Maryland Crab Cakes
Maryland Crab Cakes
Serves 8
1 pound small-size fresh crabmeat, such as special or claw
1 pound larger-size fresh crabmeat, such as jumbo lump or backfin
1/2 cup light mayonnaise
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice (from 2 lemons), plus wedges, for serving
1 large egg
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
Coarse salt and ground pepper
1 cup fine saltine crumbs (from about 30 crackers)
4 tablespoons butter, melted
Tartar Sauce, homemade or store-bought, for serving (recipe follows)
Heat broiler, with rack 4 inches from heat. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; set aside. Keeping each pound of crabmeat separate, turn out onto paper towels; pick through to remove any shells or cartilage.
In a large bowl, stir together mayonnaise, parsley, lemon juice, egg, mustard, Old Bay, teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Add crumbs and small-size crabmeat to mayonnaise mixture; stir well to combine. Gently fold in larger-size crabmeat just until combined. Dividing evenly, form mixture into 8 cakes. (To make ahead: Arrange cakes in a parchment-lined container so they do not touch; separate layers with additional parchment. Cover and refrigerate up to 1 day.)
Place cakes on prepared baking sheet; drizzle with melted butter. Broil until golden brown and warmed throughout, 12 to 15 minutes (move to lower shelf if tops brown too quickly). Serve with tartar sauce and lemon wedges.
Tartar Sauce
Makes 1 1/4 cups
1 cup light mayonnaise
4 cornichon pickles, minced
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 shallot, minced
Coarse salt and ground pepper
In a small bowl, mix 1 cup light mayonnaise, 4 cornichon pickles, minced, 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice, and 1 shallot, minced. Season with coarse salt and ground pepper.
Flaked Salmon Tartare
Flaked Salmon Tartare
Serves 6
1 large egg
1 pound salmon fillet, skinned
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 1/4 teaspoons coarse salt
Freshly ground pepper
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, plus wedges for garnish
Dash of hot sauce
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 tablespoon chopped drained capers
3 cornichons, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
Place egg in a small saucepan, and cover with cold water by 1 inch. Bring to a boil. Remove from heat. Cover, and let stand 13 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove egg, and rinse under cold water until cool. Gently press against a hard surface to crack shell; peel. Cut egg in half lengthwise. Grate each half on the small holes of a grater into a small bowl. Cover with plastic wrap; set aside.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place salmon in a 13-by-9-inch nonreactive baking dish. Brush with 1 teaspoon oil; season with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cover with foil; bake until salmon is cooked through and flakes easily, about 15 minutes. Uncover partially, and let cool slightly in dish on a wire rack. Using a fork, gently flake salmon into large pieces. Transfer to a large bowl.
Whisk together lemon juice, hot sauce, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil, whisking until emulsified. Drizzle dressing over salmon, and toss gently. Divide among plates. Scatter shallot, capers, cornichons, chives, parsley, and egg over each, dividing evenly; season with pepper. Serve with lemon wedges.
Shrimp Potstickers
Shrimp Potstickers
Makes about 30
2 tablespoons cilantro leaves
1/2 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 large egg white
1 1/2 teaspoons chile oil, or 1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil mixed with a pinch of cayenne
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
1 medium carrot, grated
3/4 cup finely chopped (about 2 ounces) Napa cabbage
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
2 small scallions, finely chopped
1 tablespoon minced (about 1 small) shallot
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 package 3-inch round Chinese dumpling wrappers, available at large supermarkets
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon rice-wine vinegar
1 scallion, sliced
Finely chop 1 tablespoon cilantro leaves. Set aside. Coarsely chop half of the shrimp by hand, and set aside. In the bowl of a food processor, combine remaining shrimp, egg white, chile oil, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Puree into a smooth paste. Transfer to a medium bowl, add chopped cilantro, reserved chopped shrimp, carrot, cabbage, ginger, scallions, shallots, salt, and pepper, and mix well.
Place 1 teaspoon of filling toward the front of a dumpling wrapper. There are two methods of sealing dumplings. Pleating one edge of the wrapper gives the dumpling its distinctive curved shape and allows it to stand upright in the pan. Do this by moistening edges with water using your finger. Bring two edges together, forming a taco shape, and pinch edges together only in the top center to seal. Pinch six small pleats (three on either side of the sealed center point) along one thickness only of the wrapper. Seal dumpling by pressing pleated and unpleated edges tightly together, enclosing filling. Alternatively, moisten wrapper edges with water, fold in half into a crescent shape around the filling, and pinch edges tightly closed. While forming dumplings, keep remaining wrappers covered with plastic wrap. Place filled dumplings on a parchment-lined baking sheet, and cover with plastic wrap.
In a small serving bowl, whisk together ingredients for dipping sauce.
Heat 1 1/2 tablespoons oil in a well-seasoned 11-inch cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat for 1 to 2 minutes. Arrange half of the dumplings tightly together in heated skillet, and cook until deep golden brown, shaking the pan one or two times, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add 1 cup hot water, partially cover, and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, and cook until the bottoms of the dumplings are very crisp and all the water has evaporated, about 4 to 5 more minutes. Slide a spatula under dumplings to loosen them from the pan. Serve this batch of dumplings immediately or place them on a baking sheet, cover loosely with aluminum foil, and keep warm in a low oven. Wash skillet, and repeat process with remaining dumplings. Transfer to a plate, garnish with remaining cilantro leaves, and serve with dipping sauce.
Creamy Deviled Eggs
Creamy Deviled Eggs
Serves 8
8 large eggs
1/3 cup light mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon white-wine vinegar
1 tablespoon minced shallot
1/4 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco
Coarse salt and ground pepper
Paprika, for garnish
Place eggs in a medium saucepan; add cold water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a rolling boil. Remove pan from heat; cover, and let stand 13 minutes. Drain, and run eggs under cold water to cool them. Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, mix together mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar, shallot, and hot sauce. Peel eggs, and halve lengthwise; remove yolks, leaving whites intact. Transfer yolks to bowl with mayonnaise mixture, and season with salt and pepper. Mash with a fork until smooth. Mound yolk mixture into whites. Sprinkle with paprika just before serving, or cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate up to 8 hours.
Sea Bass with Herb Butter & Frisee Salad
Sea Bass with Herb Butter & Frisee Salad
Yields 4 servings
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus some for drizzling
4 sea bass fillets (about 6-ounces each), small bones removed
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 stick of butter
5 sprigs fresh tarragon, leaves removed and roughly chopped
10 leaves fresh basil, roughly chopped
4 sprigs thyme, leaves removed and roughly chopped
10 whole radishes
1 large shallot, finely minced
3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 large heads frisee lettuce (use escarole if frisee is not available)
Crusty bread for serving at the table
Preheat broiler to high. Drizzle a cookie sheet with a little bit of olive oil and spread it out evenly across the surface of the pan. Arrange the sea bass fillets skin side down on the cookie sheet and season with some salt and pepper. Give the top of the fish fillet a little drizzle of olive oil and transfer to the broiler, leaving about 4 inches between the fish and the heating element. Broil the fish for about 5-6 minutes or until cooked through.
While the fish is broiling, make the herb butter and the salad: Place a small sauce pot over low heat and add the butter. Once the butter has melted, season it with a little salt and pepper and add the chopped herbs.
For the salad, thinly slice all the radishes, arrange them in stacks and then thinly slice again, yielding thin little sticks.
For the dressing, combine the shallots, sherry vinegar and some salt and pepper in the bottom of a salad bowl. Pour in the 1/3 of a cup of olive oil in slow, steady stream while whisking to combine. Add the frisee and the radishes to the bowl and toss to combine.
To serve, arrange the cooked sea bass on dinner plates and pour some of the herb butter over the top. Serve the salad and some crusty bread alongside.
Roast Rack of Lamb with Mint
Roast Rack of Lamb with Mint
Serves 4
1 medium shallot, peeled, coarsely chopped
4 garlic, peeled
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups fresh mint leaves, (no stems)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 half-rack rib lamb chops, (about 1 3/4 pounds)
Preheat oven to 475 degrees;. In the bowl of a food processor, combine shallot, garlic, mustard, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and mint; season with salt and pepper. Pulse until a medium-textured paste forms, about 30 seconds; set aside.
Heat a cast-iron skillet large enough to accommodate the half-rack of ribs, over medium-high heat. Add the remaining tablespoon olive oil. Season lamb with salt and pepper, and place in the skillet, fat side down. Sear meat on both sides until well browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the skillet from the heat, and transfer the lamb to a clean surface.
Spread the reserved mint paste on the meaty side of the lamb, and place the lamb in a shallow baking pan. Transfer to the oven, and roast until the lamb is medium rare, or until the internal temperature is 130 degrees;, 18 to 22 minutes. Remove from the oven, and place lamb on a cutting board; let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before slicing. Slice between the bones, and serve.
Pan-Seared Sea Scallops with Corn Coulis
Pan-Seared Sea Scallops with Corn Coulis
Serves 4 to 6
2 pounds sea scallops, rinsed and patted dry
Coarse sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups corn kernels (from about 3 ears)
1/4 cup heavy cream
4 fresh basil leaves, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Remove the muscle from each scallop and discard. Season both sides with salt and pepper.
Heat 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Place half of the scallops in the pan and cook, turning once, until golden brown, 1 to 1 1/2 minutes per side. Transfer scallops to a plate and loosely cover to keep warm. Repeat process with remaining butter, olive oil, and scallops. Reduce heat to medium; add shallot and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 1 minute. Add wine and scrape brown bits from bottom of skillet. Add corn, cream, basil, and chives. Cook, stirring often, until cream is reduced and slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Transfer half of the sauce to the jar of a blender and puree until smooth. Return pureed sauce to the skillet with the remaining sauce, add scallops and any juices that have accumulated on the plate; cook until warm about 1 minute. Divide scallops evenly among 4 plates. Spoon sauce around scallops and serve immediately.
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