Top | Appetizers

Crab Cakes

(recipe, LB Nichols)

Introduction

FoodNetwork.com (Emeril)

Ingredients

  1. # 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  2. # 1 cup finely chopped yellow onions
  3. # ½ cup finely chopped celery
  4. # ¼ cup seeded and finely chopped red bell pepper
  5. # ¼ cup seeded and finely chopped yellow bell pepper
  6. # Salt
  7. # Cayenne
  8. # 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
  9. # 1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
  10. # ¼ cup chopped green onions, green parts only
  11. # ¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
  12. # 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
  13. # 1 tablespoon Creole mustard
  14. # ½ cup mayonnaise
  15. # 1½ cups dried fine bread crumbs
  16. # 1 cup vegetable oil
  17. # ¼ cup bleached all-purpose flour
  18. # 3 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
  19. # 1 large egg
  20. # 1 tablespoon water
  21. # 2 large baking potatoes, like russets, peeled and cut into shoestrings
  22. # Fresh Horseradish Sauce, recipe follows:
  23. * ¾ cup freshly grated horseradish or bottled, if not prepared with cream
  24. * 3 tablespoons minced shallots
  25. * 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  26. * 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
  27. * 1½ cups heavy cream
  28. * Salt and white pepper

Steps

  1. Melt the butter in a small saute pan over medium heat. Add the onions, celery and bell peppers. Season with salt and cayenne. Cook, stirring, until the vegetables are soft and slightly golden, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes. Cool for 5 minutes. In a large mixing bowl, combine the crabmeat, green onions, cheese, parsley, mustard, mayonnaise, the cooled vegetables and ¾ cups of the bread crumbs. Mix well. Divide the mixture into 10 equal portions and form them into 1-inch-thick cakes (patties). In a shallow bowl, combine the flour with 1 teaspoon of the Essence. In another bowl, whisk the egg with the water. In a third bowl, combine the remaining ¾ cup bread crumbs and 1 teaspoon of the Creole seasoning. Heat the remaining 1 cup oil to 360 degrees F in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Dredge the cakes first in the seasoned flour, tapping off any excess, then in the egg wash, letting the excess drip off. Dredge the cakes in the seasoned bread crumbs, coating them evenly. Gently lay the cakes, 3 to 4 at a time, in the oil and fry until lightly golden, about 4 minutes on each side. Preheat the fryer. Fry the potatoes in batches until golden brown, about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally for overall browning. Drain the cakes on paper towels. Season the cakes with the remaining teaspoon Creole seasoning. Drain the potatoes on paper towels. Season with salt. Spoon the horseradish sauce in the center of each plate. Lay the crab cakes in the center of the sauce. Spoon the corn and tomato salad over each cake. Pile the potatoes on top of the salad. Garnish with parsley.
  2. Horseradish Sauce:
  3. In a saucepan, combine the horseradish, shallots, garlic, mustard and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the liquid to a boil, whisking gently. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, for about 12 minutes. Remove from the heat and keep warm.