped scallion  (including the green tops)
  
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tomato paste
  
• 1 tablespoon Tabasco or other bottled hot pepper sauce, or to taste
  

Mix all the ingredients together well; then correct the seasoning to taste, You can leave the remoulade rough or puree it to a smooth consistency in a blender.

(Hoppin' John Martin Taylor. The Fearless Frying Cookbook. New York: Workman Publishing,1997.)

Upperline

We found the Upperline Restaurant in the Uptown--in every sense of the word--section of New orleans. It is an attractive building with a bright yellow exterior with brilliantly colored paintings of tomatoes on the outside.

Joann Clevenger, owner and General Manager, chats with patrons. She is a very gracious presence who welcomes each guest and makes sure that everyone is pleased with their meal.

The restaurant is a noisy, high-energy, rabbit warren of place with the owner's eclectic art collection decorating walls and windows.At first, the maitre de couldn't find our reservation;but he covered nicely and we were seated promptly in a quiet, set-aside table for two. Our waiter, Stacey, was personable and quietly efficient. After she delivered our Sazeracs, she gave us time to enjoy our drinks and peruse the menu. She had an excellent sense of pacing and knew when to appear and when to disappear. 

We started with Fried Green Tomatoes and Fried Spicy Oysters St. Claude.

Thick slices of tart green tomatoes paired with the slightly spicy, light remoulade. I thought it couldn't get any better than this until I tasted my oysters.

The oysters are fried perfectly and the sauce complements instead of ovewhelming them. When I inquired about the sauce, our server  told us that it is made of garlic, lemon juice and paprika. Such simple ingredients made a deliciously complex and subtle sauce.

Kay's main course was Shrimp and Grits. 

This picture doesn't come close to conveying how good this dish was.

I ordered Drum Piquant Hot and Hot Shrimp

I have never enjoyed a more perfectly cooked fish. The Habenaro sauce actually heightened the flavor of the drum. This was little short of miraculous to me since it could have so easily overpowered it. If the chef had been around, I might have tried to give him a thank-you kiss. 

There are so many good restaurants in New Orleans, that it is sometimes difficult to choose where to eat. The Upperline  helps to narrow the field and will definitely be on our list of places to revisit. That is high praise.

Upperline

1413 Upperline St.

505-891-9822

www.upperline.com

Pontchatoula Strawberry Shortcake

Since strawberries were in season while we were in Louisiana, we made Strawberry Shortcake our dessert of choice much of the time. This is a good recipe you can use when strawberries are in season in your part of the world.

PONTCHATOULA STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

Biscuits

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 pound (2 sticks) butter, cold and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 1/2 to 2 cups buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Strawberry Mix

• 4 pints strawberries
• 3 cups granulated sugar (adjust for the sweetness of the berries and your taste)

Topping

1 1/2 cups heavy cream very cold

1/4 cup granulated sugar

To make the biscuits, sift the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar in a large bowl. Gently work in the butter with 2 knives or your hands, breaking it into pea-size pieces but taking care not to overwork the dough. Form a well in he center of the mixture, add 1 1/2 cups of the buttermilk mixed with the baking soda, ad lightly fold the mixture so that it's just sticky and the dry ingredients just moistened. If needed, add the additional buttermilk. The idea is to create layers so that the butter will seam and serve as a leavening agent to help the biscuits rise. The less you handle the dough, the flakier the biscuits will be.

On a work surface lightly dusted with flour, flatten the dough to 1 1/2-inch thickness. using a flour-dusted cuter 2 1/2 inches in diameter, cut the dough into 6 o 8 biscuits. Set the biscuits touching each other in an ungreased pie tin so that they stay moist while they bake. Bake biscuits for 20 to 25 minutes. Do not overbake; remember that the final 10 percent of the cooking will happen after they are removed from the oven.

Wash and hull the strawberries and cut them in half; if they are large, cut them in quarters. One hour before serving, combine the berries and the sugar. The berries will secrete a juice mixture that should not be gritty from the sugar. The sugar mixture should be of a syrup-like consistency.

To prepare the topping, put the chilled heavy cream in a chilled bowl and whip with a whisk or an electric mixture. When the cream starts to thicken, add the sugar and whip to the desired consistency. Do not overwhip.

The biscuits should be served warm (prepare and chill the dough the day before, if you wish, and bake before serving) but not so warm that they cause the whipping cream to melt.

To assemble, split the biscuits horizontally and dust the top halves with powdered sugar. Place the bottom half of each biscuit on a dessert plate and top each with a portion of the strawberry mixture and some of the syrup. top with a dollop of the whipped cream and top each with a sugared biscuit top.

(Ti Adelaide Martin and Jamie Shannon. Commander's Kitchen. New York: Broadway Books:2000)

Commander's Palace Bread Pudding Souffle with Whiskey Sauce

BREAD PUDDING SOUFFLE WITH WHISKEY SAUCE

(six servings)

BREAD PUDDING

• 3/4 cup sugar
  
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
  
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
  
• 3 medium eggs
  
• 1 cup heavy cream
  
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  
• 5 cups day-old French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes*
  
• 1/3 cup raisins
  

WHISKEY SAUCE

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
  
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
  
• 2 tablespoons cold water
  
• 1/3 cup sugar
  
• 1/3 cup bourbon
  

MERINGUE

• 9 medium egg whites at room temperature
  
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
  
• 3/4 cup sugar
  

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan.

To make the bread pudding, combine the sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg in a large bowl. Beat in the eggs until smooth, then work in the heavy cream. Add the vanilla, then the bread cubes. Allow the bread to soak u the custard. Scatter the raisins in the greased pan, and top with the egg mixture, which will prevent the raisins from burning. Bake for approximately 25 to 30 minutes or until the pudding has a golden brown color and is firm to the touch. If a toothpick inserted in the pudding comes out clean, it is done. It should be moist, not runny or dry. Let cool to room temperature.

To make the sauce, bring the cream to a boil, combine the cornstarch and water, and add the mixture to the boiling cream, stirring constantly. Return to a boil, then reduce the heat and cook, stirring, for about 30 seconds, being careful not to burn the mixture. Add the sugar and the bourbon, and stir. let cool to room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, and butter six 6-ounce ramekins.

To make the meringue, be certain that you use a bowl and whisk that clean and that the egg whites are completely free of yolk. This dish needs a good, stiff meringue, and the egg whites will whip better if the chill is off them. In a large bowl or mixer,whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Gradually add the sugar, and continue whipping until shiny and thick. Test with a clean spoon. If the whites stand up stiff, like shaving cream, when you pull out the spoon, the meringue is ready. Do not over whip, or the whites will break down and the souffle will not work.

In a large bowl, break half the bread pudding into pieces using your hands or a spoon. Gently fold in a quarter of the meringue, being careful not to lose the air in the whites. Place a portion of this mixture in each of the ramekins.

Place the remaining bread pudding in the bowl, break into pieces, and carefully fold in the rest of the meringue. top off the souffles with this lighter mixture, to about 1 1/2 inches over the top edge of the ramekin. With a soon, smooth and shape the tops into a dome over the ramekin rim.

Bake immediately for approximately 20 minutes or until golden brown Serve immediately. Using a spoon at the table poke a hold in the top of each souffle and spoon the room-temperature whiskey sauce into the souffle.

New Orleans French bread is very light and tender. Outside New Orleans, use only a light bread. If the bread is too dense, the recipe won't work We suggest Italian bread as the most comparable.

(Ti Adelaide Martin and Jamie Shannon. Commander's Kitchen. New York: Broadway Books, 2000)

Commander's Palace Turtle Soup

TURTLE SOUP

(makes 5 quarts, enough for about 24 appetizer or 12 entree servings)

1. 12 tablespoons butter
   
2. 2 1/2 pounds turtle meat, cut in medium dice (beef may be substituted)
   
3. Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
   
4. 2 medium onions, in medium dice
   
5. 6 stalks celery, in medium dice
   
6. 1 large head garlic, cloves peeled and minced
   
7. 3 bell peppers, any color, in medium dice
   
8. 1 tablespoon ground dried thyme
   
9. 1 tablespoon ground dried oregano
   
10. 4 bay leaves
    
11. 2 quarts veal stock
    
12. 1 cup all-purpose flour
    
13. 1 bottle (750 ml) dry sherry
    
14. 1 tablespoon hot sauce or to taste
    
15. 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
    
16. 2 large lemons, juiced
    
17. 3 cups tomatoes, peeled, seeded and coarsely chopped
    
18. 10-ounces fresh spinach, washed thoroughly, stems removed and coarsely chopped
    
19. 6 medium eggs, hard-boiled and chopped into large pieces.
    

Melt 4 tablespoons of the butter in a large soup pot over medium to high heat. Brown the meat in the hot butter, season with salt and pepper, and cook for about 18 to 20 minutes, or until liquid is almost evaporated. Add the onions, celery, garlic and peppers, stirring constantly, then add the thyme, oregano, and bay leaves, and saute for 20 to 25 minutes, until the vegetables have caramelized Add the stock, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, periodically skimming away any fat that comes to the top.

While the stock is simmering, make a roux in a separate pot. Melt the remaining 8 tablespoons of butter over medium heat in a small saucepan and add the flour a little at a time, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. Be careful not to burn the roux. After all the flour has been added, cook for about 3 minutes until the roux smells nutty is pale in color, and has the consistency of wet sand. Set aside until the soup is ready.

Using a whisk vigorously stir the roux into the soup a little at a time prevent lumping. Simmer for about 25 minutes. Stir to prevent sticking on the bottom.

Add the sherry, bring to a boil, add the hot sauce and the Worcestershire, and simmer, skimming any fat or foam that comes to the top. Add the lemon juice and tomatoes, and return to a simmer. Add the spinach and the chopped egg,bring to simmer, and adjust salt and pepper as needed This soup freezes well.

Note: The restaurant uses alligator snapping turtles, a farm-raised, fresh-water species available all the time. Turtle meat usually comes in 2 1/2-pound portions, so this recipe is written to use that quantity. It freezes well and can be ordered by mail.

Chef's Tips:Caramelize the vegetables and meats thoroughly by cooking until the natural sugars form a thick dark liquid, to get a nice dark color.

Remember, this soup is like a stew and could be eaten as a main dish. Because of its thickness, prepare it it in a heavy pot, and stir frequently to avoid burning.

(Ti Adelaide Martin and Jamie Shannon. Commander's Kitchen. New York: Broadway Books:2000)