• 24 diagonal slices, 1/4-inch thick, of ciabatta or similar good-quality bread (from a 12-to-16-ounce loaf)
• 1 pound fresh crab claw meat, picked through
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon Crystal pepper sauce or other relatively mild Louisiana pepper sauce
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh Italian (fiat-leaf) parsley leaves
• 2 teaspoons dried tarragon leaves
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
• 1¾ cups finely julienned Vidalia or other sweet onions, 1/8 inch wide and about 2 inches long
• 1¾ cups finely julienned red onions, 1/8  inch wide and about 2 inches long
• 1/2 cup finely julienned shallots I/8 inch wide and about 2 inches long
• 2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
• 1/3 cup good quality dry sherry
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• 7 ounces Fontina cheese, cut into I/4-inch cubes
• 7 ounces Asiago cheese, cut into I/4-inch cubes
• 1 ounce Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
• 6 - 8 tablespoons freshly and finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese

Warm Crab Dip with Four Cheeses

Click image to enlarge

• 1 pound Louisiana jumbo lump crab meat, picked over
• Rémoulade Dressing (recipe here)
• salt and pepper
• 1 head iceberg lettuce, shredded
• Green Tomato Relish (recipe here)
• 1 cup snipped chives 

Crab Remoulade Salad

Click image to enlarge.

For the shrimp

• 2 quarts water
• 4 tablespoons liquid crab boil
• 2 pounds large raw Gulf shrimp

For the dressing

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon sugar (or stevia)
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil (more if needed)
• Kosher salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the assembly

• 1 lb jumbo lump, Louisiana blue crab meat
• 2 cups spring mix lettuce greens
• 2 cups spinach leaves, stems removed
• 2 cups chopped iceberg lettuce
• 1 cup thinly julienned carrots
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes
• 1 lb packaged Louisiana crawfish tails
• 1 lb Louisiana blue crab claws, cooked and shelled
• 2 lemons, quartered

Louisiana Seafood Salad

Image courtesy of George Graham and AcadianaTable.com 

Click image to enlarge

• vegetable oil for frying
• 2 green tomatoes, peeled, slices1/4-inch thick
• 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
• 1 cup  flour seasoned with 2 teaspoons Creole seasoning
• 1 cup Panko bread crumbs
• 2 eggs beaten with 1 cup milk
• Tasso Tartar I (recipe follows)
• 1 pound jumbo lump Louisiana crab meat

Tasso Tartar

• 3 ounces  tasso ham, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped shallot
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 2 tablespoons chopped celery
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 clove  garlic, crushed
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• pinch cayenne
• 1 teaspoon Creole mustard
• pinch sugar
• pinch kosher salt

Click image to enlarge.

• 1-1/2 lb. medium Gulf shrimp or 2 lb. if using head-on shrimp 
• 2 cups white onion, chopped  (about 1 large onion; reserve the skin)
• 1 cup celery, chopped  (about 2 medium stalks; reserve the trimmings) 
• 1/4 cup plus 6 tablespoons vegetable oil 
• 1 lb. fresh or thawed frozen okra, sliced 1/4 inch thick (about 4 cups) 
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 
• 1 cup green bell pepper, chopped  (about 1 medium pepper) 
• 1 cup canned crushed tomatoes 
• 1/2 lb. fresh or pasteurized lump crabmeat (about 1-1/2 cups), picked over for shells, or 4 to 6 gumbo crabs (about 1 lb. total), thawed
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme 
• 1 bay leaf 
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt, more to taste 
• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, more to taste 
• 1 cup fresh shucked oysters (halved if large) 
• 1/2 cup scallions (about 8), thinly sliced
• Louisiana hot sauce, to taste 
• 1/4 cup hot cooked white rice per serving

Poppy's Seafood Gumbo

Click image to enlarge.

For the Meuniere Sauce

• 1 cup white wine
• ¾ cup veal demi glace
• 4 tablespoons chopped shallots
• 1 tablespoon heavy whipping cream
• 2 ounces beurre manié (equal mixture flour and butter, blended  into a paste)
• 1 pound unsalted butter (4 sticks) cut into 8 cubes
• ½ cup lemon juice

For the Crab Reduction

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 shallots, very finely sliced
• 1 carrot, peeled, finely chopped
• 1 pound gumbo crabs
• 4 ounces Jazzmen rice flour
• 2 tablespoons Cognac
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 1/2 cups fish stock
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 sprig thyme
• 2 teaspoon tomato paste
• pinch paprika
• pinch cayenne pepper
• ½ cups heavy cream
• salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the Squash Sauté

• 2 small to medium local zucchini
• 2 small to medium  yellow squash
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

To Finish the Dish

• Jazzmen rice flour, for dredging
• kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 4 large eggs
• 3 tablespoons water
• 8 ounces chopped chives, in all
• 8 ounces chopped parsley, in all
• 8 ounces chopped garlic, in all
• 8 ounces clarified butter, in all
• 4 4-ounce portions puppy drum
• 8 10/15 count Louisiana shrimp, peeled and butterflied
• 6 ounces  Meunière Sauce (recipe follows)
• 6 ounces Crab Reduction (recipe follows)
• 8 ounces jumbo lump Louisiana crab meat, picked over for shells and cartilage
• Squash Saute (recipe follows)
• micro greens for garnish (optional)
• edible flowers for garnish (optional)

• 2 sticks (16 tablespoons) butter, softened
• 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1 sprig rosemary
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• Pinch of cayenne pepper, more or less to taste
• 1 tablespoon black pepper
• Juice of half a lemon
• Pinch of Cajun or Creole seasoning
• 2 to 4 dashes Louisiana-style hot sauce
• Pinch of paprika
• 1 pound Louisiana crab fingers
• 1/2 cup Abita Amber beer

Crab Cakes

• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1/2 yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 2 green onions, green parts only, chopped
• 1/3 cup Bechamel Sauce (recipe follows)
• 1/2 cup finely grated Parmesean cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon celery salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne
• 1 tablespoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon gralic powder
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 pound jumbo lump Gulf crabmeat, picked over
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• Soy Bean Succotash (recipe follows)
• Spicy Aioli (recipe follows)

Bechamel Sauce

• 1 stick butter, cubed
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup milk, heated but not boiled
• salt and freshly gound black pepper to taste

Soy Bean Succotash

• 4 strips thick-cut bacon
• 1 small onion, finely diced
• 1 small red bell pepper, finely diced
• 2 ears fresh corn, shucked, grilled and cut off the cob
  (reserve cobs for making Corn Infused Cream)
• 1 pound fresh soybeans (edamame), blanched or frozen soybeans defrosted and blanched
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped basil
• 1/4 cup Corn Infused Cream (recipe follows)

Corn Infused Cream

• 2 corn cobs, kernels removed
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 tablespoon kosher salt

Spicy Aioli

• 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 whole egg
• 1 1/2 cups grapeseed oil
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1 tablespoon Sambal chile paste
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Louisiana Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes
with Soybean Succotash

Click for Video of Cooking Demonstration 

Seafood Cannelloni

• 1/4 pound medium (31-35 count) Gulf shrimp, peeled, deveined and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
• 1/4 pound jumbo lump Gulf crab meat, picked through
• 1/4 pound fresh Gulf fish fillets (grouper, redfish or drum) cut into 1/2-inch pieces, skin and bones removed
• 1 slice whole wheat bread, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
• zest of 1/4 lemon
• 2 dashes Tabasco sauce
• 1/4 pound ricotta cheese
• 1/4 pound burrata mozzarella
• 1/2 Tbs kosher salt
• 12 cooked cannelloni noodles
• 1 cup fresh bread crumbs

Leek Fonduta

• 2 Tbs olive oil
• 2 yellow onions, roughly chopped
• 1 rib celery, roughly chopped
• 1 leek, white part only, roughly chopped plus 1 leek, cleaned and cut into thin strips
• 1 clove garlic, roughly chopped
• 1 fennel stalk, roughly chopped
• 1 750 ml bottle dry vermouth
• 1 1/2 cups clear fish broth
• 1 quart heavy cream

Seafood Cannelloni with Leek Fonduta

Click for Video of Cooking Demonstration