Special Recipes
By Carole Kotkin

Jumbo Lump Crab Cake with pickled okra relish
Adapted from a recipe by Chef Jeff Tunks
D.C. Coast Restaurant

Jumbo lump crab meat makes the most succulent cakes. If the cakes are refrigerated after they are formed, they will hold together better when cooked.

1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tablespoon minced chives
1 egg
11/2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 cup fresh, white bread crumbs
Salt to taste
2 ounces olive oil
Cayenne pepper to taste
Pick over crabmeat for bits of shell and cartilage. In a large bowl, gently mix crabmeat with remaining ingredients, except olive oil. Shape crab mixture into 8 cakes. Place cakes on a wax paper-lined cookie sheet and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. Preheat oven to 350°. Heat oil in a 12" non-stick pan over medium-heat. When the oil is hot, add cakes and sauté until golden brown on both sides. Don't crowd pan. If necessary, cook in two batches. Immediately place in oven for 5 to 7 minutes.

Relish:

1 ear of corn on the cob, husks and silks removed
1 red onion, minced
10 whole picked okra, thinly sliced
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1/2 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro
Salt and pepper to taste
Place corn on a grill over very hot coals. Grill, turning often to brown them evenly, for 5 to 7 minutes. Remove kernels from the cob. Place vegetables in a large bowl. Mix with olive oil and vinegar until thoroughly combined. Add the cilantro and mix once. Taste for seasoning. Serves 8.
 




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

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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