Maryland Crab Cakes Recipe
Yield: 6 large crab cakes
Description
Ingredients
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 cup (60g) mayonnaise
- 1 Tablespoon chopped fresh parsley (or 2 teaspoons dried)
- 2 teaspoons dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning (up to 1 and 1/2 teaspoons for a spicier kick)
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice, plus more for serving
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1 pound fresh lump crab meat
- 2/3 cup Saltine cracker crumbs (about 14 crackers)
- optional: 2 Tablespoons melted salted or unsalted butter
Instructions
- Whisk the egg, mayonnaise, parsley, dijon mustard, worcestershire sauce, Old Bay, lemon juice, and salt together in a large bowl. Place the crab meat on top, followed by the cracker crumbs. With a rubber spatula or large spoon, very gently and carefully fold together. You don’t want to break up that crab meat!
- Cover tightly and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 day.
- Preheat oven to 450°F (232°C). Generously grease a rimmed baking sheet with butter or nonstick spray or line with a silicone baking mat.
- Using a 1/2 cup measuring cup, portion the crab cake mixture into 6 mounds on the baking sheet. (Don’t flatten!) Use your hands or a spoon to compact each individual mound so there aren’t any lumps sticking out or falling apart. For extra flavor, brush each with melted butter. This is optional but recommended!
- Bake for 12-14 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges and on top. Drizzle each with fresh lemon juice and serve with remoulade.
Remoulade Sauce Recipe
Yield: Makes about 1 1/2 cups
INGREDIENTS
- 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
- 1/4 cup mustard (Creole mustard if possible)
- 1 Tbsp sweet paprika
- 1-2 teaspoons Cajun or Creole seasoning
- 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
- 1 teaspoon pickle juice (dill or sweet, your preference)
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce (preferably Tabasco)
- 1 large clove garlic, minced and smashed
METHOD
- Mix all the ingredients together in a medium bowl. The remoulade is better if left for a few hours to let the flavors meld. Keep refrigerated.
Homemade Dutch Oven Bread
Yield two loaves
Ingredients
- 4 cups lukewarm water, between 90˚-110˚F
- 4 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast
- 8 cups all-purpose flour, lightly packed and leveled off, plus more for dusting
- 3 teaspoons kosher salt
- 2 teaspoon olive oil
Preparation
- Stir the yeast into the water and allow the yeast to bloom until foamy.
- In a large bowl, mix together the flour and salt by hand. Once incorporated, create a small well in the middle and pour in the water and yeast mixture.
- Mix by hand, wetting your working hand before mixing so the dough doesn’t stick to your fingers. The water and flour should come together and a form rough dough that pulls away from the sides of the bowl. If the dough is too sticky, add more flour in small increments, about 1 tablespoon at a time. If the dough is too dry, add more water, 1 tablespoon at a time.
- Once the dough comes together, cover and let rise until doubled in size (about 1 ½-2 hours).
- Uncover the dough and give it a few pokes with your finger. If the dough has risen properly, it should indent under the pressure of your finger and slowly deflate.
- Using your hand or a rubber spatula, start from the rim of the bowl to work the dough loose from the sides and fold it up and towards the center of the bowl. Turn the bowl 90 degrees and repeat until all the dough has been pulled from the sides and folded towards the center.
- Once finished, cover and let the dough rise again for another 1 ½-2 hours.
- Once the dough has doubled in size again, gently transfer it from the bowl to a lightly floured surface.
- Sprinkle a bit of flour on top of the dough. Using your hands, begin to shape it into a loaf. Fold the dough under itself several times to form a ball, then pinch together the seams of dough underneath.
- Place the dough seam-side down in a clean bowl that has been lightly coated with olive oil and dusted with flour.
- Cover and let rise for 1 hour.
- Meanwhile, place a 6-quart Dutch oven (or heavy cooking pot with oven-safe lid) inside the oven. Preheat the oven to 450˚F (230˚C) with the pot inside for 45 minutes-1 hour.
- Carefully remove the pot from the oven and place it on a trivet or heat-safe surface. (Be careful! It’ll be VERY HOT.)
- Turn the proofed dough over onto a lightly floured surface and carefully place it inside the pot.
- Cover with the lid and return the pot to the oven.
- Bake for 45 minutes, removing the lid for the last 15 minutes.
- Remove bread from pot, cover, and let cool for 10 minutes before slicing.
Bread Pudding Recipe
Yield: Makes 24 servings
INGREDIENTS
For the Bread Pudding:
- 2 cup raisins
- 2 loaf French bread, at least a day old, cut into 1-inch cubes (about 6-7 cups)
- 2 quart milk
- 6 large eggs
- 4 cups sugar
- 4 tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup Kentucky bourbon whiskey
- 1/2 teaspoon allspice
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 6 tablespoons butter, melted
For the Bourbon Sauce:
- 1 cup (2 stick) butter, melted
- 2 cup sugar
- 2 large egg
- 1 cup Kentucky bourbon whiskey (less or more to taste)
METHOD
- Soak the raisins: In a small bowl, combine the raisins with 1/2 cup bourbon. Cover and soak for 1 to 2 hours. The raisins should soak up most of the bourbon in this time.
- Soak bread in milk: Preheat oven to 350°F. Place milk in a large mixing bowl and add the bread that has been cut into squares. Press the bread into the milk with your hands until all of the milk is absorbed.
- Add the egg mixture: In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, then whisk in the sugar, vanilla, allspice and cinnamon. Pour over the bread and milk mixture. Add the bourbon soaked raisins (with or without the remaining soaking liquid, according to taste). Stir gently to combine.
- Transfer to pan and bake: Pour the melted butter into the bottom of 2 each 9×13 inch baking pan. Coat the bottom and the sides of the pan well with the butter. Pour the bread milk and egg mixture into the baking pan.
- Bake at 350°F for 35-45 minutes, until the liquid has set. The pudding is done when the edges start getting a bit brown and pull away from the edge of the pan. Can also make in individual ramekins.
- Make the bourbon saucewhile the bread pudding is cooking. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan on low heat. Add the sugar and egg and whisk to blend well. Slowly cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, then remove from heat. Do not allow the mixture to simmer! (Or the sauce will curdle. By the way, if your sauce curdles, just take it off the heat and blend it smooth in a blender.)
- Whisk in bourbon to taste. Whisk again before serving. The sauce should be soft, creamy, and smooth.
- Serve: Serve the bread pudding with bourbon whiskey sauce on the side; pour on to taste. Best fresh and eaten the day it is made.
Ginger-Mango Flank Steak
Yield: 6 servings
Ingredients
Marinade:
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic paste or sriracha
- 1 tablespoon lemon zest
- 2 tablespoons finely minced ginger
- 2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1/3 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 cup ponzu (citrus seasoned soy sauce)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 pound flank steak
- 1 teaspoon canola oil
- 1 cup Ginger Mango Barbeque Sauce, recipe follows
Ginger-Mango Barbeque Sauce Ingredients:
- 2 ripe mangoes, peeled, seeded, and coarsely chopped
- 1 tablespoon seasoned rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic paste or sriracha
- 1/2 cup marinade reserved from flank steak
Directions
- Combine all ingredients for the marinade in a bowl and mix well.
- Place steak in a bowl and add the marinade and refrigerate overnight.
- Preheat grill over medium-high heat.
- Remove steak from marinade bag and remove as much of the marinade as possible.
- Reserve 1 cup marinade for barbeque sauce.
- Season the steak with kosher salt and pepper.
- Brush grill lightly with oil
- Grill steak for 2 1/2 minutes, rotate on same side 45 degrees (to create grill marks) and grill for another 2 1/2 minutes.
- Flip steak and cook for an additional 5 minutes on the other side, rotating 45 degrees after 2 1/2 minutes.
- Remove from grill pan and allow the steak to rest for 10 minutes under a foil tent.
- Slice steak against the grain as thinly as possible.
- To serve, drizzle meat with barbeque sauce and a swipe of mango puree
Ginger-Mango Barbeque Sauce Directions
- Puree mangos in a blender.
- Add rice wine vinegar and chili garlic paste and blend until all ingredients are incorporated (the color should be a bright orange-red).
- Bring reserved marinade to a simmer. Lower heat to medium-low and reduce to about half (about 10 minutes over medium-low heat).
- The sauce can be strained at this point to remove the bits of garlic and ginger (the flavor is slightly less intense but it makes for a nicer presentation).
- Add about half of the mango puree and cook for another 2 minutes. Set aside. Save the other half of the mango puree for garnish.
Pineapple Salsa
YIELD: 3-1/2 cups.
Ingredients
- 2 cups diced fresh pineapple
- 2 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
- 3/4 cup chopped sweet onion
- 1/4 cup minced fresh cilantro
- 1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
- Tortilla chips
Directions
- 1. In a large bowl, combine the first 10 ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until serving.
Grilled Spicy Shrimp
INGREDIENTS
- 1 large clove garlic
- 1 tablespoon coarse salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 teaspoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
- 1 ½ to 2 pounds shrimp, in the 15-to-18-a-pound range (or smaller, if skewered), peeled, rinsed and dried
- Lemon wedges
PREPARATION
- Start a charcoal or gas grill, or heat the broiler. Make the fire as hot as it will get, and put the rack close to the heat source.
- Mince garlic with salt; mix with cayenne and paprika, then make into a paste with olive oil and lemon juice. Smear paste on shrimp skewers. Grill or broil shrimp, 2 to 3 minutes a side, turning once. Serve immediately or at room temperature, with lemon wedges.
