Recipes by Shirley Knight: Crab Haleakala; Deep-Dish Fresh Peach Cobbler; Turtle Soup Madrilene; Two-Layer Blueberry Pie

Shirley Knight's Crab Haleakala

1/2 cup poached boneless yellowtail (or bass)
1/2 cup poached boneless red snapper
1/4 cup Thousand Island dressing
2 large ripe avocados
Lemon juice
2 cleaned, cooked king crab legs
8 large cleaned, cooked shrimp
1 head Boston lettuce
4 black olives
Parsley

1. Flake and blend together poached fish with Thousand Island dressing; chill well.

2. Cut avocados in half from bud to stem end; remove nut, discard. Peel outer skin; squeeze with fresh lemon juice. Fill halves with chilled fish mixture. Shell and cut crab legs in half; place on top of each filled
avocado half.

3. Garnish with cooked shrimp. Place stuffed halves in bed of lettuce; garnish with parsley and black olives. Serves 4.

Thoughts: Fish can be poached by wrapping in cheesecloth. Prepare fish stock by combining equal parts water and dry white wine with salt, crushed peppercorns, bay leaf, chopped carrot, chopped onion and sliced lemon. Simmer stock 15 mins. before lowering fish in water. Poach fish, allowing 1 min. per ounce of weight.

Shirley Knight's Deep-Dish Fresh Peach Cobbler

2 cups flour
Pinch of salt
2/3 cup chilled butter
1 tablespoon shortening
About 4 tablespoons ice water
Peach filling
3 tablespoons softened butter
1 egg yolk, beaten
1 tablespoon water

In mixing bowl, sift together flour and salt. Cut in chilled butter and shortening until mixture is consistency of oatmeal. Add small amount of ice water, tossing mixture lightly with fork so moisture is evenly distributed. Press dough together quickly with fingers. Shape into flat ball. Cover loosely with aluminum foil. Refrigerate until firm.

Roll out dough on lightly floured board with floured rolling pin to fit oblong 2-quart casserole. Crust will be thick. Cut vents to allow steam to escape. Place crust on waxed paper. Place in refrigerator while preparing
filling.

Peach filling:

3 1/2 cups fresh peeled and sliced peaches (leave peel on 1 or 2 peaches)
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
Dash of salt

Place peaches in bowl. Sprinkle with lemon juice to flavor and keep peaches from turning brown. In another bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and salt. Mix well. Coat peaches with flour-spice mixture, tossing well wit spoon.

Pile peach filling into deep, well-greased 2-quart casserole. Bury peach pit in filling. Dot softened butter on filling. Top with crust. Seal edges of pastry with tines of fork. Combine beaten egg yolk and water and brush lightly on top of crust.

Bake at 450 degrees F. 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F. Bake 30 minutes longer or until crust is golden brown. Cool slightly before serving. Remove peach pit. If desired, serve with a scoop of vanilla ice
cream. Makes 6 servings.

Notes: Crust is very short and must be handled quickly. Crust is enough for a 2-crust, 9-inch pie but made into a thick crust. It makes a tasty topping to complement fresh peaches.

For flavor variation, add a few drops almond extract to filling in lieu of peach pit.

Shirley Knight's Turtle Soup Madrilene

Two 10 1/2 oz. cans clear green turtle soup
Small piece of bay leaf
1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste
2 tbsps. medium-dry sherry

1. Heat soup with bay leaf, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Cool and add sherry. Chill in refrigerator about 4 hrs. (or until stock has jellied). Spoon into small soup cups (or clear glass cups imbedded in crushed ice). Garnish with sieved hard-cooked egg, snipped parsley or sliced lemon. Serves 8.

Shirley Knight's Two-Layer Blueberry Pie

For the pastry:
2 cups flour
pinch salt
3 tbsps. sugar
2-3 cups butter (well chilled)
about 3 tbsps. cold water

Combine flour, salt and sugar in a bowl. Cut in butter with pastry blender (or two knives) until mixture looks like meal. Sprinkle with enough cold water until the flour-butter mixture can form a ball.

Gather dough together with fingers to clean the bowl. Press into ball. Wrap with aluminum foil; chill 15 mins. Roll out half the ball forming bottom crust.

Press lower crust lightly into bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate. Bake in preheated 400 degrees F. oven 5 mins. (or until crust just begins to brown). Remove from oven; cool. Add Filling.

For the filling:
1 qt. blueberries (cleaned, picked over carefully)
about 1 cup sugar (amount depends upon sweetness of the fruit)
pinch salt
3 tbsps. flour (optional)
pinch cinnamon
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
2 tbsps. butter

Combine blueberries, sugar, salt, flour, cinnamon and lemon juice. Fill partially cooked pie crust; dot with butter. Roll out top crust (either in lattice work or top crust cut with slits). Place over pie, sealing with lower crust by pressing around the edge of the pie plate. Bake in preheated 425 degrees F. oven about 35 mins. (or until crust is nicely browned and juice begins to bubble through slits in the upper crust). Serve slightly warm with whipped, lightly sweetened cream (or soft vanilla or peach ice cream). Serves 6.