Hollandaise Sauce

1/2 cup butter

3 large egg yolks

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of lemon juice

Salt and white pepper to taste

Dash of hot pepper sauce( like you put on turnip greens)

2 tablespoons hot water

Finely chopped fresh parsley, dill or mint

Heat butter in a heavy saucepan until hot and foamy, but not browned. In a small bowl, whisk or beat egg yolks with lemon juice, salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce. Gradually beat in butter, then water. Return mixture to saucepan and beat over very low heat until mixture is slightly thickened. Serve immediately or let stand over warm water for up to 30 minutes. If desired, sprinkle with chopped fresh parsley, mint or dill before serving.

Makes about 2/3 cup of hollandaise sauce.

I use parsley on veggies and Eggs Benedict, dill on fish dishes and mint or basil on red meats.

Banana Rum Custard

4 egg yolks

2 cups half-and-half

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon dark rum

1 teaspoon vanilla        

 In the top of a double boiler over hot water, beat together egg yolks, half-and-half, sugar and salt. Continue cooking and stirring until mixture is slightly thickened. The mixture should be thick enough coat a spoon. Strain custard; add rum and vanilla. Let cool, cover, and chill. This sauce after chilled is still just thin enough to ladle over sliced bananas in a small bowl or dessert dish.

Pecan Crusted Crab Cakes

1/3 cup pecans

 1 1/2" slice firm sour dough bread, torn into pieces

 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

 2 teaspoons lemon juice

 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

 1 egg yolk

 8 ounces (1/2 pound) lump crab meat

 1 tablespoon minced chives

 1 1/2 tablespoons butter

  Place pecans and torn bread in a food processor. Pulse until pecans are finely chopped and bread is crumbly.

In a medium bowl combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, mustard and egg yolk; blend well. Add crab and chives; stir gently to mix, so not to break up crab meat to much. Stir in just enough of pecan-bread crumbs to help bind the mixture but not to take away from the crab.

Place remaining crumbs on a plate. Form crab mixture into 4 cakes, about 3 inches in diameter. Dredge crab cakes in crumbs, pressing gently just to help mixture adhere.

In a medium skillet, melt butter over a medium-low heat. Add crab cakes for about 2-3 minutes , turn over once and cook second side about 2 minutes, until they are hot in center and nicely browned on both sides.

Shrimp and Grits

1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp.
2 Thick slices country ham- chopped

2 garlic cloves diced

Tbsp. butter

1 cup - water

1 cup - milk

1 cup - heavy cream

1 cup - melted butter

1 teaspoon - salt

1/4 cup jack cheese

1 cup - yellow grits 

Sauce:

Juice of 1 lemon

1 stick - butter, melted

4 - egg yolks

1/2 cup - heavy cream

To prepare the grits:

Bring all liquid ingredients and salt to a low boil. Add stir in grits slowly on medium to low heat. Stir and watch for 20 minutes, Add the cheese cover and finish on very low heat for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile: Brown the ham in a skillet and remove.

In the same skillet saute the shrimp in butter and garlic until just pink, add back the ham and remove from heat.

To prepare sauce:

In a bowl whisk lemon juice and butter into egg yolks in a slow steady stream. In a double boiler on medium bring the heavy cream to a simmer while stirring. Remove from heat and add a small ladle of the hot cream slowly to the egg yoke mixture slowly while whisking to temper the yokes. Place the double boiler back on medium heat and whisk in the yoke mixture. Continue to slowly whisk until desired thickness is reached and remove from lower boiler. 

To serve:

place a good helping of grits in a bowl, top with shrimp, ham and sauce.