Folks who are out on the water trying to catch the fixings for crab whatever are generally coming back with enough delicious Dungeness to get the job done.
Without any urging whatsoever, I suspect most of us would agree you’d have to go some to treat your taste buds to anything better than crab that’s gone straight from Puget Sound to the kettle to the plate.
Really now, what could possibly beat plain, simple cracked crab and melted butter? Nothing. Absolutely nothing.
On the other hand, once in a great long while, one truly superb and sumptuous entree would go a long way toward payback for all the work involved – pulling the pots, cooking, cleaning and cracking the crab.
And, as luck would have it, I just happen to have such a recipe. Granddad and the guys just brought it back from another one of their famous bachelor trips. This time they flew east, where Williamsburg, Va., was among the top priorities on their itinerary.
As you will notice, the following recipe is from Colonial Williamsburg. All income from Christiana Campbell’s Tavern is used for the purposes of the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation, a not-for-profit organization, which operates the Historic Area, and to carry forward its educational programs.
Now then, not to worry if you have no crab fisherfolk in the family. Fresh Dungeness crab is available right now at local fishmongers and supermarkets.
That said, I say let’s not wait to try:
Christiana Campbell’s Tavern Mobjack Bay-seasoned crab cakes
1cup seasoned bread crumbs
1large egg, beaten well
1/4cup mayonnaise
1/4cup white sauce (recipe follows)
1teaspoon Worcestershire
1/4teaspoon Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4teaspoon hot sauce
1/4teaspoon dried tarragon leaves
1tablespoon finely chopped green pepper
1teaspoon Mobjack or Old Bay seasoning
1tablespoon minced onion, sauteed in oil
1pound lump crab meat
Oil for frying or deep-frying
Lemon-caper sauce (recipe follows)
In large mixing bowl, combine bread crumbs, egg, mayonnaise, white sauce, Worcestershire, mustard, salt, pepper, hot sauce, tarragon, green pepper, Mobjack or Old Bay seasoning and onion; blend well and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Add crab meat and gently blend into mixture. Shape into 6 or 8 crab cakes. Pan-fry or deep-fry until browned, approximately 5 minutes per side. Serve with lemon-caper sauce.
Makes 6 to 8 cakes.
White sauce
2tablespoons butter or margarine
2tablespoons flour
1cup milk or half-and-half
1/2teaspoon salt
Dash pepper
In a medium saucepan or double boiler over low heat, melt butter or margarine. Stir in flour, salt and pepper until smooth; heat for about 5 minutes (do not burn). Warm milk and gradually add to flour mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until thickened and smooth.
Lemon-caper sauce
1/4cup mayonnaise
1teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2teaspoon chopped parsley
1/4teaspoon hot sauce
1/2teaspoon lemon juice
1teaspoon chopped capers (drained)
1/2teaspoon finely chopped onion
1teaspoon finely chopped dill pickle
Lemon wedges
In a small bowl, combine all ingredients and mix well. Set aside in refrigerator until ready to serve with a wedge of lemon.
The next Forum will appear in Friday’s Time Out section.
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