Dan's Crab Cakes with Remoulade Sauce

Heading out to Block Island for a few days for vacation.... decided to make Crab Cakes with Remoulade Sauce... LOVE this recipe.  I usually serve it with home made cole slaw, and smashed crispy baby reds - both recipes are on the blog.

Here is the Crab Cake  recipe:

In a large stainless bowl:

1lb fresh crab meat ( I use claw - it's fine, and it's not worth spending 10 bucks more for lump - really doesn't make that much of a difference)
4 cloves garlic minced
1 shallot minced
3/4 cup frozen tri color pepper strips, minced when frozen
2 tbs butter
(combine last 4 ingredients in a fry pan, and saute till translucent,  then add to bowl with crab meat)
1/4 cup mayo
1 egg, beaten in a cup
2 tsp dill
3/4 cup parm cheese
3/4 cup bread crumbs
3 tbs old bay seasoning
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1/4 tsp ( to taste ) cayenne
3/4 tsp garlic powder
3/4 tsp celery salt
1 cup panko bread crumbs

Mix mixture in bowl until will mixed.  Let stand for an hour or so to let flavors blend.  When ready to cook, use 6 or 7 tbs of lite olive oil, and heat in fry pan till simmering.  While heating, form cakes into 3inch wide, by about 3/4 inch high patties.  Put panko crumbs on a plate, and coat each patty with the panko crumbs.  Fry for about 3 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crispy.  I often mix black pepper, garlic powder and parmesan cheese in with the crumbs.  Serve hot with Remoulade or Tartar sauce.  Serves 4.

Dan's Remoulade Sauce:

In a medium mixing bowl, combine:

3/4 cup mayo
2 tbs dijon mustard
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp horse radish
2 tbs chopped bread and butter pickles
1.5 tsp tobasco
1 tsp garlic powder
1.5 tbs capers, minced
2 shakes Worcestershire
2 tbs lemon juice

Whisk all ingredients together, and let sit in the fridge for at least one hour to blend flavors.

Pan Seared Salmon with a Balsamic Dijon Walnut Glaze

Was looking for a  different way to make salmon - I usually oven roast it ( see my post from 12/10/10 for the recipe - it's super easy and super tasty!)  Lynne suggested a glaze, so I thought,  hmmmmm - what's in the cabinet?  Dug up some walnuts, balsamic, brown sugar, and was in business.  This only takes about 10 minutes to make the glaze, and about the same for the fish.  Perfect for a night when you want to eat well, but not spend a ton of time over the stove!

The recipe for the glaze is as follows:

3/4 cup white wine ( I used the Chardonnay we were drinking )
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp old bay seasoning
about 1/4 cup brown sugar ( I used 5 heaping tbs)
2 large cloves garlic minced fine
4 tbs Dijon mustard

Reduce until it reaches a syrupy consistency

3 tbs honey
4 tbs walnuts ( 2 minced fine down to almost a powder for the glaze, and 2 rough chopped for the topping)

Bring all the ingredients to a boil in a small sauce pan ( I prefer a Saucier - the rounded sides work perfectly with a whisk)  Whisking often, let the liquid reduce until it is the consistency of a thick syrup.

Pan sear, then place under broiler

Start with a nice piece of salmon

For the fish, in an oven save fry pan, take a small salmon fillet, and pan sear flesh side down in 2 tbs olive oil for about 2 minutes.  Flip, and sear skin side for about the same time, or until center is still pink.  Layer glaze over the top with a spoon, and sprinkle the remaining almonds on top.  Place salmon under broiler for about 6 minutes until fish flakes with a fork.



We served this over mixed greens, with a balsamic/dijon vinaigrette - was REALLY good, and fairly healthy!

Lazy Dan's Lobster and Stuff! Decadent, easy and awesome!

OK, I have been VERY bad about posting recipes - been busier than a one legged man in a butt kicking contest... but Fall is coming, and Fall is COOKING season!!!   I have cracked the whip with my daughter Tory, whom I know has been cooking up a storm on her own -  to start posting recipes, and I will too!  I have a TON of great, simple tasty recipes - especially the ones I use in my cooking classes...... and all are coming!

Anyway, here is a good one... not for the diet, but boy oh boy, REALLY tasty!

Dan’s Lazy Man’s Lobster…..and stuff!

Decided on sea food the other night, definitely a lobster day.  Didn’t feel like cooking and shelling a couple of crustaceans, so I bought a 7 ounce pkg of frozen Main lobster meat, and went to town with a bunch of other stuff I had kicking around.  Thought shrimp, crab, scallops and lobster, perhaps a  bit of lemon zest for acidity and simmered in butter sounded pretty good........ so I went to town!  The result was a really nice, buttery, lemony seafood dish.  Sometimes, my Super Stop and Shop has some cooked lobsters for sale for about 5 bucks a pound - would be worth buying one for the tail meat, since the frozen packages are all arm and claw meat - but hey, lobster is lobster.... still tastes good!  If you let the mixture sit before you put it in the oven, it thickens a bit, which is nice....

Here are the ingredients:

1 small shallot, minced

5 cloves garlic, minced

¾ cup frozen bay scallops, thawed

8 jumbo shrimp, thawed, and shelled

1 can white crab meat, drained

zest of one lemon

1 stick butter, divided

½ cup minced frozen tri color peppers

2 oz dry white wine

kosher salt, fresh ground pepper to taste

¾ cup panko bread crumbs

½ cup parmesan cheese

In a med fry pan, sautee shallots, and garlic till tender over med high heat.  Add white wine, 3 tbs butter, shrimp and scallops, and sautee till sea food is tender and translucent – about 4 or 5 minutes or so.  Add peppers, crab, salt and pepper,lemon zest, and stir until peppers are thawed, and mixture is steaming – about 3 minutes or so.

Set oven to broil.

Melt remaining butter in a cup in the microwave.  Pour ½ into seafood mixture, and mix the remaining ½ with the Panko and Parmesan cheese.  Ladle seafood mixture into two oven ready ramekins ( about 10 oz), and cover with the buttered bread crumbs.

Set ramekins under broiler for about 5 minutes, till bread crumb topping is brown and seafood is bubbling.  Serve with side dish of rice or veggie – I sautéed Brussels Sprouts with shallots and garlic for this dish, and served with an awesome California Chardonnay… YUMMMM… very simple, incredibly decadent, and cost about $25 for 4 servings…… can’t beat that!