Cystal Cruise Line Recipes (2024)

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 18 oz semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 2 oz 2 ounces chopped separately grated zest of 1/2 orange, blanched juice of half orange
• 1 cup Grand Marnier
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter
• unsweetened cocoa powder for coating

• Chef’s notes The truffle mixture can be prepared one day in advance and formed the day of serving.

• Preparation in a medium saucepan, bring the cream to a boil. Add the 18 ounces chopped chocolate and stir until melted and smooth. Add the blanched zest, juice, Grand Marnier, and butter and stir until thoroughly mixed. Let cool. Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

  Remove the truffle mixture from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for about 15 minutes.

  In a double-boiler, melt the reserved 2 ounces chopped chocolate over barely simmering water, stirring until smooth.

  Form teaspoonfuls of the truffle mixture into one-inch-diameter balls. Using a wooden skewer, dip the truffles into the melter chocolate. Roll in the cocoa powder. Repeat to dip and coat the remaining truffles. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

• 4 6oz Chilean Seabass Filets
• 4 tbsp clarified butter
• 4 King Crab Legs
• 4 tbsp Lemon Oil
• Salt to taste
• fresh ground White Pepper to taste

Red Beet Cous Cous

• 1 cup Pearl Cous Cous (Israeli Cous Cous)
• 2 tbsp Melted Butter
• 2 Shallots peeled and fine chopped
• 2.5 cup Red Beet Juice
• 2 tsp Mascarpone Cheese
• 2 tsp cold butter
• 2 tsp grated Parmesan
• Salt to taste
• Fresh White Pepper to taste

• For the fish, pat dry the Seabass filets with kitchen towels and season with salt and freshly ground white pepper on both sides.Preheat oven to 350 F (175 C).

• Heat the clarified butter in a sauté pan and sear the fish, skin side down first, for one minute on each side. Transfer to a baking sheet and cook in the oven for 4-5 minutes.

• For the Cous Cous, heat the melted butter in casserole and sauté the shallots slowly until translucent, but not browned, about 2 minutes. Add the Cous Cous and sauté for one more minute. Add the Red Beet Juice and simmer until the Beet Juice is absorbed and the Cous Cous is tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the Cold Butter, Mascarpone and Parmesan Cheese, season to taste with Salt and White Pepper.

• To serve, remove the Crab Leg Meat from the shells, cut into 2 inch pieces and heat in a 350 F oven for 2 minutes until hot. Divide the hot Cous Cous amongst 4 Shallow Plates, top each with a Seabass Filet and the Crab Meat. Drizzle one tbsp Lemon Oil over the Fish and around the Cous Cous and serve.

Photo credit: Crystal Cruises

For the quesadillas:

• 8 10-inch flour tortillas
• 8 oz smoked salmon
• 1 cup cream cheese, whipped
• 2 cups Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• 2 tbsp chives, finely sliced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups mesclun lettuce
• 2 tbsp sour cream

For the salsa:

• 2 ruby red grapefruit segments (reserve juice)
• 1 medium jicama root peeled and diced (or substitute water chestnuts, radish or a crisp white turnip)
• 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 3 tbsp lime juice
• 1 small red onion minced
• 1 Serrano chile minced
• 2 tbsp fresh cilantro roughly chopped
• 2 tbsp fresh mint finely sliced
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 pinch ground cumin

• Make the salsa first; combine all ingredients, including grapefruit juice.

• Let sit for at least 20 minutes, then taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.

• To prepare the quesadillas, spread one tortilla with cream cheese; sprinkle with chives and add a layer of smoked salmon.

• Add shredded Monterey Jack and season with some cracked pepper. Top off with second tortilla round.

• Repeat three more times to create four quesadillas.

• Heat a nonstick skillet, large enough to fit a quesadilla, and lightly grease with some olive oil.

• Place tortilla in pan, and fry slowly until cheese is melted and tortilla is crisp and lightly golden.

• Repeat for remaining quesadillas.

• Serve quesadillas with salsa and guacamole on the side.

Bread Pudding

• 10 oz brioche or egg bread, crust removed, cut into ½ inch dice. (About 8 cups)
• 4 oz white chocolate coarsely chopped
• 6 eggs
• 1/2 cup sugar + 2 tbsp extra
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract
• 2 1/2 cups milk

Caramelized Coffee Sauce

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 tbsp Kahlua

Garnish

• 8 scoops vanilla ice cream
• chocolate covered coffee beans
• white chocolate curls

• Chef’s Notes:

  The puddings can be made 1 day in advance, covered, and refrigerated. Reheat before serving. The homemade vanilla ice cream can be replaced by a good-quality commercial ice cream. Kahlua is a coffee liqueur, which can be substituted with strong espresso coffee if desired.

• Preparation:

  To make the bread pudding: preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease the bottoms and the sides of eight 3-½ inch diameter soufflé dishes with soft butter. Coat the sides and bottoms of the dishes with sugar and tap out the excess. Fill each dish half full with bread cubes. Divide the white chocolate pieces evenly among the dishes. Top with the remaining bread cubes.

  In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla together. Warm the milk and whisk it into the egg mixture until blended. Divide the milk mixture evenly among the dishes. Place the dishes in a baking pan and add hot water to come halfway up the sides of the dishes. Bake the puddings for 45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a pudding comes out clean.

• To make the sauce: in a small, heavy saucepan, melt the sugar over low heat, stirring constantly, until golden brown. Remove from heat. Meanwhile, in another saucepan, heat the cream until small bubbles form around the edges of the pan. Gradually whisk the cream into the caramelized sugar. Stir in the Khalua.

• To Serve

  Drizzle sauce on each plate. Run a knife around the edge of each pudding and invert to unmold. Place a pudding, right side up, in the center of each plate. Top with ice cream. Garnish with the chocolate-covered coffee beans and white chocolate curls.

Makes 8 Individual Puddings