Dungeness crab with armagnac and cream

February 9, 2005

MAKES 2 SERVINGS

3 tablespoons shallots
1 tablespoon butter
3/4 cup fish stock, preferably homemade
1 tablespoon orange juice
1/4 cup white wine
1 tablespoon Armagnac or Cognac
1/2 cup heavy cream
French salt and white pepper to taste
1/4 teaspoon mace
1 tablespoon fresh Italian parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, finely chopped
1/2 pound cooked Dungeness crab meat
1 to 1-1/2 pound cooked Dungeness crab, cleaned and cracked by fish monger
1/2 pound linguini
Fresh Italian parsley and tarragon sprigs to garnish

Saute shallots in butter for 3 minutes. Do not brown. Add stock. Bring to medium boil; reduce by half. Add orange juice, wine, and Armagnac or Cognac. Reduce again by half. Add cream and thicken until sauce coats the back of a wooden spoon. Turn off fire. Add salt, pepper, mace and herbs (through tarragon).

Place cooked crab in airtight container in refrigerator until ready to transport; pour sauce in jar with airtight lid.

Bring 4 quarts of water to boil. Add salt; cook pasta to al dente, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta and place in a thermally insulated container to keep it hot while transporting. The crab should be transported in an airtight container. The herb sprigs in a zipped plastic bag with paper towels on top.

To serve, place pasta on each plate. Place crabmeat on pasta; drizzle with sauce. Garnish with cracked crab and herb sprigs.

Nutrition facts per serving: 681 calories, 23 g fat, 11 g saturated fat, 319 mg cholesterol, 37 g carbohydrates, 73 g protein, 1,151 mg sodium, 1 g fiber