3697. BACON CRAB CAKES with PIMIENTO-CORN RELISH

yields four servings 


4 strips smoked bacon

For the relish:
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1/2 small onion, finely chopped
1 1/2 cups corn kernels (from about 3 ears of corn)
Salt and pepper
2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 4-ounce jar diced pimientos, drained

For the crab cakes:
1 pound lump crab meat
1 large egg, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 small onion, finely grated
1 clove garlic, finely grated
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/4 to 1/2 cup crushed pretzels, as needed
3/4 teaspoon seafood seasoning, such as Old Bay
Few dashes hot sauce
Salt

 

Place a large saute pan over medium heat and cook the bacon until golden brown and crisp, 7 to 8 minutes total. Reserve about 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat in a dish and 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pan. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to cool.

 

Return the pan to medium heat and add the celery, onion, corn and some salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables until beginning to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vinegar, sugar and pimientos to the pan and cook until the vinegar has reduced and the corn is tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Adjust the seasoning as needed and set the relish aside to cool.

Place a large skillet over medium heat with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat. In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients for the crab cakes, along with the reserved crisp bacon, adjusting the seasoning as needed with salt and pepper. Working in batches as needed, scoop out about 1/4 cup of mix for each crab cake and cook in the bacon fat, turning once, until golden brown and heated through, about 3 minutes per side.

As batches finish cooking, reserve them on a plate; add more bacon fat to the pan as needed throughout cooking.

Serve the warm crab cakes over warm or room temperature relish.


bacon recipe source: Patrick Decker, Cooking Channel TV

2505. CRAB CAKE BENEDICT with BACON HOLLANDAISE

serves four


12 oz. crabmeat, picked over to remove any stray shell pieces
1/4 cup mayonnaise
30 Ritz crackers, crushed
1/2 onion, small, finely diced
1/2 stalk celery, finely diced
1/4 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
salt
pepper

3 slices bacon, thick cut, diced
8 tablespoons butter, clarified
2 each egg yolks
2 tablespoons white wine
pinch cayenne pepper
lemon juice, freshly squeezed

8 each eggs
vegetable oil

In a medium bowl, combine the crabmeat with the mayonnaise, crackers, onion, celery and seasonings. Mix well and allow to chill for 1/2 hour.

To make start making the Hollandaise sauce render the bacon until brown and crispy. Remove from heat and drain off the bacon fat, combining it with the clarified butter. In a medium sized pot bring about 1″ of water to a simmer. Place the yolks in medium sized mixing bowl along with the wine. Place the bowl over the simmering water and cook the eggs, whisking constantly, until the eggs are thick enough to hold a line drawn through them. This is known as the ribbon stage. Remove from the heat and very slowly, a bit at a time, drizzle in the butter-bacon grease mixture, whisking constantly so that the fat is emulsified into the egg yolks. Add the cayenne and squeeze of lemon juice and taste for salt, adding a bit, if necessary. Place in a warm, but not too hot spot as you finish the dish.

Divided the crab mixture into 8 equal patties. Heat some vegetable oil in a large skillet, over medium high heat and cook the crabcakes, in 2-3 batches depending on the size of your skillet, about 3 minutes per side. Meanwhile poach your eggs, again in batches if necessary.

As everything finishes up stir the crispy bacon into the Hollandaise sauce. Place two crabcakes on each of 4 plates. Top each with a poached egg and spoon some of the Bacon Hollandaise over top.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Peter Martin, Once a Chef Always a Chef: From Humble Eats to Haute Cuisine; A Life Spent Cooking, February 11, 2012

1930. CRAB CAKES with BACON

1 lb lump crab meat
2 strips of bacon, finely chopped
2 tablespoons minced shallots
1 rib celery, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup minced parsley
3-4 tablespoons fine cracker or bread crumbs (low salt)
1-1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
Salt and black pepper, to taste
Pinch of cayenne
1 egg, beaten
1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
2 tablespoons melted butter plus 1 Tbsp vegetable oil

Check through crabmeat, removing any bits of shell (and any extra moisture, while being careful not to break it up too much). Fry bacon in a frying pan until lightly browned. Add shallots, celery and garlic and cook until soft but not brown, about 2 minutes more. Transfer to a mixing bowl and let cool.

Stir in crab, herbs, cracker crumbs, Old Bay, salt, pepper and cayenne. Fold in the egg and enough cream to obtain a moist but firm consistency. If it is too wet, add a few more crumbs. Wet your hands with water and form the crab mixture into 4 large or 8 small cakes, and place on a plate. Wrap the plate wax paper and refrigerate for 30+ minutes.

Just before serving, heat the butter and oil in a nonstick pan. Pan-fry the cakes until crusty and golden, about 3 minutes per side (longer for larger cakes). OR, cook under the broiler for 3 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and serve with tartar sauce.


bacon recipe courtesy of: Lydia Walshin, The Perfect Pantry, February 25, 2007

872. CRAB CAKE BLT SANDWICHES

Crab Cake Ingredients
5 to 6 slices white sandwich bread
3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 large egg yolk
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Tabasco sauce
2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh or dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
5 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1 pound Dungeness crabmeat, picked over and drained

Horseradish Mayonnaise Ingredients
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt

Sandwich Ingredients
18 slices thick-cut bacon (a little more than 1 pound)
About 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
12 slices firm white sandwich bread, such as Pepperidge Farm
6 slices tomato
6 butter lettuce leaves

To prepare the crab cakes, tear up the bread and pulse in a food processor to make fine, soft crumbs (you should have about 5 cups).

Transfer the bread crumbs to a shallow pan and mix in 1/2 cup of the parsley.

In a food processor, combine the egg yolk, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, mustard, paprika, thyme, celery seeds and black pepper. Pulse to combine. With the motor running, add the oil through the feed tube in a slow, steady stream until the mixture emulsifies and forms a mayonnaise. Transfer the mayonnaise to a bowl.

In a large bowl, combine the onion and bell peppers with the remaining 1/4 cup parsley. Add the mayonnaise and crabmeat and mix lightly. Using a rubber spatula, fold in 1 cup of the bread crumb mixture. Do not overwork the mixture or the crab cakes may get gummy.

Gently form 6 cakes and flatten them into patties about 1/2 inch thick. Dredge the patties lightly in the remaining bread crumb mixture. If you have time, cover the crab cakes with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour or longer.

To prepare the mayonnaise, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl and mix well. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt as necessary. Cover and refrigerate.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Put the bacon on a baking sheet, place it in the oven, and cook until crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain on paper towels. Place 2 large, nonstick skillets over medium heat and add about 2 tablespoons of the butter to each pan. Add 3 crab cakes to each pan and slowly fry them for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until they are golden brown and heated through.

Preheat the broiler. Place the bread on a baking sheet and toast under the broiler, turning until light golden brown on both sides. Lightly spread each slice of bread with the horseradish mayo. Put the cooked bacon on a baking sheet and warm it briefly under the broiler.

Place 1 side of toast, mayo side up, on each plate. Top each with 1 crab cake, 3 pieces of bacon, a tomato slice, and lettuce leaves. Place a second slice of toast on top, mayo side down.


courtesy of: The Crab Cake Guy / Chef Tom Douglas