Fill a tiered platter with just as much seafood as it can hold comfortably; refrigerate the rest until you are ready to replenish the platter.

　　

Ingredients

serves 6 to 8

　　

For the Court Bouillon

1/2 bottle (375 ml) dry white wine

　　1/4 cup coarse salt or sea salt

　　2 lemons, halved

　　1 teaspoon paprika

　　1 teaspoon coriander seeds

　　1 teaspoon celery seed

　　3 bay leaves

　　

For the Fruits de Mer

2 live lobsters (each 1 1/4 pounds)

　　6 king crab legs (1 3/4 pounds total)

　　2 pounds large shrimp in shells

　　24 oysters

　　12 littleneck clams

　　

For Serving

Crushed ice

　　2 to 4 ounces caviar, such as North American osetra

　　Toast Points (page 74)

　　Saffron Mayonnaise (recipe follows)

　　Classic Cocktail Sauce (recipe follows)

　　Mignonette Sauce (recipe follows)

　　Lemon wedges

　　

Saffron Mayonnaise

1 large egg

　　Pinch of dried mustard

　　Coarse salt

　　1/2 cup light olive oil

　　1/2 cup canola oil

　　1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

　　1/4 teaspoon saffron threads

　　(makes about 1 cup)

　　

Classic Cocktail Sauce

2 tablespoons grated peeled fresh horseradish (or prepared horseradish)

　　2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

　　1/4 teaspoon coarse salt

　　3/4 cup ketchup

　　1/4 teaspoon hot sauce (optional)

　　(makes about 1 cup)

　　

Mignonette Sauce

1 shallot, finely chopped

　　1 1/2 teaspoons coarsely ground pepper

　　1/2 cup sherry vinegar

　　1/2 cup champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar

　　(makes about 1 cup)

　　

Step 1

Make the court bouillon: Prepare a large ice-water bath. Fill a 3-gallon pot with cold water. Add the wine, salt, lemons, paprika, coriander seeds, celery seed, and bay leaves. Bring to a boil.

　　

Step 2

Cook the seafood: Add the lobsters, head first, to the court bouillon. Cover; return to a boil. Cook 10 minutes. Using tongs, transfer the lobsters to the ice-water bath. Add the crab legs to the court bouillon. Return to a boil; cook 8 minutes. Transfer the lobsters to a plate; immediately add the crab legs to the ice-water bath, adding more ice as needed. Add the shrimp to the court bouillon. Return to a boil; cook until the shrimp are pink and opaque, about 3 minutes. Add the shrimp to the ice-water bath; let the crab legs and shrimp cool completely. Transfer to a plate.

　　

Step 3

Separate the tails, claws, and knuckles from the lobsters; using kitchen shears or a knife, split the tails lengthwise through the shells, then halve crosswise. Crack the claws and knuckles so the meat can be easily removed. Separate the crab legs at the knuckles. Using kitchen shears, cut away a piece of shell so the meat can be easily removed. Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails intact. Transfer the lobster pieces, crab legs, and shrimp to a rimmed baking sheet; wrap tightly in plastic. Refrigerate until ready to serve, or overnight.

　　

Step 4

Assemble the platter: Just before serving, fill a 3-tiered glass serving stand with crushed ice. Shuck the oysters and clams; set them flat on the bottom tier so the juices do not spill. Arrange the lobsters and shrimp on the middle tier. Put the caviar into a small bowl, and set it in the center of the top tier; arrange the crab legs around the caviar. Serve with toast points, saffron mayonnaise, the cocktail sauce, mignonette sauce, and lemon wedges.

　　

Saffron Mayonnaise

Step 5

Process the egg, mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor until pale and foamy, about 1 1/2 minutes. Combine the oils; with the machine running, add the oil, drop by drop, through the feed tube until the mixture begins to thicken (about 1/4 cup oil; do not stop the machine). Add the remaining oil in a slow, steady stream, processing until incorporated. Gradually add 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice.

　　

Step 6

Grind the saffron with a mortar and pestle. Transfer to a bowl. Add the remaining teaspoon lemon juice; let stand until the liquid turns yellow, 5 minutes. Strain; discard the saffron threads.

　　

Step 7

Put the mayonnaise into a small bowl; drizzle in the saffron liquid, stirring. Season with salt, if desired. Cover; refrigerate until ready to serve, or overnight.

　　

Classic Cocktail Sauce

Step 8

Stir together the horseradish, lemon juice, and salt in a small bowl. Stir in the ketchup and hot sauce, if desired. Cover; refrigerate until ready to serve, or overnight.

　　

Mignonette Sauce

Step 9

Stir together the shallot, pepper, and vinegars. Let stand 20 minutes before serving.

　　Reprinted with permission from The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook: The New Classics by Martha Stewart Living Magazine, copyright © 2007. Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of The Crown Publishing Group.Buy the full book from Amazon.