Beer-fried Asparagus with Crabmeat and Crawfish in Creole Mustard Honey Butter ▶
Chef Kim Kringlie of The Dakota knows how to make asparagus with a few added calories worth our while. Flavorfully battered and crisply fried asparagus spears are accompanied by an out-of-this-world crab meat and crawfish sauce. This dish could easily be the main course for lunch or brunch, served with a spicy rice pilaf and a glass of beer.
Ingredients
- Olive Oil - 2 tablespoons
- Crawfish Tail Meat - 4 ounces, cooked
- Crab Meat - 4 ounces, jumbo
- Garlic - 1 teaspoon, minced
- Shallots - 1 tablespoon, minced
- Red Bell Peppers - 2 tablespoons, diced
- Basil - 1 teaspoon, minced, fresh
- Dry white wine - 1/4 cup
- Fresh lemon juice - 1 tablespoon
- Honey - 1 tablespoon
- Creole Mustard - 3 tablespoons
- Heavy (whipping) cream - 1/4 cup
- Green Onions - 2 tablespoons, chopped
- Unsalted Butter - 4 tablespoons, cold
- Salt, white pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste
- Beef-fried Asparagus
- Egg - 1
- Egg White - 1
- Beer - 1-1/2 cups (12 ounces)
- All-Purpose Flour - 1-3/4 cups
- Baking Powder - 1 teaspoon
- Vegetable Oil - 4 cups, for deep-frying
- Asparagus Spears - 16, trimmed and cut into 4-inch lengths
- Salt, white pepper, and cayenne pepper to taste
Instructions
To prepare the crab meat and crawfish: Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan or skillet. Add the crawfish tails, crab meat, garlic, shallots, red peppers, and basil. Saute for 1 minute. Add the white wine, lemon juice, honey, Creole mustard, and cream and simmer until the sauce is reduced by half. Add the green onions and cold butter, a tablespoon at a time, stirring constantly until all the butter is dissolved. Season with salt, pepper, and cayenne. Keep warm.
To prepare the asparagus: In a medium bowl, mix the egg and egg whites, beer, baking powder, and seasonings. Heat the oil to 325 F in a heavy-bottomed pot or deep fryer. Dip the asparagus into the beer batter and fry in the hot oil until golden brown. Remove with a slotted spatula and drain on paper towels. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and cayenne.
To serve: Place 4 asparagus spears on each serving plate. Evenly divide the crab and crawfish mixture over the asparagus.
