The Craig

The Best Parmesan-Asiago Dip

This time around, I'm including a recipe that my Mom whips up for events at our Robert Craig Tasting Room in Downtown Napa. It's best made a day ahead. People always go crazy for this dip or spread and usually ask how to make it.  It's very easy (although you do need a food processor) and goes great with Chardonnay, Cabernet or just about any wine.  We serve it with slices of crusty sour or sweet French bread (baguette-size is best).  Mom usually doubles the recipe and freezes half -- it just seems to get better!

Enjoy! Bryan Craig 

Parmesan-Asiago Dip

1-1/2 cups extra-virgin, cold-press olive oil. A lower-priced brand is fine. (Trader Joe's President's Reserve label is a favorite.)
1/2 lb. Parmesan cheese and 1/2 lb. Asiago cheese (or other hard cheeses), cut into 1-inch cubes
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
2 tsp. fresh oregano or 1 tsp. dried oregano
1 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
Freshly cracked black pepper
Two green onion tops, chopped

Process olive oil, cheese, garlic, oregano and red pepper in a food processor until cheese is a coarse texture (don't over-process, should still have small chunks).  Add ground black pepper to taste. Best made the day before and refrigerated overnight to allow flavors to mingle. Place in serving bowl and sprinkle with green onions. Serve with sliced French or Sourdough baguettes or crackers. Leftovers can be frozen.

Harvest & The Importance of Teamwork

Well harvest is finally here! All the work and preparation, anticipation and excitement is fulfilled when the first batch of grapes is placed on the scale.

Along with the first grapes comes the realization of the production team's importance in making it all happen. It is not just the “Winemaker” who makes the wine. In fact it is the production crew that has hands, heart and soul invested as much as anyone in the making of fine Mountain Cabernet Sauvignon.

It takes passion to make great wine and we have a great team assembled this year with that one thing in common – passion for making the best wine possible from each grape cluster that arrives on our crushpad.

Let me introduce each of our key players in this year's crush team.

Stephen Tebb, Bob Craig, Sean Donaghue

Sean
Sean Donaghue has worked with Robert Craig for a number of years. He got his start in the tasting room familiarizing himself with the Robert Craig line-up of stellar wines while making friends and endearing himself to all those who meet him. It turns out that Sean is a bit of a “MacGyver” type of problem-solver and is extremely handy around a cellar. He is our “go-to” guy if anything needs repair and can be counted on to do just about any task. In addition, he has an easy going and positive, “can-do” attitude which is priceless in the crucible of harvest.
 

JP
John Paul Formento, who goes by “JP”, joined Robert Craig this Summer. He is our Cellar Master and has responsibility over the day-to-day operation at the Craig winery high on Howell Mountain. JP brings excellent experience having spent time working in the Southern Hemisphere, both in New Zealand and Australia, as well as working crush at Vineyard-29 and as Vintage Assistant for Melka Wines. He is a graduate of UC Davis Dept. of Viticulture and Enology and has a BA in History from UC Santa Barbara. He too has an easy going relaxed nature, yet an eye for detail and an excellent work ethic, which are qualities I can rely on to get the job done and done right.

Bastien
Our harvest intern this year is Bastien Nazaris, who is visiting California from France having recently received his Masters degree from the Faculte’ d’ Oenology at the University of Bordeaux. Prior to arriving in Napa to learn about California winemaking, he worked at a number of Chateaus in the Bordeaux region including Chateau La Louviere, Chateau Rochemorin as well as Chateau Haut- Brion and Chateau La Mission Haut-Brion. With his experience and background in Bordeaux vinifications, along with his eagerness and enthusiasm, I am sure of his positive contribution to the crafting of Robert Craig Cabernet Sauvignon. 

Each one of our crew will play a key role in the success of the 2009 vintage. With our shared vision for producing the best wine possible, I am confident we are going to enjoy a fantastic Harvest Season.

The team’s in place, the winery spotless and the passion, energy and enthusiasm running high – I say “Bring it on”!

Stephen

Editor's Note:  Our winemaker Stephen Tebb is known to many of you, but just in case, you can check out his bio in the "Columnist" section of this blog. Stephen has all the qualities that he finds admirable in his crew - a passion for what he does, a "go-to" guy with a great eye for detail and strong work ethic.  Oh, and he makes terrific wines!

Q & A: Doing the Math from Vine to Bottle

Those of us in the wine business are sometimes asked questions that catch us off guard.  For example, “How many bottles of wine come from a grape vine?”

  

This type of question is hard to answer because winemakers think more in terms of production-specific measurements, such as tons per acre; gallons per ton of fermented wine; cases per ton of finished wine or other benchmark statistics.

Even with most of these statistics, there are no universal standards because there are so many variables that influence the conversion of grapes to wine.

Starting in the vineyard, the yield of a vine in terms of cluster weight depends upon the grape varietal and the age of the vine. Also, some rootstocks and clones generate higher cropping levels than others.  Different spacing in the vine rows affects the number of vines per acre, while the number of spurs per vine determines the cluster counts per vine.

Then there are all the variables in winemaking, such as how much juice is produced from different grape varietals and how all of the fermentation, aging and bottling techniques affect the finished wine production from a ton of grapes.

Most importantly for our statistics at Robert Craig, there is a huge difference in the yields of grapes grown on hillside vineyards versus vineyards on the valley floor.  As a result of soil drainage from steeper hillsides and more austere growing conditions, mountain vineyards, as a rule, yield crop levels that are about 65% of those from the valley floor.

All that said, I’ve decided to try coming up with answers to commonly asked questions about grape and wine production.  For this purpose, I’ve focused on Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon – which of course is the wine we make  – assuming mature vines with average yields.

I’ve also elected to use vine spacing of 5 x 8 feet, which is the typical spacing in our vineyards.  This spacing on a cordon-trained vine results in about 12 fruiting spurs, with 2 clusters per spur, or 24 clusters per vine.  For tighter spacing, the pounds per vine are less. The numbers for cases/bottles of wine are for finished wine after the racking, topping and bottling losses.

I hope you enjoy this Q&A. Use it as a way to impress your friends! When you look at a vine, check out the varietal, spacing and pruning.  Then say, “That vine looks like it produces about 2.5 bottles of great Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon.”  You will be close enough!

How many tons of grapes per acre? 
Valley: 4 tons  –  Mountains: 2.5 tons

How many pounds of grapes per acre? 
Valley: 8,000 lbs  –  Mountains: 5,550 lbs

How many pounds of grapes per vine? 
Valley: 7.34 lbs  –  Mountains: 5.05 lbs

How many pounds per grape cluster? 
Valley: .31 lbs  –  Mountains: .21 lbs

How many pounds of grapes in a case of wine?
30 lbs

How many pounds of grapes in a bottle?
2.5 lbs

How many bottles of wine per vine?
Valley: 2.94 bottles  –  Mountains: 2.02 bottles

How many bottles of wine per cluster?
Valley:  .12 bottles  –  Mountains:  .08 bottles

How many gallons of wine in a barrel?
59 gallons

How many cases of wine in a barrel?
21 cases

How many cases of finished wine in a ton of grapes?
60 cases

How many bottles of wine in a ton of grapes?
720 bottles

After all this talk about numbers, the real question is – do you like the wine, no matter how many tons, pounds, barrels or gallons it takes?

Enjoy in good health,

Bob Craig

Veggie Moussaka

This crowd-pleaser is the creation of one of my good friends and cooking homies, Kelly Thompson, a professional chef in Santa Monica.  When Kelly whips up this delectable Moussaka, people come from miles around for a sample!  If you haven't tried Moussaka before, it's rich, healthy, satisfying and easy to serve at parties.  Moussaka can be any dish of vegetables layered with fresh tomato and béchamel sauces, but most often it's made with eggplant.  Right now is a great time for this dish with fresh eggplant available everywhere. Even those who normally aren't wild about eggplant (like myself) will love this dish -- and it's even better the next day! 

If you must have meat, just add browned, lean ground beef or lamb (1 pound) to the tomato sauce.

Pair With: 2007 Robert Craig Mt. George Cuvee (Cabernet, Cabernet Franc, Merlot blend)

Enjoy!  Bryan Craig

VEGGIE MOUSSAKA

Makes 8-10 servings 

Ingredients

• 3 MEDIUM EGGPLANTS
  
• 3 CUPS BREAD CRUMBS
• 2 EGGS
• 1/2-CUP MILK
• 1-1/2 CUP FLOUR
• OIL FOR FRYING
• TOMATO SAUCE
• BECHAMEL SAUCE
• 2 CUPS CRUMBLED FETA CHEESE
• 2 CUPS PARMIGIANA REGGIANO, SHREDDED
• I BUNCH GREEN ONIONS, THINLY SLICED

STEP ONE: Tomato Sauce

• 1 small can tomato paste
  
• 1 large can whole tomatoes, break up by squishing in hand
• 1 large can crushed tomatoes
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1 small pkg mushrooms (whatever you want), diced
• 5 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• 1/2 tbsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp dried thyme
• Salt, pepper, and some sugar to taste

PREPARATION - Heat a stockpot on medium heat.  Add 1 tbsp olive oil and sauté the onion and mushrooms till tender.  Add the minced garlic and dried herbs and cook for a minute.  Add the 3 tomato products.  Simmer on low heat for 45 minutes.  Season to taste.

STEP TWO: Béchamel Sauce

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 2 cups milk
• Salt and white pepper

PREPARATION - Heat milk in a saucepan to warm.  In a separate saucepan melt the butter on medium heat.  Add the flour and cook for a minute stirring occasionally.  Add the warm milk whisking as you pour.   After combined, let the mixture come to a boil stirring frequently.   Turn off heat and season to taste.

STEP THREE: Eggplant

PREPARATION - Heat oil in a large skillet.  Oil should come up a third of the pan. Cut of tops of eggplant.  Peel the skin off.  Lay eggplant on its side.  Cut in 1/2-inch slices.  Lay slices on a baking sheet and salt generously.  Let sit for 20 minutes.  In a bowl, whisk eggs and milk together.  In a separate bowl combine bread crumbs with 2 tsp kosher salt and 2 tsp fresh cracked pepper.  Place the flour in a bowl or plate.  Start the breading process by dipping the eggplant slices in the flour, egg wash, then the breadcrumbs.  Fry till golden brown and place on paper towels to drain off excess fat.

PUTTING TOGETHER

Heat oven to 350 degrees.
In a 9 x 13 lasagna pan, spread some tomato sauce on the bottom.
Next, arrange the eggplant slices making a solid layer.  Sprinkle with crumbled feta and drizzle with béchamel.  Top this with tomato sauce and start the layers over.  Making sure to have 3 layers of eggplant and ending with the feta and béchamel on top.  Sprinkle with Parmesan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or till nice and bubbly.  

Cut into squares and sprinkle with sliced green onions.

The Gentle Art of Winemaking: Summer-time racking and blending

Looking at a room full of beautiful French oak barrels, you might think that the Cabernets they contain just stay tucked away until bottling, but nothing is further from the truth.  In the gentle art of winemaking, barrel work is key to crafting exceptional wine. 

During the ageing process wine evolves and improves in subtle ways. A subtle exchange of oxygen and oak in the barrel adds complexity and polish to the wine. Also during this time there is a settling and clarifying process where the suspended solids in the young wine slowly sink to the bottom of the barrel.

 

It is important to occasionally separate the heavy sediment or “lees” from the cleaner wine. This process is called “racking” and I often describe it as “decanting” the clean wine off the settled solids. Summer is a good time for racking wines from the previous vintage as enough time has passed to allow the heavier solids to fully settle out.

 

JP with racking "wand."

The way we accomplish this is in keeping with our philosophy of gentle handling of the wine. We use a racking wand – or stainless steel tube - with a sight glass on one end so we can see the wine as it is moving. We pressurize the barrel with inert nitrogen gas so that the wine is gently pushed into the racking tube, through the hoses, and into a tank which is blanketed with inert Argon gas for temperature control. 

 

We start with the racking wand positioned high in the barrel where we know the clean wine is; then we slowly lower it deeper into the barrel watching the wine through the sight glass until we see a slight “puff” of lees. We then immediately raise the wand slightly having found the demarcation between the clean wine and the settled lees.

Once the gas has pushed out all of the wine, we de-pressurize the barrel and move on to the next one, repeating the process. The empty barrels are then cleaned thoroughly and prepared to receive the clean wine back to barrel again.

In addition to clarifying the wine via racking, we also take advantage of this wine movement to blend together the sub lots that we’ve determined to be the ideal components for creating a base blend. Our Affinity, a Bordeaux-style Cabernet blend, is a good example of this process. Grapes for Affinity are harvested in small lots which are kept separate during winemaking and then are evaluated several times during Winter and Spring. Trial blends are made up, tasted and evaluated until the final blend is agreed upon. Then the “real” blending begins in conjunction with the summer racking schedule.

Once back in barrel, the freshly racked, clarified and blended wine is allowed to continue the ageing process in the barrel, developing and gaining nuance until the moment just prior to bottling where it will be racked out of barrel for the last time.

Once the Summer racking and blending is complete, it’s time to start thinking about Fall and harvest!

Cheers,

Stephen

Unsung Heros In Napa Valley Winemaking

Invariably when studying the history of a place, you discover people who made important contributions without receiving lasting recognition.

Some time ago, I was interested purchasing a property just across Highway 29 from Freemark Abbey Winery, north of St. Helena.  It was five acres with an older two-story home that could be used as a tasting room. The person showing me around indicated that the house had important historical value, dating back to the 1880’s when it was the home of Josephine Marlin Tychson. 

By an unfortunate set of circumstances, Josephine Tychson was the first woman to build and operate a winery in California.   She and her husband, John Tychson, purchased the property in 1881.  They expanded the small existing vineyard and made plans to pursue their dream of having their own winery.  Although suffering from tuberculosis, John Tychson began to develop the winery plans. Unfortunately, he did not live to see those plans take shape.

After her husband’s untimely death, Josephine refused to let their dream die with him.  She bravely moved forward with construction of a 50 x 50 foot, 30,000-gallon-capacity redwood winery in 1886.  With the help of an experienced winemaker, Nils Larsen, Josephine successfully produced wine for the next eight years.  The winery later became the early home of Freemark Abbey Winery.

Rudolph Jordan was another unsung hero and one of the great early Napa Valley winemakers.  Jordan came to my attention when I was working on a history of the Mount Veeder Appellation. After selling his own property on Mount Veeder (now Mount La Salle/Hess Collection) in 1900, Jordan became winemaker for the nearby Nicholas Streich Winery (now Yates Family Vineyards).  It was here that he would make vital contributions to California winemaking.

Jordan was a well-educated individual – meticulous, inquiring and innovative.  Considered a radical by his contemporaries, he was committed to improving winemaking techniques and wine quality.  He corresponded extensively with Professor Fredrick T. Bioletti of UC-Berkeley and later UC-Davis. Out of that sharing of ideas and Jordan’s own research came three major winemaking innovations in the early 1900’s that are still followed.

His booklet, "Quality in Dry Wines Through Adequate Fermentations" was published in 1911 (a copy of it still exists in the UC-Davis archives).  In it he describes the use of sulfur and bisulfite for settling and protecting fermenting wines; temperature control -- the cooling of white wine fermentations and heating of red wine fermentations; and the addition of pure yeast that he had cultured to start fermentation.  Jordan concluded that by use of these techniques, “a product can be obtained that is superior to that made in the old ‘let alone’ way."

Thanks to Josephine and Rudolph for their contributions to Napa Valley winemaking!

Bob Craig

The Best Salsa

This has been a pet project of mine for a while— to make a great “restaurant” style salsa. You know the kind; it forces you to fill up on chips before the burro shows up. Simple, red and delicious. After trial and error (and a few strange cooked versions) I’ve discovered the secret that Mexican restaurateurs have been guarding with their lives— 3 different chilies and TIME!!!  It’s great after 2 hours in the fridge but if you want the ultimate pay-off, let it mellow for 2 days!

1 large can (28oz.) of Whole Peeled Tomatoes
1 Serrano Chili*
1 Jalapeno Chili*
8 Dried Arbol Chilies* (available at any major market in the Latin foods area)
2 Green Onions (Scallions)
1 cup of White Onion
3 cloves of Garlic
1/2 cup Cilantro (I know some of you dislike Cilantro, but get over it unless you’re allergic— every restaurant salsa has it!)
Juice of 1-2 Limes (depending on how juicy they are)
1 tsp Salt

As I said, TIME is the key to this salsa. Roughly chop the White Onion and remove the dark green section from the Green Onions. Remove the stems, seeds and veins from the Chilies. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree. Pour into a bowl, cover and place in the fridge for AT LEAST 2 hours. Be sure to check the seasoning when you’re ready to serve; you may prefer more Salt as the flavors combine and mellow over time.

This serves a small party— I would recommend doubling/tripling the recipe and freezing and/or putting it on everything for a couple of weeks.

*FOR THE EXTREME
I like it hot so I leave the seeds and veins in the Chilies (especially the Serrano) but I would suggest removing them for the first try. You can always set the seeds and veins aside and blend them in to taste.

Cheers,

Bryan Craig

The Devil's In The Detail

At the Craig, we are always seeking ways to improve our winemaking.  As the quality of Robert Craig wines is already at such a high level, it becomes a matter of detail. 

One of those new details is the use of oak upright tanks for our Cabernet Sauvignon fermentations. We’ve recently acquired one 70 HL and two 40 HL French oak tanks. Such tanks are used extensively by first-growth Bordeaux Chateaus and are also found in the cellars of many of Napa Valley’s most prestigious and respected wineries.

  

An important design feature is the truncated or “tilt-in” top portion of the tank. Instead of having a cylinder shape with straight sides, the tank's top is narrower than at the bottom. This feature allows the cap (skins and pulp that rise to the surface during fermentation) to crumble and break up easily when the juice is removed from under the cap during pump-overs. The cap is submerged more quickly with less physical manipulation, resulting in gentler handling of the must.

 

Another key feature is the insulation value of the thick oak staves in maintaining a consistent temperature. The must stays cool, without extensive external cooling, during pre-fermentation maceration when the tannins, colors and flavors begin to be extracted.  As fermentation proceeds, the temperature shift is gradual and the wood maintains an ideally warm temperature all the way into the extended post-fermentation maceration.

This is an added bonus on Howell Mountain as the temperatures can drop quickly after sundown in the late Fall.  Warm temperatures are extremely important for complete extraction of color and flavor from our mountain fruit, resulting in Cabernet Sauvignons with smooth, lush mouth-feel and soft, round, integrated tannins – the hallmarks of a true luxury-quality Cabernet.

The combination of French oak upright tanks and stainless steel tanks will give us more options to achieve an even greater level of depth and complexity in our wines.  The differences may be subtle; however it is at this level of detail where we find opportunities to fine-tune our winemaking regimen as we endeavor to craft the best wine possible with every vintage.

Cheers,

Stephen

Individual expression or "mondovino" wine?

I am fond of the opening scene in the wine documentary MONDOVINO, of a few years back.  An old gentleman is being interviewed in his vineyard in Sardinia.  He looks toward the camera and says something like this. “My name is Giuseppe and this is my vineyard.  This vineyard has been in my family for four generations.  From my vineyards, I make my wine.  Some people think it is too acetic. I don’t”. He is saying that his wines are an individual expression of his vineyards and his personal approach to winemaking. I fully agree with this proposition.  A wine should have a sense of place and person.  It is unique to the growing conditions of a specific location and the stylistic expression of a winemaker. 

When I first got into the wine business some thirty years ago, I headed directly to the mountains of the Napa Valley.  As a consumer, I had developed a love for the intensity, structure  and depth of flavors of Cabernet Sauvignon from these higher reaches of the Valley's great mountain ranges. However at that time, mountain Cabernets had such aggressive tannins that they almost had to carry a consumer warning about all of the bad things that were going to happen to you if you dared to drink the wine before it had aged for 20 years!  

My personal objective has been to infuse mountain Cabs with riper and rounder tannins that integrate with the fruit and provide a smoother texture in the wines.  This allows our Cabs to be enjoyed over their entire life with the sound potential for aging in the 20+ year range. Wines with structure, polish and balance - that has been the "Craig" style, from the beginning of our winemaking in 1992 to today.

Each of our four Cabs from Napa Valley is an individual expression of the soils and micro-climates of the vineyards where the grapes are grown.  The difference in the flavor profile of each wine is quite mind-bending when you consider that the winemaking techniques are the same for all.  

Our goal is to craft Cabernets that are truly unique, rather than attempting to make formulaic wines that some influential critic might like. The "mondovino" vision of a global wine style without personality or distinctiveness will, I trust, never be realized as long as there are individualists making wine their own way and consumers who are open to all the wonderful possibilities.

Enjoy in good health!

Bob Craig

Cioppino di Craig

Let me start off by saying, (since this is the first recipe of mine that you’re reading) that this is my interpretation of a classic recipe. I like to experiment. One of the best things about cooking is taking a dish from your favorite restaurant and making it your own.  I would challenge all of you to use the CC recipes as an outline for a signature dish. It’s all about having a glass of vino and some fun (with a little classical technique) . . . and please send me your creations!

The first dish is Cioppino. It’s an Italian seafood stew invented by hungry, gifted fishermen in the City by the Bay. As when it was conceived, there is no specific blend of seafood required to prepare this delicious concoction; use a mixture of whatever seafood you can get fresh or in reasonable shape. There are a couple of sea-dwellers that are required in my opinion — but I'll give you some favorites and you can take the line.

Enjoy!

Bryan Craig

Wine to serve:  Robert Craig 2007 Durell Vineyard Chardonnay of course!

Cioppino di Craig

1 1/2 lbs Clams (Manila or Littleneck) required
1 lb Mussels
1 lb Red Snapper Filets (or Halibut, Flounder or other mild white fish)
1 lb Medium Shrimp (with shells)
2 Whole Cooked, Cleaned and Cracked Crabs (Blue, Dungeness) required – but Lump Meat or King Crab Legs will work.  Have the store clean/crack the crab if possible, or do this at home.
1 lb Squid (Calamari sliced raw or whole – see note below*)

Seafood prep:
Sort Clams and Mussels – discard if the shells are noticeably open, clean Clams and Mussels with brush or cloth under cold, running water to remove any leftover grit; dry with a towel.

Cut Snapper Filets into 1-1/2 in cubes and check for bones.

Peel and de-vein Shrimp; save the Shrimp shells if making your own seafood broth – see note below.* 

Pick out the Crab meat from the body and claws; set aside the legs and large shell pieces (body) for stock.

If you can’t get sliced, raw Squid and can only get whole — see note below.*

Other items:
1 1/2 cup White Wine
4 cups Seafood Stock (make it yourself or store-bought) – see note below.*
1 cup Chicken Stock
1 Orange
1 large (28 oz.) can Whole Peeled Tomatoes (San Marzano if possible – Whole Foods Markets has it)
1/4 cup fresh Basil
4 cloves Garlic
1 medium White or Sweet Onion
3/4 cup Olive Oil
2 Bay Leaves
2 French or Sourdough Baguettes for dipping

Making a great tomato sauce is a key to this Cioppino and it's very easy. Start with a medium sauce pan containing 1/2 cup Olive Oil and the Onion and Garlic (roughly chopped) over med. heat. When the vegetables become translucent, add the Tomatoes (crush with your hands – it’s the Italian way!). Add fresh Basil (whole) along with 1-1/2 tsp. Salt and 1 tsp. Black Pepper (I like more S&P but start with this). Simmer on med. for 20 min. Put aside and let cool. Blend in a food processor or blender until smooth and put 1 cup aside as a dip for bread while cooking.

The Clam/Mussel Broth starts with a deep sauté pan containing 1/4 cup Olive Oil over med-high heat. When the Oil starts to smoke, carefully drop in the Clams and Mussels.  Sauté for 1 min., then pour in 3/4 cup White Wine and cover. The Mussels will open much faster than Clams, so check after 1 minute. Remove Mussels (leave in shell) once they are wide open, place the lid back on and wait another 30 sec. to 1-1/2 min. for the Clams to open. Remove Clams (leave in shell) and discard any Clams or Mussels that did not fully open.  If the broth has grit from the shell fish, strain through cheesecloth and return to pan.

To the Clam/Mussel broth add the Seafood and Chicken Stock with Tomato Sauce and remaining White Wine. Add 1/4 tsp. Orange zest, Bay Leaves and the legs and large shell pieces of Crab. Bring to boil, reduce heat to low and cover – let simmer for 30 min. Remove cover and raise heat to med. – med./high and continue to simmer until the broth color turns from bright orange to a dark orange (approx. 20 min.). Remove Bay Leaves, Crab shells and legs (set legs aside for garnish). Reduce heat back to low and add the claw and body Crab meat, Snapper and Shrimp. Simmer on low for 5 min. Add Clams, Mussels and Squid and simmer for another 3 min.

Ladle into large bowls and garnish with Crab legs and a slice of Orange.

Serves 2-6 depending on the appetites involved.  Serve with green salad and sliced Baguettes for dipping.

*Note: FOR THE EXTREME VERSION

Make your own Seafood Stock and clean those squiggly Calamari (squid) for ultimate freshness!  If you would like to have my recipe for the stock and instructions for cleaning the squid, please send in your request and I'll get back to you.