Crab Bon Bons Food

OVEN-ROASTED CRAB "BUON NATALE"

Steps:

• Crack the crab reserving the juices and tomalley. Set aside.
• Make the tomalley sauce by pushing the tomalley through a sieve with a wooden spoon into a small pot. Add the chili flakes, thyme, garlic, and lemon juice. Mix in the reserved crab juices and bring to a quick simmer over low heat. Give it a final quick stir and remove the pan from the heat. Pour the tomalley mixture into a small mixing bowl and allow it to cool. (Start roasting the crab once the tomalley sauce is cooling.) As soon as the tomalley sauce feels lukewarm to the touch, add the mayonnaise or aioli along with the salt and pepper. Taste and add more salt, pepper, or thyme, if you like.
• Put a rack in the middle or lower third of the oven and preheat the oven to 500 degrees F.
• On the stove, in a large oven-proof saute pan or casserole, heat the butter, olive oil, garlic, thyme, and lemon zest over medium-high heat until hot. Add crab pieces and season with salt, pepper, to taste, and mix well. Put the pan in the oven and cook until the crab is hot throughout and the garlic is golden brown. (Watch carefully; the crab heats very quickly and at 500 degrees F the garlic can burn easily.) Remove the crab from the oven, drizzle with 4 tablespoons of lemon juice and scatter the parsley over the top.
• To serve, stack the crab on a platter and drizzle with the tomalley sauce or serve the tomalley sauce in a small bowl and allow your guests to help themselves. Garnish the platter with lemon wedges and slices of garlic-rubbed toast. Serve immediately.

BONBONS

Steps:

• In large bowl, combine margarine, confectioners' sugar, condensed milk, coconut, chopped walnuts and vanilla. Stir well. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours, or until mixture has thickened enough to roll into balls. Roll the mixture into 1-inch balls and place close together, but not touching, on cookie sheets. Freeze until hard.
• While bonbons are freezing, line a cookie sheet or flat surface with waxed paper. Combine chocolate chips and shortening in the top of a double boiler, over, not in, simmering water. Stir until melted. Using a toothpick or a fork, dip each bonbon in the melted chocolate. Place on waxed paper to dry. When chocolate has hardened, store bonbons in plastic bag in the freezer.

COCONUT BON BONS

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, mix together butter, confectioners' sugar, and sweetened condensed milk. Mix in the coconut. Roll dough into 1 inch balls, and refrigerate until set, about 1 hour.
• Melt chocolate and shortening over a double boiler, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat when melted, and stir to make sure the shortening is fully incorporated. Use toothpicks to hold the balls while dipping in the chocolate. Set on wax paper to dry.

CRAB BON BON'S

Steps:

• Mix all ingredients except the Shake n Bake.
• Let the mixture stand until the moisture is absorbed and its soft enough to roll in your hands.
• (If mixture is too thin add crushed ritz crackers or bread crumbs, but wait until liquid is absorbed to add anything and if mixture is too thick I add a little more salad dressing!) Roll mixture into quarter size balls or larger, and then roll the balls into the Shake n Bake.
• Bake for 15 minutes on 400* (Makes 75 to 100 quarter size appetizers.).
• Serve them hot, or at room temperature.
• **Somepeople like to dip them in Cocktail Sauce, but I like them plain.

CRAB SALAD WITH DEEP-FRIED CRAB 'BON BONS' AND SMOKED BACON AIOLI

Steps:

• To make the dressing, preheat the oven to 220C/200C Fan/Gas 7. Place the crab shells, carrot, fennel, onion and celery on a baking tray and roast for 20-30 minutes, or until the vegetables are tender and golden. Transfer the roasted shells and vegetables to a large saucepan. Add the chicken stock and simmer for 1 hour. Strain, place back in the saucepan and cook to reduce down in volume to a sauce consistency. Mix the oil and vinegar in a small bowl. Pour this into the stock mixture, season with salt and pepper and mix to combine. Set aside.
• To make the crab 'bon bons', preheat a deep-fat fryer to 180C. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Mix the crab meat, spring onions, ginger, garlic, dill and lime juice together in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Roll into small balls, about the size of golf balls. Place the flour, egg and breadcrumbs in separate wide bowls and dip the balls into each bowl in turn. Deep fry for 2-3 minutes or until golden-brown, then transfer to kitchen paper to cool.
• To make the smoked bacon aioli, place the egg yolks into a food processor and, while the motor is running, pour the oil in gradually and very slowly until well combined and the mixture is thick and glossy. Add the garlic and bacon fat. Season with salt and pepper and add a squeeze of lemon juice. Scatter the bacon over the top.
• To make the crab salad, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
• Spoon the salad into a large serving bowl, pour over the dressing and top with the bon bons. Spoon over the aioli, garnish with the micro herbs and serve.

IRISH CREAM BON BONS

Steps:

• Mix first four ingredients together.
• Chill in a freezer bag overnight.
• Roll into balls.
• Melt chocolate and paraffin mixing well.
• Then dip each ball into chocolate mixture.
• Let set.