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Fried Shrimp:
2 dozen medium shrimp, peeled and deveined, tips of the tails left intact
1 cup hot sauce
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons Essence, plus more for dusting, recipe follows
1 cup masa harina
Lemon wedges, accompaniment

Fried Soft Shell Crabs:
4 large soft-shell crabs, cleaned, rinsed gently in cool water, and patted dry
1/2 cup hot sauce
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup dried fine bread crumbs
4 1/2 teaspoons Essence, plus more for dusting, recipe follows
2 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons milk
Vegetable oil, for frying
Chopped parsley, garnish
Lemon wedges, accompaniment

8 pieces toasted and lightly buttered white bread, sliced in half diagonally
Cocktail Sauce, recipe follows
Kicked Up Tartar Sauce, recipe follows
French fried potatoes
Dill Pickle Slices

Fried Shrimp: Place the shrimp in a bowl with the hot sauce and toss to coat. Let marinate for 30 minutes.

Preheat a large pot with vegetable oil to come 4 inches up the sides to 375 degrees F.

In a large bowl, combine the flour, masa, and Essence, and toss to coat. Add the shrimp in batches, turning to coat evenly, and shaking to remove any excess. Fry in batches in the oil, turning to cook evenly. Cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Remove and drain on paper towels and season, to taste, with Essence.

Fried Softshell crabs: Place the crabs in a bowl with the hot sauce and toss to coat. Marinate for 30 minutes. Combine the flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons of the Essence in a medium bowl. In a second bowl, combine the bread crumbs with the remaining 3 teaspoons of Essence. In a third bowl, whisk together the eggs and milk to make an egg wash.

Preheat a large pot with vegetable oil to come 4 inches up the sides to 375 degrees F.

Remove the crabs from the hot sauce and dredge in batches first in the flour, then the egg wash, letting any excess drip off. Dredge the coated crabs in the bread crumbs, turning to coat evenly on both sides. Hold the body of the crab with the claws and legs hanging down over the hot oil and carefully drop it in. Fry until golden brown, turning with tongs to brown evenly, 3 to 4 minutes per side, depending upon the size. (The crabs will float to the surface of the oil when they are cooked.) Remove and drain on paper towels and season lightly with Essence.

To serve, arrange 2 slices of buttered toast across each of 4 plates. Top with the fried shrimp and soft-shell crabs, and place a large dollop of cocktail sauce and tartar sauce to the sides. Arrange French fried potatoes, dill pickle slices, and lemon wedges to the sides and serve immediately, garnished with parsley.

Cocktail Sauce:
1 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
Pinch salt
Pinch freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir to blend well. It will keep, covered and refrigerated, up to 1 week. Yield: 1 cup

Kicked Up Tartar Sauce:
1 large egg*
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced jalapeno
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves
2 tablespoons minced yellow onion
1 cup olive oil
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Hot sauce

Put the egg, mustard, garlic, lemon juice, parley, and onion in a blender or food processor and process until smooth, about 15 seconds. With the processor running, pour the oil through the feed tube in a steady stream. Add the Worcestershire, season with salt, pepper, and hot sauce, and pulse to blend. Cover and let sit for 1 hour in the refrigerator before serving. Use within 24 hours. *RAW EGG WARNING The American Egg Board states: "There have been warnings against consuming raw or lightly cooked eggs on the grounds that the egg may be contaminated with Salmonella, a bacteria responsible for a type of foodborne illness. Healthy people need to remember that there is a very small risk and treat eggs and other raw animal foods accordingly. Use only properly refrigerated, clean, sound-shelled, fresh, grade AA or A eggs. Avoid mixing yolks and whites with the shell."

Yield: about 1 1/3 cups

Maryland Blue Crab Cakes:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/3 cup minced celery
1/3 cup minced green onion, plus 1/4 cup
1/2 cup cracker crumbs
1 egg
2 tablespoons minced parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons seafood seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 pound lump Maryland blue crabmeat

To assemble:
8 semi-hard round buns
8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Onion Relish, recipe follows
Basil Sauce, recipe follows

Heat the oil in a saute pan over medium high heat. Saute celery and 1/3 cup green onions until soft. Set aside.

Preheat the broiler.

In a large bowl, mix the cracker crumbs, 1/4 cup green onions, egg, parsley, seafood seasoning, and salt. Add the sauteed onion and celery, and the crabmeat and gently mix.

Form the crab mixture into 8 cakes using either a round mold or your hands. Place the cakes, not touching, on a metal baking sheet. Broil the crab cakes for about 4 minutes. Gently turn them over, careful not to break them, and broil the other side. At the end of 8 minutes, they should be nicely browned.

Heat stovetop grill on medium high heat. Alternately, you can make this recipe on an outdoor grill. "Crown" the buns by cutting off the rounded tops with a bread knife. This will leave you with 8 buns with flat tops. Cut in half lengthwise, if not already split. Brush the outsides with olive oil.

On the inside of the top half of each bun, spread about 1 tablespoon of the basil sauce and 1/2 tablespoon of the onion relish. You can vary the amounts to your taste. Place a crab cake on the bottom half of the bun and cover with the top half of the bun.

Grill each sandwich for 1 to 2 minutes per side. While you grill, press down on the sandwich with a metal spatula. This will flatten the sandwich, and make pretty grill marks on the bun. The sandwich is done when it is lightly browned on each side. Cut the sandwiches into halves or quarters and serve.

Basil Sauce:
2 small garlic cloves
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, washed
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan
3/4 cup mayonnaise
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Mix all ingredients in a food processor and set aside.

Onion Relish:
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
Toss the ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 teaspoon saffron
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 cup finely chopped yellow onion
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
2 cups fish stock
24 mussels, scrubbed and de-bearded
3/4 pound medium white shrimp (about 24), shelled and deveined
1 pound dried linguine
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/2 cup finely grated pecorino

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.

In a small saucepan, bring the wine to a simmer. Remove from the heat and add the saffron. Set aside. In a medium stockpot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and red pepper flakes, and cook, stirring for 2 minutes. Add the garlic, and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Add the fish stock and saffron-wine mixture and bring a boil. Add mussels, cover, and cook for 1 minute. Add the shrimp, cover and simmer until the mussels open.

Add the linguine to the boiling water and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/4 cup of the cooking liquid. Return the pasta, cooking liquid and 1 cup of the shellfish-saffron broth to the pot, and toss to coat.

Divide the linguine, shrimp, and mussels among 6 pasta bowls. Garnish with the chopped parsley, sprinkle with the cheese, and serve.

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup minced shallots
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 cups chopped tomatoes, peeled and seeded
1 pound fresh mussels, scrubbed
1 pound rock shrimp, peeled
2 cups dry white wine
1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for cartridge
1/2 cup chopped green onions, green part only
1 pound penne pasta, cooked until tender
4 ounces freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
1/4 cup chiffonade fresh basil leaves
Drizzle white truffle oil

In a large sauti pan, over medium heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the shallots and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Sauti for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes, and sauti for 1 minute. Add the mussels and shrimp. Season with salt and pepper. Sauti for 2 minutes. Add the wine, bring to a simmer and cover, cook until the shells open, about 4 to 6 minutes. Add the crabmeat and green onions. Season with salt and pepper. Sauti for 1 minute. Add the pasta, toss and continue cooking until the pasta is heated through, about 1 minute. Toss the pasta with the cheese and basil. Spoon into the serving dish. Garnish with a drizzle of truffle oil.

1 cup dry white wine
1 cup water
2 (1 1/2 pound) live lobsters
2 pounds spaghetti
6 cups spicy tomato sauce (recipe follows)
1 pound mussels (preferably cultivated), scrubbed well and beards pulled off
2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves (wash and dry before mincing)

In a large kettle bring wine and water to a boil. Add lobsters and cook covered for 3 minutes (they will be partially cooked). Transfer lobsters with tongs to a large bowl and boil cooking liquid until reduced to about 1/2 cup.

Twist off claws and with the flat side of a heavy knife crack claws on one side. Cut off tails and cut each tail crosswise into 4 pieces, cutting through shell and discarding dark intestinal vein. Halve body sections and discard head sacs. Reserve tomalley and any row if desired. Lobsters can be prepared up to this point 4 hours ahead and chilled, covered.

In a six quart kettle bring 5 quarts salted water to a boil for spaghetti.

In a five quart kettle bring tomato sauce, lobster cooking liquid, and reserved tomalley and roe if using, to a simmer, whisking. Add claws and bodies and simmer covered for 5 minutes or until the claw meat is just cooked through. Transfer claws with tongs to a large bowl and keep warm, covered.

Add tail pieces to the sauce and simmer, covered, 3 to 4 minutes, or until just cooked through. Transfer tail pieces to a bowl and keep warm, covered. Remove and discard lobster bodies.

Add mussels to sauce and simmer, covered, 3 to 8 minutes, checking every minute or so and transferring as opened with tongs into a bowl. Keep mussels warm, covered (discard any mussels that have not opened after 8 minutes). Season sauce with salt and pepper and keep warm, covered.

While seafood is cooking, cook spaghetti in boiling water until al dente, and drain in a colander. Add spaghetti, lobster, and mussels to sauce and heat over moderate heat until heated through, stirring and tossing mixture until spaghetti is coated well with sauce

SPICY TOMATO SAUCE

3 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped fine
1/2 teaspoon dried hot pepper flakes
2 (28 to 32-ounce) cans tomatoes, including juice, pureed course in a blender in 2 batches
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
In a heavy 5 quart saucepan cook garlic in oil over moderate heat, stirring, until golden and add onion and red pepper flakes. Cook mixture, stirring until onion is softened and add tomato puree, thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer sauce, stirring occasionally, 35 minutes or until thickened slightly. Sauce may be made 3 days ahead and chilled, covered.

Yield: 6 cups

1/2 recipe corn tortillas
6 leaves green leaf lettuce, washed and halved
2 pounds cooked lobster or crabmeat, shrimp and salmon (preferable poached)
1 1/2 cups Citrus Cucumber Relish, recipe above
1/2 avocado, peeled, seeded and mashed
1 cup sweet peas, blanched
1/2 bunch red radishes, washed, trimmed and thinly sliced
1/2 bunch cilantro, leaves only, roughly chopped
2 limes, halved
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Toast 12 small tortillas. Lay tortillas out on counter. Line each tortilla with a piece of lettuce and spread the fish on top. Cover with 2 tablespoons of cucumber relish, a dab of avocado, a tablespoon of sweet peas, a few slices of radish and a pinch of cilantro. Finish each with a squeeze of lime and a teaspoon of olive oil. Serve immediately.

3 tablespoons fennel seeds, lightly toasted
3 tablespoons coriander seed, lightly toasted
1 tablespoon white pepper, whole
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 pound center cut tuna loin
1 tablespoon olive oil, for brushing
1 tablespoon olive oil, for use in non-stick pan

Place toasted seeds, white pepper and salt in spice grinder. Grind to the size of coarse ground pepper. Brush outside of tuna with olive oil. Crust tuna loin with ground spice mixture. Sear tuna in a non-stick pan, using olive oil sparingly, approximately 45 to 60 seconds on all sides. Should be golden brown on the outside and pink in the center. Slice into 1 1/2 to 2-inch pieces and serve with papaya salad. Can be stored in the refrigerator tightly wrapped 3 to 4 hours before serving.

2 (7 to 8-ounce) catfish fillets
2 ounces butter
4 ounces Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic
1/2 teaspoon jerk seasoning
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3/4 cup catsup
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped parsley (for garnish)

Season fish with salt and pepper. Place fish in an oval casserole dish. Melt butter in small saucepan. Add remaining ingredients and simmer about three minutes. Spoon sauce over fish and cook fish in 375 degree oven for about 10 to 12 minutes (or until done). Sprinkle with chopped parsley.

Make sure fish is fresh! If you are buying a whole fish it should be firm to the touch and should come back up if you push on it. Eyes should be clear. Smell before you buy! Fresh Fish should not smell fishy or like ammonia

Olive oil, for sauteing
1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut in strips
1 green bell pepper, cut in strips
6 plum tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons dry oregano, plus more for seasoning
2 to 3 big leaves fresh basil
12 asparagus stalks
4 (1/4 pound) medium flounder fillets
Garlic powder
Chopped parsley, for garnish

Coat a large saute pan with oil.

Saute, over medium heat, onion and garlic until onions are translucent. Add peppers. Cook approx. 2 minutes. Then add tomatoes and 1/4 cup water. Season with salt and black pepper to taste. Add oregano and basil. Cook for approximately 10 minutes, contents should be juicy. Add asparagus. Cook another 5 minutes.

Rinse fish in cold water. Season with a pinch of salt, black pepper, oregano, and garlic powder. Separate ingredients in saute pan. Push all solid ingredients to one side. Gently lay fish in hot liquid, try not to let fillets overlap. Cover. Cook 5 to 10 minutes depending on thickness of fillets.

When fillets become a milky white, they are done. Garnish with parsley.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The FN chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

Batter:
2 eggs
6 ounces Parmesan cheese
Pinch parsley
8 ounces milk

Combine all ingredients and mix well.

Sweet Lemon Sauce:
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar

In saucepan combine all ingredients. Bring to a boil and reduce by 1/2.

4 (6-ounce) flounder fillets
12 (16/20 count) shrimp, cleaned and deveined
Butter, to taste
Lemon juice, to taste
White wine, to taste

Preheat Oven: 350 degrees. Dip fillets in batter and cook in a nonstick pan with a small amount of cooking spray. Cook on both sides until fillets are golden brown. Place fillets on oven pan and bake for 5 to 6 minutes. Saute shrimp with a small amount of butter, lemon juice and white wine. Place on top of fillets and serve topped with sweet lemon sauce.

For The Shrimp:
1 (2-inch) piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
2 lemons, halved and juiced
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
4 bay leaves
2 tablespoons chopped green onions (green and white parts)
2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
32 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (about 1 pound)
2 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows

For the Rolls:
16 (8-1/2 inch) round rice paper wrappers
2 cups shredded Napa cabbage
1 package enoki mushrooms
2 cups carrots, peeled and coarsely grated
32 fresh mint leaves
32 sprigs fresh cilantro

Spring Roll Dipping Sauce, recipe follows

Combine 6 cups of water, the ginger, lemons, lemon juice, soy sauce, sugar, bay leaves, green onions, garlic, salt, pepper and red pepper flakes in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil. Season the shrimp with the Essence and place in the boiling water. Let cook for 2 minutes, remove the pan from the heat and allow the shrimp to steep in the boiling liquid. After 2 minutes, remove the shrimp from the pan using tongs or a slotted spoon and allow them to cool at room temperature. Once cool enough to handle, cut the shrimp in half lengthwise and reserve until ready to assemble the rolls. For the rolls: Fill a large bowl with hot water. Place a clean kitchen towel next to the bowl. Submerge 1 rice paper wrapper in the water and soak it until softened, about 1 minute. Carefully remove the rice paper from the water and lay it flat on the towel. In the center of the sheet, layer 2 tablespoons of the Napa cabbage, 5 or 6 enoki mushrooms, 2 tablespoons of grated carrots, 4 shrimp halves arranged side by side in a row. Place 2 mint leaves and 2 cilantro sprigs over the shrimp and fold the bottom of the wrapper over the filling. Fold both sides inward over the filling, then roll up in egg roll fashion. Place seam side down on a plate and repeat the process with the remaining rice papers and filling ingredients. Once all the wrappers have been assembled, cut each spring roll in half on the bias so that you have 32 pieces. Place the spring rolls on a platter and serve with the dipping sauce at room temperature.

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):
2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly and store in an airtight jar or container.

Yield: about 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch. Published by William and Morrow, 1993.

Note: Spring Rolls can be assembled up to 4 hours in advance. Keep refrigerated, covered with damp paper towels and wrapped in plastic wrap.

Spring Roll Dipping Sauce:
1 1/4 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1 lemon, zested and juiced
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons Thai fish sauce
2 teaspoons minced ginger
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon grated carrots
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the sugar, vinegar, lemon zest and juice, soy sauce, salt, fish sauce, ginger and garlic. Bring to a boil, stirring often. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 5 minutes. Strain sauce into a clean, non-reactive bowl, and add the crushed red pepper flakes. Allow the sauce to cool completely before adding the carrots and cilantro. Serve in a decorative bowl alongside the spring rolls. Yield: 1 cup sauce