Rosie Makes Crab Cakes

  When I make crab cakes, I go by the maxim "less is more," meaning less filler and more crab makes for a better cake.  Also, I'm not a big fan of mayonnaise, so that's not going into my mixture as a binder.

Crab meat where I live is running $18/lb for claw meat.  And claw meat is the cheapest available.  I think it's sweeter too and more flavorful, so that's what I always use.  

I'm only making 4 cakes today, so I'm just using 10 ounces of the crab meat, saving the rest for a delicious dip.

Rosie's Crab Cakes

10 oz. crab meat 

1 TB minced red pepper

1 TB minced celery

1 TB chopped parsley

1 egg

2 tsp Dijon mustard

juice of 1/2 lemon

1 tsp Lea & Perrins

1/2 tsp Tabasco

sprinkling of Old Bay seasoning

Add pepper, celery, and parsley to crab meat, mixing gently so as not to break up the meat.

Beat egg with mustard, lemon, Lea & Perrins, Tabasco, and Old Bay.  Pour into crab mixture, again mixing gently.

Divide crab meat mixture evenly among 4 tins and press in. 

Chill for at least 30 minutes.

Combine equal parts Panko bread crumbs and flour.  Grind some pepper into flour mixture or use Lawry's Pepper Seasoning.

Coat both sides of crab cake in crumb mixture.

Film a medium sized skillet with oil and add 2 TB butter.  Medium high heat.

When butter gets sizzly and foamy, add in crab cakes.  Sauté until golden brown on each side.

 

Serve with my apple/cranberry slaw, lemon wedges, more parsley, and my remoulade sauce.

Rosie's Remoulade 

1/3 cup mayonnaise  (I know I just said I don't care for mayo, but sometimes you gotta.)

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 tsp sweet relish

1 tsp minced dill pickle

Now that's a crab cake!

Oh...  Almost forgot.  The dip.

I had 6 ounces of crab meat left over so I decided to make my delicious crab meat dip.  I never bother to measure, so the proportions can be different every time, but not to worry, it's ALL GOOD!

Rosie's Crab Meat Dip

6 oz. crab meat

2 TB unsalted butter

heaping TB Brie cheese

heaping TB cream cheese

juice of one lemon

2 tsp Lea & Perrins

a few shakes of Tabasco

splash or more of sherry, to taste

In a small sauce pan, melt the butter, Brie, and cream cheese, stirring occasionally.  Stir in the lemon, Worcestershire sauce, and Tabasco.  Gently fold in the crab meat so as not to break up the lumps.  Heat through.  Add a splash or two of sherry.

Serve with an assortment of crackers for dipping.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OR, serve in buttered and baked wonton cups.

Here's HOW.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

OR, serve in a hollowed-out boule with the hollowed out part torn and toasted for dipping. 

If you'd like to gussy it up a bit, add some minced red peppers and sliced scallions and a dusting of paprika.

Enjoy.

Crab Meat Delight.

 

 

 Here's a delicious crab meat concoction I make.  I usually serve this as a dip but today,

 it's going into wonton cups.

 

 

Rosie's Crab Meat Dip

1/2 pound crab meat (I use claw.  Cheaper and sweeter.)

2 TB butter

2 TB brie
2 TB cream cheese

juice of one lemon

1 TB Lea & Perrins

1 TB sherry

In a small sauce pan, thoroughly melt butter, brie, and cream cheese.

Stir in lemon juice and Worcestershire sauce.

Carefully mix in crab meat, being gentle so as not to break up the lumps.

Heat through.  Give it a splash of sherry, or more, to taste.

For the wontons, brush muffin tins with melted butter or you can use a spray.  (I always use unsalted butter.)

Press in wontons to make a fluted cup and brush with melted butter.

Bake at 350° for about 7 minutes or until golden brown.

Fill with crab mixture.

 Enjoy.

Rosie Make Coconut Fried Shrimp With Pineapple Dipping Sauce.

 

  I love coconut fried shrimp and I've made it many times.  Sometimes with a wet batter - beer, club soda, or buttermilk.  Sometimes not.  But this three-stage station is the easiest way to make it. 

 

Only three containers to contend with and wash up, and it's the simplest way to do it.

Use jumbo shrimp for this recipe.

Step 1:  Dredge shrimp in mixture of flour and corn starch.  Half and half.  I save Chinese takeout containers for this.  Add a few shrimp at a time and shake shake shake.

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 2:  Run the floured shrimp through beaten eggs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step 3:  Shake shake shake in a container of 3 parts coconut, 1 part panko bread crumbs, and 1 part crushed Ritz crackers.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Have a large, heavy, deep pot with a couple inches peanut oil heated to 375°.  Carefully put in 5-6 shrimp, one at a time.  Do not crowd the pan.  Keep shrimp separated.  Fry about 60-75 seconds until golden brown.

 

 

Remove from oil and drain on rack.  Let oil come back up to temp before starting the next batch.  

Oil temperature is key.  Get an instant-read laser thermometer.  It makes life easy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the dipping sauce:

3 slices pineapple, finely chopped (I usually use a can of crushed, but I was out.)

2 TB pineapple juice from the canned slices

1/3 cup orange marmalade

1 TB soy sauce

1 TB Dijon mustard

1 TB horseradish

Mix all together in a small saucepan and heat over low until simmer.  Taste test and add more of anything you want.  This is just a starting point.  Adjust as you like.  Serve warm on the side for dipping.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy.