Sunday, March 13, 2011

Lorrie's Crab Cake Recipe and Suggested Wine Pairings

Lorrie’s Crab Cakes

Ingredients

1lb of jumbo crab meat (check for shells)
2 teaspoons of good Dijon Mustard
1 teaspoon of New Orleans Seasoning http://www.vgourmet.com/
1 pinch of sea salt
½ of lemon
½ of a small red bell pepper (if bell pepper is large ¼ of red bell pepper)
2 tablespoon of mix seasonings (flat leaf parsley, celery, and sweet onions)
3 stalks of chopped green onions
3 tablespoons of olive oil *(1 tablespoon for the seasoning and 2 tablespoons to fry the crab cakes)
2 tablespoons of unsalted butter *(divided in half, 1 tablespoon is for cooking the mixed seasoning, the other tablespoon is for frying the crab cakes))
¼ cup of mayonnaise (I use Blue Plate brand mayonnaise )
1 egg
1 ½ cup of Panko Bread crumbs (1/2 cup for the mixture and 1 cup to coat the crab cakes before frying)

Preparation
Check crab meat for any shells. Saute` the mixed seasoning, red bell pepper, and green onions in a pat of butter and one tablespoon of olive oil. Allow the seasoning mixture to cool. Mix, the crab meat, mixed seasoning, New Orleans seasoning, salt, lemon juice, egg, ½ cup of Panko crumbs, and mayonnaise. Form the mixture into 12 patties. Chill for at least 30 minutes; the longer the better. Note: Chilling helps the crab cakes stay together. Coat the crab cakes in Panko crumbs. Place a pat of butter and a tablespoon or so of olive oil in a frying pan on medium high heat and brown crab cakes on each side; repeat until all the crab cakes are browned. Place the crab cakes on paper towels to drain any excess oil. I like serving this as an appetizer or with angel hair pasta and a salad to make a meal.

Splurge Wine Pairing Suggestion : 2009 Frank Family Vineyards Napa Valley Chardonnay

This wine has a medium straw color. The nose has aromas of lemon zest, ripe stone fruit, pineapple and a hint of spice. The palate mimicked the nose, with all those aromas being concentrated flavors on the palate, especially the ripe pineapple. This wine has a hint of spice from its contact of the French oak barrels. This process was done in a way that this wine is not one of those over oaked chardonnays, it just provided the structure needed to pair well with food. It is perfectly balanced and one of the best chardonnays that I have sampled in quite a long time. This wine has a nice finish filled with spice, and at the very end lemon grass.  There is the right amount of minerality and acidity to pair with seafood. I would pair this wine with crab cakes.  I would also pair this wine with grilled shrimp, grilled salmon, grilled chicken on skewers and grilled pork chops that were marinaded in a ginger and orange based marinade. Note: This wine was a sample provided by Frank Family Vineyards. SRP $32.50 http://www.frankfamilyvineyards.com/

Value Wine Suggestion J 2009 Pinot Gris



This wine has a light straw color. The nose is beautiful! I have to say that I have a "thing" for wines with ripe beautiful noses. The nose has a "warm" tangerine and honeysuckle nose with just a slight hint of spice. The palate mirrors the nose with an addition of honey and lime. I think this wine is one to have during the warm months and also in the the cooler months due to the warmth of the nose, the citrus flavors (tangerine), and the acidity of the wine and the hint of spice. I think this wine would pair well with ripened goat cheese, pork, orange glazed chicken, crab cakes, and grilled shrimp, which were marinated in a marinade that included orange juice with a bit of ginger and lime juice. This wine is one that I will have in my cellar, just to sip or to pair with a meal. Note: This wine was a sample provided by J Wines. SRP  $16.00 http://www.jwine.com

The civilized oenophiles!

Gotta love those bears; they know how to pair their meals! I hope that you attempt some of my wine and food pairings and let me know what you think!

Cheers,

Lorrie

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