When I asked Patrick what he would like to create for a festive December blog, he replied without hesitation, Seafood Newburg. Shrimp and crab in a creamy sauce? Count me in!
The history of Newburg (or is it Newberg?) is sketchy. It’s believed (according to Wikipedia) Lobster Newberg was invented by a sea captain who demonstrated it to a restaurant manager in New York in 1876. Interesting, but not the origin I was expecting.
I was specifically wondering if it’s tradition to serve newburg on puff pastry, or if that was adopted along the way. Apparently, it’s the latter, and doesn’t matter anyway. Food, like art, is creative!
Puff pastry sheets are available in most markets and make it easy to create puff pastry shells. Start with thawed sheets and cut rounds using a 2 1/2 inch or 3 inch cutter. Place half the rounds on a lined sheet pan and use a smaller cutter to create rings from the remaining rounds. Egg wash the bottom rounds, place the rings on top, and egg wash again.
Bake the pastries according to package directions. Puff pastry requires a higher oven temperature than other pastries. As the fats heat up they create steam between the layers which makes them rise. If the temperature isn’t hot enough, the fats will melt and the pastry will remain flat.
Once the pastries have cooled, press down the center to create a shell.
Lucky for me, the blog author can sit back and watch, and eventually taste! And I watch in amazement as Patrick creates, writing the recipe as he goes. He starts with a vision and has a lot of fun as he brings it to life.
The sauce starts with sauteed shallots and garlic. Then deglaze the pan with lemon and clam juices, and stir in sherry, milk and cream. The addition of tomato paste (a very small amount) and paprika give the sauce great visual appeal. Not only does it look beautiful on a plate, the color draws you in, and we eat with our eyes first.
Once the sauce is thickened with roux, stir in the crab meat. You can use lump crab which is a milder white meat, or the darker claw meat which has a stronger flavor. For this dish we chose claw meat because it’s less expensive and the stronger flavor works well in a sauce. You can find cooked crab meat in pouches or cans in the refrigerated seafood section of the market.
Once the sauce is ready, saute the shrimp. Start with raw shrimp, fresh or frozen (and thawed), 41-50 count. Shrimp count refers to the number of shrimp in a pound. The lower the number, the bigger the shrimp. 41-50 count is considered medium sized shrimp.
Saute the shrimp with butter, seasoning, and splashes of lemon juice and sherry. Stir the shrimp as it cooks and watch the color. The shrimp only takes a few minutes and is done when it turns slightly pink.
Stir the cooked shrimp with the pan juices into the sauce and serve over the puff pastry shells with a sprinkle of fresh chopped parsley. Pair it with bright colors like fresh steamed broccoli and a cranberry orange spritzer. Now that’s a festive meal, and taster approved!
The printed recipe includes: Seafood Newburg and puff pastry directions, Cranberry Orange Spritzer (with a Moscow Mule version too), and menu ideas.
Seafood Newburg
Sauce:
2 T Olive oil blend
1 1/2 oz Butter
2 T Shallots, minced
1 tsp Garlic, dry minced
1/4 cup Lemon juice
9 oz can Clam juice
1/2 cup Sherry
1 cup Whole milk
1 cup Heavy cream
2 tsp Tomato paste
1 tsp Paprika
To taste Salt & pepper
Roux:
2 oz Flour
2 oz Butter
Seafood:
6 – 8 oz Crabmeat
1 lb. Shrimp (41-50 count), raw peeled & tail off
1 1/2 oz Butter
2 T Shallots
1/2 tsp Garlic, dry minced
Sprinkle Old Bay seasoning
Splash Lemon juice
Splash Sherry
To taste Salt & pepper
Chopped parsley for garnish
Prepare roux.
Prepare sauce: Melt oil and butter together.
Sauté shallots and garlic until tender.
Deglaze the pan with the lemon and clam juices, and simmer 3 – 4 minutes.
Stir in sherry and simmer 3 – 4 minutes.
Whisk in the milk and heavy cream. Bring to a simmer.
Whisk in tomato paste, paprika, salt and pepper. Bring to a low boil.
Whisk in roux. Once thick, stir in crabmeat. Keep warm on low heat.
Prepare shrimp: Melt the butter and sauté the shallots and garlic.
Add the shrimp and sprinkle with Old Bay.
Stir and sauté about 4 – 5 minutes, until the shrimp is slightly pink.
While sauteing add a splash of lemon and sherry, salt and pepper to taste.
Stir the shrimp and pan juices into the cream sauce.
Keep warm until ready to serve.
Serve over puff pastry shells or rice.
Sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Makes about 8 servings.
You can spread great joy (at any time) by sharing a special meal (with any food) made with thoughtful consideration and love!
“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.” Luke2:10-14 (and Linus van Pelt, A Charlie Brown Christmas)