Recipe(tried): Pappadeaux Crab Cakes and Sauce (copycat recipe)

HJ'S CRAB CAKES WITH PAPPADEAUX SAUCE

Make the Crab Cake Sauce ahead of time (recipe follows).

TO MAKE THE CRAB CAKES:
In a bowl place, but do not mix together yet, lots of good quality lump crab picked over and sort of dry because you will add the saute ingredients later (try not to break the crab). Add a touch of Old Bay seasoning if you want to use it (Pappadeaux does not). I use a very light touch of granular garlic. You can add a little Dijon mustard - not much, you want the crab as white as possible. Add a little mayonnaise, just enough to barely hold (the egg will bind the crab cakes). Add 1 egg white only. Just set this aside unmixed for now.

SAUTE THE INGREDIENTS BELOW IN LITTLE BUTTER:
Jalapeno, diced fine if you want (optional)
Celery, diced very fine
Little green onions, chopped very fine (not much)
Fresh chives, chopped very fine (or use fresh green onion stems)
A little fresh parsley, chopped (not much)
A touch of red bell pepper, diced very fine
Red pepper flakes, to taste (optional)
Fresh lemon juice, to taste

Make sure before adding this sauteed mixture to the above crab mixture that not too much butter liquid goes in bowl. The object is to keep the crab clean and full of huge pieces of crab. Fold all together carefully but well not to break the crab.

Form into cakes and roll in panko bread crumbs.

Bake or fry in olive oil and butter.

TO SERVE:
Add the Crab Cake Sauce when serving with crusty warm bread.

We also love this sauce over grilled fish. Slop up the sauce with butter crusty bread. Serve with cut fried strings of shredded potatoes, small like shoestrings but much smaller than French fries.

CRAB CAKE SAUCE LIKE PAPPADEAUX

When at the restaurant the sauce has very little of everything, they must have strained out some of the veggies and seasonings. Capers, heavy cream, butter, tomato, very little strips basil and a tiny bit of green onion was in the sauce at Pappadeaux.

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, divided use
1/2 cup very finely chopped yellow onion
A little tomato, chopped fine (Roma or plum)
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup clam juice
1/2 cup white wine (optional)
A little fresh lemon juice, to your taste
Pinch of cayenne pepper (or use a little red crushed pepper flakes)
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground white pepper
Very very little strips of fresh basil
Tiny bits of diced green onion
A few small capers, drained
6 to 8 oz. cooked crawfish, tails only (or shrimp)
5 oz. white lump crabmeat, no fillers (optional)

Heat 3 tablespoons butter in large saute pan. Add onion and tomato; cook till translucent over medium heat.

Slowly stir in heavy cream and cook 2 minutes, stirring continuously.

Blend in clam juice and optional white wine, and lemon juice to taste. Gradually add to the cream mixture. Add cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes, salt and white pepper. Cook until reduced for about an hour first than strain reduction. Add the strips of basil and green onion. Cook 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat; set aside.

Melt remaining 3 tablespoons butter in another large saute pan over medium heat. Add crawfish and crabmeat (if using); saute till they are about 3/4 done, about 2 minutes or just till they turn pink DO NOT over cook. Pappadeaux's adds a fair amount of crawfish only and sautes for 30 seconds. Drain butter, add reserved cream sauce mixture and stir.

Serve hot over your choice of baked or fried crab cakes or any firm white fish. When served. They throw in a few very tiny pieces of tomato, crawfish, few slices basil. U might get a tiny few pieces of scallion with capers.