Seared Cod and King Crab with Crab Reduction and Vegetables

Cod and king crab are the two most ancient and the newest arrival in Norwegian waters. The king crab, introduced to the region by Russian scientists in the 1960’s only started coming into Norwegian territory in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Now we can’t decide whether they are a delicacy or a nuisance – they are probably both.

INGREDIENTS:

Number of servings

Serves 4

List of ingredients

1 lb. (450 g) cod fillet, skin on, cut into 4 small steaks

1 lb. king crab claws

1 tbs. all-purpose flour

1 small cauliflower, stem removed, cut into small bouquets

3 medium carrots, diced

1 cup (a little more than 2 deciliters) green peas

½ cup (a little more than 1 deciliter) dry white wine

1 ½ tbs. butter

1 cup water

1 shallot, finely chopped

1 bouquet garni (bay leaf, sprig of dill, sprig of parsley tied together with string)

PREPARATION:

• Start by taking out the crab meat. The shell is soft and is easily cut with scissors. Place the crab meat on a plate, cover and refrigerate. Reserve the shell. In a medium pot, heat ½ tablespoon butter over medium high heat. Add crab shell, shallot, bouquet garni, wine and water. Let simmer for 20 minutes. Strain, discard solids, return stock to clean pot. Bring to a boil and reduce by half. Add carrots, cauliflower and peas, cover, and boil until almost tender. Add salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.

• In a hot skillet, heat 1 tablespoon butter. Sprinkle cod with flour, salt and pepper. Place in skillet and fry until golden brown on both sides and flesh starts to flake easily when poked. Season crab and fry until golden brown on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes on one side, 1 minute on the other.