CRAB CAKES

No doubt the star of this recipe is the crab, so keep it the highlight!

Orange Beach, known as the “Redneck Riviera”, sits on the Gulf of Mexico in L. A. (Lower Alabama) and boasts the most beautiful wide soft white fine sand beaches you’ll ever sink your feet into. As a child, it was our summer vacation destination, and we carried the tradition on with our children. We continue to make the drive down several times a year.

The sometimes long line trails out the doors of Joe Patti’s Seafood market in Pensacola. The smell of salt water wafts through the air as you navigate your way to the center. There, you’ll find the ticket lady, clad in red, perched up on a metal bar stool. The place is buzzing, it moves fast, and you better be ready when they call your number. Gulf of Mexico wild caught jumbo crabmeat (Junior Barbour Seafood) is a must. I use Udi’s gluten fee frozen french baguettes for the bread crumbs.

CRAB CAKES

Ingredients

• 1 pound very fresh jumbo lump crab meat
• 1 loaf Udi gluten free French baguette
• 1 shallot minced
• 3 scallions minced
• 1 tbs olive oil
• 1/4 red bell pepper fine diced
• 1/4 yellow bell pepper fine diced
• 1 lemon – zest and juice
• nutmeg – a pinch
• dash of Tobasco or your favorite hot sauce
• 1 egg
• 3 tbs melted butter
• 4 tbs clarified butter

Thaw out one loaf of Udi’s French bread baguette to make fresh bread crumbs. Cut the crust off and process the rest in a food processor and season with salt and pepper. Set aside. Next, dice fine a slice each (1/4 of the pepper) of red bell pepper and yellow bell pepper and sauté in olive oil a few minutes until soft. Combine 1 pound crab meat, 1/2 the bread crumbs (reserving the other half to bread the crab cakes for frying), a tablespoon of lemon juice and a little zest, one egg beaten, 2 tbs chopped shallots, 2 tbs chopped scallions, the sautéd peppers, a pinch on nutmeg, a dash of hot sauce, salt and pepper. Lastly, divide into individual balls (I use an ice cream scoop).

Make an egg wash (one egg whisked with a tablespoon of water) and brush the tops of the crab cakes and gently coat with bread crumbs. Repeat on other side. Cook in clarified butter until golden on one side, then flip and brown the other side. Enjoy!

DRESS IT UP

Sauce Beurre Blanc

• 3/4 cup Chardonnay
• 3 tbs Sherry Vinegar
• 3 tbs White Wine vinegar
• 1 Shallot sliced
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 1 tbs heavy cream
• 1 stick butter
• fresh squeeze of lemon juice

If you want to take these to the next level, make this sauce beurre blanc. In a sauce pan over medium heat add 3/4 cup chardonnay, 3 Tbs sherry vinegar, 3 Tbs white wine vinegar, one sliced shallot, a couple of thyme sprigs and reduce to a syrup. Over low heat add a 1 Tbs of heavy cream and whisk in a stick of cold butter (a tbs at a time) until incorporated. Strain. Finish with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

“Bruno” checking out what’s going on in the backyard. We have a lot of deer – I love watching and photographing them, but they absolutely devour my hosta, pansies and daylilies!