Fruits de mer platter
Instructions:
- Fill a tiered platter with just as much seafood as it
can hold comfortably; refrigerate the rest until
you are ready to replenish the platter.
- for the court bouillon
- 1/2 bottle (375 ml) dry white wine
- 1/4 cup coarse salt or sea salt
- 2 lemons, halved
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
- 1 teaspoon celery seed
- 3 bay leaves
- for the fruits de mer
- 2 live lobsters (each 1 1/4 pounds)
- 6 king crab legs (1 3/4 pounds total)
- 2 pounds large shrimp in shells
- 24 oysters
- 12 littleneck clams
- for serving
- Crushed ice
- 2 to 4 ounces caviar, such as North
- American osetra
- Toast Points
- Saffron Mayonnaise
- Classic Cocktail Sauce
- Mignonette Sauce
- Lemon wedges
- Make the court bouillon: Prepare a large ice-water bath. Fill a 3-gallon pot with cold water. Add the wine, salt, lemons, paprika, coriander seeds, celery seed, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil.
- Cook the seafood: Add the lobsters, head first, to the court bouillon. Cover; return to a boil. Cook 10 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the lobsters to the ice-water bath. Add the crab legs to the court bouillon. Return to a boil; cook 8 minutes. Transfer the lobsters to a plate; immediately add the crab legs to the ice-water bath, adding more ice as needed. Add the shrimp to the court bouillon. Return to a boil; cook until the shrimp are pink and opaque, about 3 minutes. Add the shrimp to the ice-water bath; let the crab legs and shrimp cool completely. Transfer to a plate.
- Separate the tails, claws, and knuckles from the lobsters; using kitchen shears or a knife, split the tails lengthwise through the shells, then halve crosswise. Crack the claws and knuckles so the meat can be easily removed. Separate the crab legs at the knuckles. Using kitchen shears, cut away a piece of shell so the meat can be easily removed. Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails intact. Transfer the lobster pieces, crab legs, and shrimp to a rimmed baking sheet; wrap tightly in plastic. Refrigerate until ready to serve, or overnight.
- Assemble the platter: Just before serving, fill a 3tiered glass serving stand with crushed ice. Shuck the oysters and clams; set them flat on the bottom tier so the juices do not spill. Arrange the lobsters and shrimp on the middle tier. Put the caviar into a small bowl, and set it in the center of the top tier; arrange the crab legs around the caviar. Serve with toast points, saffron mayonnaise, the cocktail sauce, mignonette sauce, and lemon wedges.