You Only Turn 30 Once, Right Dad?

Once upon a time, I gave Hans Hanson the gift of fatherhood. And to have me as a daughter, well I'm just the gift that keeps on giving. So what do you do for the man who already has it all? Dinner!

My dad stopped celebrating his birthday a long time ago, but that obviously hasn't stopped me from doing so. I could never pass up the opportunity to make a special dinner for my father that says "Happy birthday, I love you sooooo much. Can I have $20?"

This year I went all out. Hey, I love the old man (and if I can get that $20 bumped up to a $50, Verizon and I would be ever so thankful). The birthday menu included Italian Sausage with Crusty Bread, Corn on the Cob, Mixed Greens with Champagne Vinaigrette, Alaskan King Crab Legs, and a Trio of Butters- Jalapeno Butter, Garlic Butter, and the triumphant return of the Vanilla Bean Butter. Served atop newspaper for a rustic feel.

This meal looks and tastes extravagant, but it practically cooks itself. Let's do it.


Ingredients:
1-2 lbs Italian Sausage links, cut into bite-sized pieces
1 white onion, sliced
2 tb olive oil
corn on the cob (2 per person...you can always use the leftovers)
2-3 lbs Alaskan King crab legs
1 large loaf of bread, broken into large pieces by hand
1 bunch parsley, chopped

Salad:
4 cps mixed greens
1 large tomato, wedged
2 tb champagne vinegar
1/2 cp olive oil
1 tb minced shallots (optional but delicious)
salt and pepper to taste

Trio of Butters:
4.5 sticks of salted butter
2 jalapenos, sliced
1 vanilla bean, plus vanilla extract if needed
5 cloves garlic, minced

*The butters aren't just for the crab. Imagine the jalapeno butter melting over the corn, the garlic butter being sopped up by the crusty bread, the vanilla butter smoothing out the spicy sausage...get creative!

Directions: (serves 4-6)
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

2. Get 3 small saucepans going over medium-low heat. Melt 1.5 sticks of butter in each pan. Remove flesh from vanilla bean. Add flesh plus bean to one pan, jalapenos to the second, and garlic to the third. Let simmer for the remainder of meal prep, keeping an eye on it, stirring occasionally, and lowering the heat if necessary. If you get nervous that it'll cook for too long, just remove from heat and put it back on 5 minutes before you serve. To make it pretty: use a spoon to skim the foam off of the top. Carefully pour the butter into a dish, leaving the gritty remnants on the bottom. Garnish with a fresh jalapeno slice, a clove of garlic, and the cooked vanilla seed.

3. Combine sausage, onions, and olive oil. Lay out mixture on a foil-lined baking sheet. Put crab legs in a baking pan with a few teaspoons of water on the bottom to create a little steam.

4. Bake both for about 20 minutes, throwing the bread into the oven on a baking sheet for the last 10 minutes to get it nice and crusty.

5. Salt boiling water and carefully add corn. Boil, uncovered, for ONLY 1 MINUTE. Remove from heat, cover the pot, and let them sit in the water for 10 minutes.

6. Add champagne vinegar to a small bowl. Continuously whisk vinegar while pouring olive oil slowly in a thin stream. Add shallots if you know what's up. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour over greens and tomato wedges.

7. Plate it up, add some lemon wedges, throw parsley over everything to make it look nice, and you're in business!

Happy Birthday to the best dad in the world. Thanks for the great memories, for the endless laughs, and for always paying my car insurance on time.









*What are your favorite flavored butters? Any other butter you'd like to see on here? Leave a comment!