And the winner is … your Oscar party crabcakes
Published 5:42 pm Tuesday, February 19, 2008
It’s almost here: Academy Awards night, the only time I can require black-tie attire for TV viewing in my home.
Realistically, it’s not difficult to print out ballots (you can find a printable ballot at www.oscar.com/nominees/?pn=ballot) and movie-themed decorations — roll out the red carpet? — are fun. But the real way to jazz up the evening is with the food.
Don’t worry. I’m not talking dinner party. This night is for finger foods and buffets. The evening, after all, is about making fun of what the actresses are wearing and complaining about the injustices done by the voters.
A crowd-pleasing dish for home cooks might be jumbo crabcakes with lemon aioli and tomato relish.
This recipe makes appetizer-sized portions, and can be prepared in advance so you can watch the show, too.
It’s a fairly easy dish to execute. And these crabcakes don’t need the traditional squeeze of lemon juice, as they are paired with a lemony aioli, a French-style garlic mayonnaise.
For an easier aioli, blend a cup of prepared mayonnaise with two cloves of garlic and the juice from one lemon.
Form the crabcakes a day in advance, then cover and refrigerate until ready to cook the evening of your party.
Jumbo crabcakes with lemon aioli and tomato relish
For the tomato relish:
3medium tomatoes
1tablespoon chopped shallot
1tablespoon chopped garlic
1tablespoon chopped basil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Sugar, to taste
For the crabcakes:
5tablespoons butter
1teaspoon chopped garlic
5tablespoons chopped shallots
5tablespoons chopped celery
1/3cup mayonnaise
1/8teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1tablespoon chopped fresh chives
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1pound lump crabmeat
1-3/4cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1/2cup canola oil
For the lemon aioli
1egg yolk
1/2cup lemon juice
2garlic cloves
1cup blended oil (blend of canola and other oils)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
To prepare the tomato relish, bring a large saucepan of water to a boil.
Cut a shallow X in the bottom of each tomato, then drop them in the boiling water. Blanch for 20 to 30 seconds, the use a slotted spoon to transfer the tomatoes to a bowl filled with ice and water.
Once the tomatoes have cooled, use a paring knife to peel the skin from the tomatoes. Squeeze out and discard the seeds, then dice the tomato flesh. Place the diced tomatoes in a medium bowl.
Mix in the shallots, garlic and basil, then season to taste with salt, pepper and sugar. Set aside.
To prepare the crab cakes:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the garlic, shallot and celery, then sweat (a gentle saute that does not result in browning) for 5 to 7 minutes. Reduce heat as needed to prevent browning.
Transfer the mixture to a large bowl to cool. Once cool, mix in the mayonnaise, cayenne, Old Bay seasoning, parsley, chives, salt and pepper. Gently fold in the crabmeat.
Add half the panko, mixing gently. Shape the mixture into eight hockey puck-shaped patties. Roll each patty in the remaining panko.
In a large skillet over medium-high, heat the oil. Lightly saute the crabcakes until golden brown on both sides.
Transfer the crabcakes to a baking sheet and place in the oven. Bake 7 to 10 minutes, or until heated through.
Meanwhile, prepare the lemon aioli.
In a blender, combine the egg yolk, lemon juice and garlic cloves. Puree until smooth. With the blender running, drizzle in the oil until thick and emulsified. Season with salt and pepper.
Serve each crabcake with a spoonful of tomato relish on top and a dollop of aioli on the side.
Makes 8 appetizer servings.
Adapted from Yianni Koufodontis of Paperfish restaurant in Los Angeles
