New Orleans Crab Cakes Food

NEW ORLEANS CRAB-CAKES

Steps:

• In a big heavy bottomed frying pan saute celery, peppers, onions, scallions in butter and oil. Add oregano, basil and thyme, salt and white pepper. Lastly add parsley and garlic and cook until soft. Leave to cool.
• Finely chop smoked salmon, then flatten it, using the blade of a kitchen knife. Add the salmon to the whipped cream in a large mixing bowl. Add dill and season with salt and white pepper. Add 1/2 of the lemon juice and blend gently with spoon. Add 1 tablespoon of the sauteed vegetables and herbs to the mousse. Fold egg whites into mousse.
• Check the crabmeat for pieces of shell and put in a large clean bowl.
• Season with a handful of bread crumbs, salt, pepper, hot sauce and remaining lemon juice.
• Fold in mousse, taking care not to over mix it. Fold in the rest of the vegetables and herbs and a handful of bread crumbs. Blend it together very carefully with your hands taking care not to break up any of the crabmeat and overwork the mousse.
• Gently work into little cakes and bread them with more bread crumbs. Set aside.
• Heat the butter and oil in a large heavy-bottomed frying pan. Fry the crab cakes until golden brown on each side. Only turn them once after the bottom side is browned.
• Blonde Remoulade:
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon red bell pepper, finely chopped
• 3 tablespoons green onion, finely chopped
• 1 garlic clove, finely chopped
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Creole mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon Creole seasoning
• 1 teaspoon capers, roughly chopped
• 3 tablespoons parsley leaves, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce (recommended Crystal's)
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• Chop all vegetable ingredients. Place in bowl and add remaining ingredients. Mix thoroughly then refrigerate.
• Yield: 6 to 8 servings

A NEW ORLEANS PLATE WITH CRAB CAKES, CREOLE SAUSAGE, AND CAJUN RéMOULADE

Steps:

• To make the rémoulade, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, scallion, parsley, capers, cornichons, and hot sauce in a small bowl and whisk to mix. Use right away, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
• To make the crab cakes, place the crabmeat, red bell pepper, chile, parsley, shallot, mustard, lemon juice, salt, egg, and 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs in a medium bowl, and mix gently with your hands until thoroughly blended. Divide the mixture into 8 equal portions, and pat each portion into a cake about 2 inches in diameter. Spread the remaining 1 cup bread crumbs on a plate. Coat each patty on both sides with the bread crumbs, pressing them to adhere. Place the patties on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside in the refrigerator to firm for at least 30 minutes or up to several hours.
• To cook the sausage, heat the 1 tablespoon oil in a large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add as many sausage balls as will fit without crowding and sauté, turning 3 or 4 times, until browned all around and just cooked through, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside in a warm place. If necessary, continue with another round, adding more oil to the pan if needed.
• To cook the crab cakes, melt the butter in a second large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add as many crab cakes as will fit without crowding and fry, turning once, until golden and crisp on both sides, about 8 minutes total. If necessary, continue with another round.
• To serve, spread the watercress on individual plates or a platter. Set the crab cakes on top and garnish each cake with a dollop of rémoulade. Arrange the sausage balls next to the crab cakes. Pass the remaining rémoulade at the table.