Foodie Chap With Chef Jan Birnbuam

Chef Jan Birnbuam & Liam Mayclem (credit: Foodie Chap/Liam Mayclem)

KCBS radio "Foodie Chap" and KPIX 5 television "Eye On The Bay" host Liam Mayclem introduces us to the culinary stars behind the food and wine loved by so many in the Bay Area.

(credit: Foodie Chap/Liam Mayclem)

Chef Jan Birnbuam's Shrimp & Avocado Salad
Shrimp & Avocado Salad
Servings: 4
Preparations: 30 minutes active, 10 minutes passive
Difficulty: Easy

Chef's Ingredients:

When you open your Breaking Bread meal kit, all of the following ingredients will be perfectly proportioned, according to how many portions you ordered (2,4,6, etc.) and the Avocado Mousse comes pre-prepared. The following recipe makes 4 portions.

• 12 Shrimp - 3 per person
• 1 sachet of Zatarain's® Crab Boil
• 1 lemon
• 1 orange
• 1 lime
• 1 onion
• 3 small cloves of garlic
• 4 tsp. of Kosher salt
• Avocado Mousse (recipe follows)
• 2 radishes
• Herb salad (1 eight ounce bag)

Your Ingredients:
These are the common ingredients in your pantry; not included in your Breaking Bread meal kit.

• 2 qts. of water
• Salt + pepper to taste
• Extra virgin olive oil to taste

Prep Items:

Prep Items are what you'll need to gather from around your kitchen, or utilize in your kitchen, to prepare the recipe.

• Cooking pot
• Cutting board
• Small bowl
• Chefs knife
• Freezer

Preparation:
Getting started

• 2 qts. of water
• 1 sachet of Zatarain's ® Crab Boil, cut open
• 1 lemon cut into slices
• 1 orange cut into slices
• 1 lime cut into slices
• 1 onion peeled and roughly cut
• 3 small garlic cloves; smashed
• 4 tsp. of Kosher salt

Place these ingredients for the court bouillon in a covered cooking pot and bring to a boil. Allow to boil for 3-5 minutes. Turn the fire off and steep the covered bouillon for 10 minutes.

Poach The Shrimp:
- With the lid on, return the court bouillon to a boil.

- Drop the shrimp into the boiling liquid and turn the fire off immediately. Allow the shrimp to cook just until done, about 4 minutes. Remove the shrimp with a skimmer and place them on a cooking sheet.

- Cool the cooked shrimp in the freezer for 5 minutes.
Plating:
- Chill plates. Cut the tip off the avocado bag. Squeeze the mousse into the large circle and fill it in.
- Place the shrimp into mixing bowl and dress in a bit of extra virgin olive oil, season with salt and pepper.
- Arrange the shrimp attractively in a concentric round in the center of the avocado mousse.
- Place the herb salad on top of the shrimp. Slice the radishes thin and arrange 3-4 slices randomly about each salad.

Avocado Mousse:
Remember, avocado mousse would come pre-prepped in your Breaking Bread kit!

Ingredients:

• 3 Perfectly Ripe Avocados
• 3 Limes
• ½ tsp Kosher Salt
• 1 each Jalapeño
• ¼ bunch Fresh Cilantro
• 8 dashes Tabasco
• ¾ cup Heavy Cream

Preparations:

• Place the perfectly ripe flesh of the avocados into a food processor with the zest of one of the limes and the juice of all of three limes.
• Add the salt, and the jalapeno cut up without the stem. The membrane and the seeds are the hottest parts. Control how hot you want it by either removing or not removing the membrane and seeds.
• With a sharp knife, rough chop the cilantro and add it and the Tabasco to the food processor.
• Run the machine, wiping the sides with a rubber spatula several times.
• Once the contents have become a smooth puree, add the cream and run the machine for about 30 seconds until the mousse has fluffed and is like a cloud. Don't over spin as the cream will become butter.
• - Remove the mousse and either place it into a pastry bag or simply spoon it onto four could plates.

From Chef Jan
Zatarain's Crab Boil:
I'm from Louisiana and I trust Zatarain's Crab Boil! They've been around since 1889 and this spice bag makes an excellent court bouillon for poaching shrimp.

Poaching Shrimp:
The best way to poach shrimp is through this method called crimping. This slow gentle poaching allows the spices to penetrate while maintaining the firm, luscious texture of the shrimp. Quick cool down is key and I prefer the freezer over water baths as they can make shrimp soggy and wash off all the spices. More aggressive poaching turns shrimp tough and chewy.

Wine Pairing:
This clean and light start to a meal is best accompanied with a crisp, cold white wine. I recommend a number of wines that will make this dish shine including: Trefethen Dry Riesling – while bone dry and bracingly acidic, it has an interesting nuance of lychee nut.

Stony Hill Chardonnay – this classic California Chardonnay is aged in a French Burgundy style with distinctive notes of apple and citrus and a hint of the Spring Mountain soil layered in. Its hallmark crisp acidity allows it to age beautifully.

Enjoy!