Erin Zircher - CRU Oyster Bar Nantucket cookbook: savoring four seasons of the good life

CRU

COOKBOOK

SAVORING FOUR SEASONS OF THE GOOD LIFE

ERIN ZIRCHER, CRU EXECUTIVE CHEF AND PROPRIETOR

JANE STODDARD, PROPRIETOR

CARLOS HIDALGO, PROPRIETOR

WITH MARTHA W. MURPHY

FOREWORD BY LULU POWERS

PHOTOGRAPHS BY WAYNE CHINNOCK

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TO OUR TREMENDOUSLY LOYAL GUESTS:

YOU HAVE BEEN INVALUABLE IN SHAPING THE CRU EXPERIENCE AS IT IS TODAY.

THANK YOU FOR CONTINUOUSLY INSPIRING US SEASON AFTER SEASON.

SOMETIMES YOU WANT TO GO WHERE EVERYBODY KNOWS YOUR NAME AND THEYRE ALWAYS GLAD YOU CAME YOU WANT TO BE

AT CRU OYSTER BAR NANTUCKET HARBOR.

Walking into CRU is like coming home, whether its your first time there or your hundredth. Sure its the place, but its really the people, a charming cast of characters that make this little gin joint sing. First there is Sweet Jane, the consummate hostess who runs CRU like a ship captain but is smiling no matter what. Carlos, Mr. Jazzamarazz, fills the room with his singular flair and sports the most wonderful pocket squares! Erin, the chef and consummate creative, is always whipping up something delicious and unforgettable. And finally Tommy, aka my boyfriend, who makes the best Sneeky in town at the back bar. Regulars and newcomers alike are treated like part of the gang, just spend five minutes at the back bar and youll see. CRU is one big happy family where everyone really does know your name.

Then of course there is the food. You cant leave without trying my favorites: the crispy calamari with harissa aioli and a CRUcomber cocktail. Who knew cucumbers and lemon balm could rise to new heights together? Also, CRUs hot buttered lobster roll on toasted brioche is in another league, which is saying a lot on Nantucket, where lobster rolls abound. And for dessert, grab a spoonful of the butterscotch dessert on your way out. Yum!

My favorite spot at CRU is the back bar at the end of Straight Wharf. When I was growing up, my family would gather there after Sunday mass, making new friends and memories over the perfect clam chowder. Later in the day, the sound of magnums popping over the chatter of the full crowd with the cool breeze coming in off the water is simply heaven. Its what I think of when Im missing our faraway island and the people there I love. It is what always brings me back, like a song.

So whether youre coming back or arriving on Nantucket for the first time, head straight to CRU and join the gang in the front room, back bar, or right on Straight Wharf. And dont forget to keep a CRU cookbook, for the moments when youre missing great friends and food. Just open it to any page and your table, along with a friendly smile, will be waiting.

Stroll down Straight Wharf and you will discover our restaurant, CRU Oyster Bar Nantucket, sitting directly on the waterfront of beautiful Nantucket Harbor; turn and look 180 degrees in the other direction and youll be facing handsome historic downtown Nantucket. The iconic island address of One Straight Wharf has a history as old as the towns. As you approach, we think youll find CRUs exterior to be pretty, but unassuming; clad in cedar shingles weathered to a silvery gray, accented with white trim, CRU looks like so many other classic Nantucket buildings. But step inside and youll find an interior that is as elegant and sleek as the yachts moored just beyond our windows. From our intimate, chic dining rooms, boisterous back bar, and waterfront deck, our guests enjoy unobstructed views of the harbor and, beyond it, Nantucket Sound. According to publications like Travel + Leisure, The New York Times, Saveur, and The Wall Street Journal among others, they also enjoy superlative food and cocktails, including the islands best raw bar.

While our name might imply that CRU is a raw bar onlythat feature is considered by many to be our hallmarkCRU is a full-fledged restaurant with an award-winning wine list, inventive cocktails, and French-influenced approach to local seafood and produce.

To us, however, CRU is more than what reviewers have praised as an unparalleled raw bar and chic, expertly run restaurant. It is a place where we do our best every day to present not only exquisite food prepared from the finest ingredients, superb wines and cocktails, and exceptional service, but also where we strive to offer a unique experience that is worthy of our guests and worthy of this magical place called Nantucket.

In this book, we are sharingfor the very first timerecipes for some of CRUs offerings. Deciding which ones to include was difficult! In the end, we gathered a selection that reflects a sampling of our guests favorites as well as our own. From rustic picnic fare to elegant dishes that call for a bottle of Pol Roger champagne, we believe this collection reflects the understated elegance and restrained sophistication that is the essence of our styleand of Nantucket itself.

As youll see, the recipes are arranged to follow the seasons, chapter by chapter, and reflect the islands bounty from early spring through the late fall. That said, each of us makes a point of traveling every year during the months CRU is closed to explore food and wine in other parts of the world. So you will taste influences from far-flung destinations, too.

The waters around Nantucket are the source of some of the worlds best seafood. Those delicacies have been the inspiration for our menu since we opened CRU: youll find within these pages recipes for Fluke Meunire; Harissa Grilled Tuna with Leeks Vinaigrette; Crispy Fried Oysters with Bibb Lettuce and Radish Rmoulade; and Crudo of Nantucket Bay Scallops with Ginger Mignonette and Pear, to name a handful. Recipes for Grilled Lobsters with Herb and Coral Butter; Lobster Rolls; Pernod-spiked Lobster Bisque; Lobster Salad with Grapefruit, Avocado, and Quinoa; and Lobster Cocktail with citrus and tarragon are included here, too.