Just one of those Saturday afternoons that had me running. The last stop was Whole Foods where I found one package left of lump Crab and all I could think of was……Crab Cakes.
Mostly Crab in these Cakes
I got a sourdough baguette also since I didn’t have either the time or the energy to make some bread for dinner. And since I was going to serve the Crab Cakes over a salad, that would be perfect.
When I got home, I got out a recipe I’ve been wanting to try—a Mark Bittman recipe that I found on line—for Crabby Crab Cakes.
Cleaning the Lettuce
Equal Parts Oil & Butter
Ingredients
Shaped & Resting
1 pound fresh lump crab meat
Ingredients
1 egg
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (optional)
Sauteeing
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons flour, more for dredging
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil or neutral oil, like canola or grape-seed
4 tablespoons butter (or use a total of 4 tablespoons oil)
Lemon wedges
1. Gently combine crab, egg, mustard, salt, pepper and 2 tablespoons flour. Cover mixture, and put in freezer for 5 minutes. Shape mixture into 4 hamburger-shaped patties. Line plate with plastic wrap, and put crab cakes on it. Cover crab cakes with more plastic wrap, and refrigerate them for about 30 minutes (or as long as 1 day), or freeze for 15 minutes.
2. Put flour for dredging in a bowl. Combine oil and butter in 12-inch skillet, and turn heat to medium. When butter melts and its foam subsides, gently dredge a crab cake in the flour. Gently tap off excess flour, and add crab cake to pan; repeat with remaining crab cakes, and then turn heat to medium-high.
3. Cook, rotating cakes in pan as necessary to brown the first side, 5 to 8 minutes. Turn, and brown the other side (it will take slightly less time). Serve cakes hot, with lemon wedges.
The cocktail I made to go with the Crab Cakes was one I found in a cocktail book and copied. Forgot which book but it was interesting because it’s called a Maiden’s Blush, which is a drink always made with gin and in this book they call for vodka. So, either, they misnamed the cocktail or just made up a brand new drink.
Maiden’s Blush (supposedly)
Making the Cocktail
1 oz. vodka
½ oz. Limoncello
1 oz. Tangerine juice
½ oz. Pomangrante juice
Combine, shake over cracked ice, strain into a chilled glass.
The first time I made it with Tito’s. The alcohol tasted pretty raw in this version. Unfortunately, because I like Tito’s.
The Version with Tito's
The second time I used Grey Goose. Darn! It was much smoother and tastier with the more expensive GG.
Crab Cakes were good and 6 oz. of crab made a big meal over a plate of salad.
The sourdough baguette was a perfect side dipped in olive oil.
Boutique Olive Oil-UC Davis
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