Crazy for Crab begins with a comprehensive chapter on the basics, describing every type of crab available, how to buy it, hot to clean it (and how to know when you ask the fishmonger to do this for you, and how to cook it and crack it. Fred Thompson also talks about substitutions: let's face it, crab in any form is a sweet, rich taste experience, and it is perfectly acceptable to substitute just about any variety of crab for another in most of the recipes in this book. All this invaluable information is accompanied by easy-to-follow how-to drawings and illustrations of the various types of crabs
Chapters: The Crab Basics; Crab with Cocktails; Wonderful Soups; Creative Crab Salads; The Elusive Perfect Crab Cake; The Old Blue Crab and other Hard Shells; The Sublime Soft Shells; Brunch, Luncheon, and Light Dinner Fare; Casseroles; Easy Sautes, and One Incredible Indulgence; Crab Festivals
Fort Bragg, Noyo Harbor, and Mendocino, California, are hotbeds of Dungeness crab cookery, and competition among the area's chefs to develop the most creative recipes is fierce. Each January, during the Mendocino Crab & Wine Days festival, they go head-to-head at the crab cake cook-off. For 2 years in a row, Nicholas Petti, chef and co-owner with his wife, Jaimi Parsons, of Mendo Bistro in Fort Bragg, has taken home first prize for his "less is more" crab cakes. The "less" refers to the filler, because Dungeness crab is the prime player here. These crab cakes are in my top 5 of all restaurant crab cakes. Mendo Bistro serves the cakes over a simple cabbage salad, using the acidic vinegar and crisp cabbage to playoff the rich crab and luxurious aioli.
Servings: 4 Huge Cakes
Tarragon aioli:
2 very fresh large egg yolks
3 cloves garlic, peeled
Juice of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/4 cup very hot water
2 cups extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves
Crab cakes:
1 1/2 pounds Dungeness crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
3/4 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs), plus more for coating
2 scallions (white and green parts), finely chopped
1/2 to 3/4 cup tarragon aioli, as needed
2 tablespoons canola oil
To make the aioli, place the egg yolks, garlic, lemon juice, salt, and Tabasco in a food processor or blender and process until everything is homogenized. Add the water and process for 15 seconds. With the machine running, slowly drizzle in the oil until the mixture comes together and thickens. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the tarragon. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use, up to 2 days.
To make the crab cakes, combine the crabmeat, panko, scallions, and 1/2 cup of the aioli. If the mixture holds together, that's great. If not, add more aioli. Form the mixture into four 3-inch-diameter cakes. Sprinkle some panko on a plate and place one side of each crab cake in the crumbs.
In a saute pan or cast-iron skillet large enough to hold the cakes comfortably, heat the oil over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the crab cakes, crumb side down, and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Turn the cakes, reduce the heat slightly, and cook until golden brown and heated through. Drain on paper towels. Serve with the remaining tarragon aioli and the cabbage salad on the side.
Note: Because the aioli contains raw eggs, make sure to use the freshest eggs possible, purchased from a reliable grocer, to minimize any chance of salmonella.*
*Note from Recipelink.com: Cooking Egg Yolks for Use in Recipes
Source: American Egg Board
Because egg yolks are a fine growth medium for bacteria, cook them for use in mayonnaise, Hollandaise sauce, Caesar salad dressing, chilled souffles, chiffons, mousses and other recipes calling for raw egg yolks. The following method can be used with any number of yolks.
In a heavy saucepan, stir together the egg yolks and liquid from the recipe (at least 2 tablespoons liquid per yolk). Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the yolk mixture coats a metal spoon with a thin film, bubbles at the edges or reaches 160? F. Immediately place the saucepan in ice water and stir until the yolk mixture is cool. Proceed with the recipe.
