One-hundred-corner crab cakes

1 Servings

Ingredients

QuantityIngredient
11 pound loaf thinly sliced white bread, crusts removed
¾poundsShrimp, peeled, deveined and cleaned with salt
3tablespoonsVodka or gin
1largeEgg white
1teaspoonCoarse or kosher salt
¼teaspoonFreshly ground white pepper
2ouncesFresh pork fat, minced by hand or in a food processor (1/4 cup), or 1/4 cup heavy cream
cupFinely chopped fresh water chestnuts or jicama
2tablespoonsFinely chopped cilantro stems or celery leaves
2Scallions, white part only, finely chopped
1tablespoonPeeled, grated gingerroot
¾poundsFresh crabmeat
About 2 tablespoons olive oil for dipping
Corn oil for deep-frying
Pineapple Salsa

Directions

Preheat the oven to 250 degrees.

Cut the bread into ¼-inch dice and place on a nonstick baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes, without turning, or until the bread is dry, do not let the cubes brown.

Dry the shrimp well with paper towels, then place in a food processor. Add the vodka or gin and puree. Spoon the shrimp puree into a medium bowl; set aside.

Lightly beat the egg white with the salt and white pepper in a small bowl.

Mix into the shrimp puree. Stir in the pork fat or cream. Add the water chestnuts or jicama, cilantro stems or celery leaves, scallions and gingerroot and mix until thoroughly combined.

Gently fold the crabmeat into the shrimp mixture (the crabmeat should remain lumpy).

Have the bread cubes ready in a large bowl on one side of the crabmeat mixture. Place the olive oil in a small bowl on the other side. Oil a tablespoon by dipping it into the olive oil, then scoop up 1 heaping tablespoon of the shrimp-crab mixture and place it on top of the bread cubes. Repeat, placing 5 or 6 spoonfuls of the crabmeat mixture on the bread cubes, spacing them so they do not touch.

Use your hand to roll each lump of crabmeat into the cubes, forming a ball as you work. Gently flatten each ball into a small cake, about 2-inches in diameter; place the crab cakes on a platter or a baking sheet.

Pour about 6 inches of oil into a skillet or fryer and heat to 325 degrees.

Fry the crab cakes in batches until they are golden, turning once, for 3 to 4 minutes on each side; do not crowd. Remove the crab cakes with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

Serve with Pineapple Salsa.

Yield: 20 to 30 crabcakes

NOTES : Cooking Live Recipe by: Cooking Live Show #CL8813 Posted to MC-Recipe Digest V1 #474 by Angele Freeman <jfreeman@...> on Feb 5, 1997.