Special Recipes
By Carole Kotkin

Crab Cakes with Plum Tomato Confit
adapted from a recipe by Executive Chef Michael Mina Aqua, San Francisco

For the crab cake mix:

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced small
1 stalk celery, diced small
1 pound fresh crabmeat (Dungeness or blue crab)
1/4 cup mayonnaise, either homemade or good quality store-bought
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon chives, chopped
21/2 tablespoons Panko (Japanese bread crumbs, available in Asian markets)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion and celery until soft. Set aside.

In a large bowl, mix crab, mayonnaise, parsley, chives, sautéed vegetables and enough Panko to hold the mixture together. Season to taste. Form the mixture into 12 1" by 11/4" patties.

For the breading:

1/2 cup Wondra flour
2 eggs beaten with a little water
1 cup Panko
Place flour, egg mixture and Panko crumbs in 3 shallow bowls. Toss crab cakes in the flour, then eggs, then crumbs so that each cake is evenly coated. Place them on a baking sheet lined with wax paper and refrigerate, uncovered, for 1 hour.

To finish:

Peanut Oil
Heat oil in a deep-fat fryer to 360 degrees. Add crab cakes and fry until golden. You may have to do this in batches. Place fried crab cakes on a cookie sheet and finish cooking in a 400 degree oven for 6 to 7 minutes.

For the tomato confit:

1 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 quart plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 bunch basil, cut julienne
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in a small skillet. Add garlic and sauté until soft. Do not brown. Combine in a bowl with remaining ingredients. Marinate at least 2 hours.

To assemble:

Deep-fried basil leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
Place 1/4 cup tomato confit in center of each of 6 salad plates and top with 2 crab cakes. Sprinkle black pepper around the outer rim of the plate. Top crab cakes with one deep-fried basil leaf. Serves 6.

Pair with a crisp, California Sauvignon Blanc or French Sancerre 




Article first published in The Wine News

 

Food Editor Carole Kotkin is a Miami-based cooking instructor and consultant who co-authored Mmmmiami - Tempting Tropical Tastes for Home Cooks Everywhere. It provides clear, simple directions for 150 dishes, from the simple (good old Key Lime Pie) to the sublime (Coconut Mahi-Mahi with Passion Fruit Sauce). The wide array of flavors is especially wonderful and startling to those used to monocultural cooking; Miami cuisine is the product of many generations of interbreeding and hybrid vigor. Click on the link below for more details or to order.

Mmmmiami : Tempting Tropical Tastes for Cooks Everywhere

See Also

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American diners have discovered one of Europe's most civilized culinary traditions
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Sydney's Cosmopolitan Cuisine
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Eat Your Vegetables!
Pairing Wine with Plant-Based Cuisine
By Carole Kotkin & Fred Tasker

 

All articles courtesy of The Wine News