Top | Appetizers
Crab Cakes
(recipe, LB Nichols)
Introduction
FoodNetwork.com (Emeril)
Ingredients
- # 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- # 1 cup finely chopped yellow onions
- # ½ cup finely chopped celery
- # ¼ cup seeded and finely chopped red bell pepper
- # ¼ cup seeded and finely chopped yellow bell pepper
- # Salt
- # Cayenne
- # 1 tablespoon chopped garlic
- # 1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
- # ¼ cup chopped green onions, green parts only
- # ¼ cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
- # 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
- # 1 tablespoon Creole mustard
- # ½ cup mayonnaise
- # 1½ cups dried fine bread crumbs
- # 1 cup vegetable oil
- # ¼ cup bleached all-purpose flour
- # 3 teaspoons Essence, recipe follows
- # 1 large egg
- # 1 tablespoon water
- # 2 large baking potatoes, like russets, peeled and cut into shoestrings
- # Fresh Horseradish Sauce, recipe follows:
- * ¾ cup freshly grated horseradish or bottled, if not prepared with cream
- * 3 tablespoons minced shallots
- * 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- * 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- * 1½ cups heavy cream
- * Salt and white pepper
Steps
- 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.
- Horseradish Sauce:
- 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.