Seems I make crab dishes pretty often. A quick search of this blog revealed quite a number of recipes that feature crab. It is surely something to love and makes a great treat on a special occasion or an easy weeknight dinner. You can easily make both the crab cakes and the sauce days ahead and keep them in the refrigerator until ready for use.
Roasted Red Pepper Sauce
This sauce can be used for any number of dishes but it is particularly good with seafood. I'm using it as a sauce for a stuffed fillet of sole next week, as well as for the crab cakes tonight. The sauce holds reasonably well in the refrigerator. Simply warm to room temperature before serving.
Ingredients
2 large red bell peppers
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/8 cup vinegar (red wine preferred)
4 cloves garlic -- roughly chopped
2 tablespoons honey -- or simple syrup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper -- to taste
Peppers roasted and skinned.
Add the vinegar, garlic, honey and Dijon mustard to the food processor bowl. Process for 30-40 seconds the scrape down the side of the bowl. With the motor running, slowly add the oil in a thin stream until it emulsifies. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Ingredients
2 large red bell peppers
1 teaspoon olive oil
1/8 cup vinegar (red wine preferred)
4 cloves garlic -- roughly chopped
2 tablespoons honey -- or simple syrup
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
3/4 cup olive oil
salt and pepper -- to taste
Cut the peppers in half and remove the seeds. Rub lightly with 1 teaspoon olive oil. Roast on the grill or under your oven's broiler on a foil-lined baking sheet until the peppers are slightly charred and tender. Let cool until you can handle them comfortably. Using your hands, peel off the charred papery skins. Roughly chop the roasted peppers and place them in the food processor and discard the skins.
Add the vinegar, garlic, honey and Dijon mustard to the food processor bowl. Process for 30-40 seconds the scrape down the side of the bowl. With the motor running, slowly add the oil in a thin stream until it emulsifies. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
Crab Cakes
The problem with many crab cakes is that they are too much cake and not enough good crab. I find this particularly so in the store bought or restaurant produced variety. This recipe ensures you have just barely enough 'cake' to hold them together. Your guests won't be disappointed! The hardest part of the entire recipe is tracking down a good brand of canned crab.
Ingredients
1 pound crab claw meat or 'lump' crab -- canned and drained
1 large egg
1 small green pepper, chopped and optional
1 small onion, finely chopped and optional
3 dashes hot sauce
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seafood seasoning
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 tablespoons parsley -- chopped
3/4 cup bread crumbs, Italian preferred
2 teaspoons cornmeal
2 tablespoons cooking oil
Whisk together all ingredients except for the crab meat, bread crumbs, cornmeal and cooking oil.
Add the crab and gently fold in. Add the bread crumbs and gently fold in.
Shape into patties about 2 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick for dinner portions, two per person. Or make smaller or use one per person as an appetizer.
Place on platter or in plastic container on wax paper. Dust lightly with corn meal. Refrigerate one hour. This will help to hold the cakes together during cooking.
Add oil to skillet and heat on medium until the oil is hot but not smoking. (If the oil is not hot it will simply absorb into the cakes and make them greasy.) Saute on medium heat turning once until golden brown.
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