Jess's Recipes

1 pkg (4) frozen Louisiana Blue Shell Crabs, cut up in small pieces 1/3 cup onion, diced 2 celery ribs, diced salt and white pepper to taste 4 oz. butter, salted 1 pint half-n-half 1/3 cup flour 1/2 gallon chicken stock (remove fat) 1 - 8oz. container lump crab cheese cloth In a soup pan, add broth, crab in shells, onion and celery. Simmer for about one hour. Strain broth through layers of cheese cloth. Return to the cleaned soup pan and put back on stove to simmer. Let broth reduce for 1/4. Make the roux and continue the recipe as follows: Melt the 4 oz. butter and 1/3 cup flour in a Teflon fry pan over low heat. Stir for about 10 minutes until the flour mixture begins to turn a golden color. Don't let the flour get too dark or it will have a burned taste. As the flour thickens, begin to add some broth in small amounts until the mixture becomes a thick gravy mixture. Continue to cook slowly over low heat, stirring constantly for about 3-5 minutes. Transfer the roux to th...

Roasting squash concentrates the flavor and brings out its sweetness, while chestnuts add a silky texture and richness. Ingredients: 2 small butternut squash, about 1 1/2 lbs, each halved and seeded salt and freshly ground pepper to taste 2 TBS olive oil 10 TBS unsalted butter, divided 2 onions, thinly sliced (large sweet ones) 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 cup dry Marsala wine (4 fl. oz./125 ml) 14 roasted chestnuts, peeled and chopped (jarred chestnuts are easier than roasting and peeling your own) 8 cups water 4 TBS heavy cream Fresh sage leaves as garnish (optional but attractive, especially resting on the rim of a wide rimmed soup bowl) Preheat oven to 400F. Sprinkle the cut sides of squash with salt and pepper, and drizzle and rub with olive oil. Place cut side down in a baking dish or rimmed cookie sheet and bake until tender, about 50 minutes. Let cool and scoop the squash out of the skin. In a large, heavy saucepan, melt 4 TBS of the butter over medium-low heat and saute onion with the ...