Crab Cake Heaven & Allergy Hell
Again and again, I am so sorry that I have been writing so infrequently lately. Truth be told, I have been in no mood to write because…how do I put this…I have been feeling like crap. I feel bad admitting that to you because I know that you read in part to feel encouraged and enlightened about health and WELL-being, not ILL-being, which is how I have been feeling for weeks. It started with seasonal allergies last month, which have gotten progressively WORSE since the pollen field started growing behind my house. Oh sure, it looks nice blowing in the wind, but the truth is that every granule of pollen that sneaks into my house runs straight for my eyeballs, leaving me literally scratching them in hopes of dislodging even one (I have considered sewing my eyelids shut, but haven’t found a seeing eye dog on such short notice). From there came a serious pain in my neck, probably brought on by my pain in the neck allergies, pain in the neck taxes, pain in the neck selling/purchasing a new car, pain in the neck website building delays, and my pain in the neck attitude about it all (see why I haven’t been writing). Upon visiting the chiropractor after 3 days of inability to move my head from side to side, he asked me to stop sneezing otherwise I will throw my adjustment out. Thanks, doc, I’ll get right on that. Then just as I was starting to feel better, I came down with a nasty 48 hour flu. My mom thinks it hit me so hard because my immune system has been on hyper-mode defending itself from the aforementioned pollen invaders. The sickness has mostly subsided, but the allergies are here to stay, it seems indefinitely.
If you are still reading this pathetic diatribe, I will now reward you with a delicious recipe. Last week I made my favorite breakfast dish: Crab Cakes with Poached Eggs, Guacamole, and Lemon Hollandaise with Roasted Red Potatoes. Scrump-dilli-umptious!! It is a take-off of the one they serve at Tupelo Junction, but so much better (if i do say so myself). It is a bit labor intensive, but a great meal for a Sunday brunch or for anyone you just really want to impress. Make sure to get good quality crab meat. I Prefer Dungeness crab meat or blue crab, but used jumbo lump crab here. I am going to lay it out as separate recipes then show you how to assemble it at the end.
**will get pic, didn’t transfer**
Crab Cakes with Poached Eggs, Guacamole, and Lemon Hollandaise with Roasted Red Potatoes
Crab cakes:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup minced green onions
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
2-3 tablespoons mixed fresh herbs, minced (dill, parsley, tarragon, cilantro)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound blue crabmeat or Dungeness crabmeat
2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs),* divided
2 tablespoons (or more) butter
2 tablespoons (or more) grapeseed oil
Line baking sheet with waxed paper. Whisk first 10 ingredients in large bowl. Mix in crabmeat and 1 cup panko, breaking up crabmeat slightly. Let stand 10 minutes. Place remaining panko on rimmed baking sheet, spreading slightly. Form crab mixture into sixteen 2-inch-diameter patties, using about scant 1/4 cup for each. Press both sides of patties into panko. Transfer patties to waxed-paper-lined baking sheet. Cover and chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon oil in each of 2 heavy large skillets over medium-high heat. Add crab cakes to skillets and cook until golden on both sides, adding more butter and oil as needed, about 5 minutes total.
Poached Eggs:
1 teaspoon vinegar
8 very fresh large eggs
Combine 1 1/2 inches water (about 2 quarts) and vinegar in a wide 3-quart heavy saucepan (preferably about 9 inches wide) and bring to a simmer.
Break 1 egg into a small bowl or cup and slide egg into water. Repeat with each remaining egg, spacing them evenly in saucepan, and poach at a bare simmer until whites are firm and yolks are still runny, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer eggs as cooked to paper towels using a slotted spoon.
Guacamole:
2 ripe California avocados (1 pound total), quartered, pitted, and peeled
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 cup minced white onion
1 fresh serrano chile including seeds, minced (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt, or to taste
Mash together all ingredients in a bowl with a fork until incorporated, but still chunky.
Lemon Hollandaise:
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon cream
1 cup (1/2 pound) melted butter, cooled to room temperature
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice (for desired tartness)
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash of cayenne pepper
Use a small, thick ceramic bowl set in a heavy-bottomed pan, or a heavyweight double boiler. Off the heat, put the egg yolks and cream in the bowl or upper section of the double boiler and stir with a wire whisk until well-blended — the mixture should never be beaten but stirred, evenly, vigorously and continually. Place the container over hot water (if you are setting the bowl in water, there should be about 1 1/2 inches of water in the pan; in a double boiler, the water should not touch the top section). Stirring eggs continuously, bring the water slowly to a simmer. Do not let it boil. Stir, incorporating the entire mixture so there is no film at the bottom. When the eggs have thickened to consistency of very heavy cream, begin to add the cooled melted butter with one hand, stirring vigorously with the other. Pour extremely slowly so that each addition is blended into the egg mixture before more is added. When all the butter has been added, add the lemon juice or vinegar a drop at a time and immediately remove from heat. Add salt and a mere dash of cayenne.
Roasted Potatoes:
2 pounds small (1 1/2-inch) red potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 tablespoons olive or safflower oil
3/4 teaspoon coarse sea salt
Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss potatoes with oil and sea salt in a large baking pan, then arrange them cut sides down. Roast in middle of oven until tender and cut sides are golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes.
Assembling the meal and timing of prep work:
1. Assemble crab cakes and allow to rest (can make ahead, too).
2. Preheat oven for potatoes, prep potatoes and put in oven.
3. Make guacamole.
4. Boil water for eggs.
5. Fry crab cakes while making hollandaise sauce.
6. Poach eggs.
6. Assembly: For each plate, place 2 crab cakes down first, top each with a poached egg as soon as they come out of the water. Top with a dollop of guacamole and drizzle with hollandaise (use a bit of hot water to thin if necessary). Serve with roasted potatoes and herb salad (if desired).
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I guess life isn’t so bad after all.
