crab cakes for the Patriots

I made a themed dinner for Super Bowl Sunday. Crab cakes for New England and coffee ice cream for Seattle.  To be honest, I didn’t make the ice cream, I bought it but it’s the thought that counts and you’d be hard-pressed to find anyone who doesn’t think “coffee” when the think Seattle!

In the recipe, I give you instructions on how to smoke tomatoes on an outdoor grill. I actually used an indoor stovetop smoker that I own and love.

If you like to smoke a variety of foods, it’s a pretty good investment. You can find it HERE. If not, just keep using your grill.

Crab Cakes with Smoked Tomato Buerre Blanc

Tomato Beurre Blanc
2 large ripe tomatoes, each cut into five slices
1/2 cup apple or hickory wood chips, soaked in warm water and drained
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1 shallot, peeled and minced
1 sprig thyme
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into cubes

Crab Cakes
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 cup diced celery
1/4 cup diced onion
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1  1/2 pieces firm white bread, crusts removed and bread torn into small pieces
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
1 pound crab meat
1 cup panko breadcrumbs
Unsalted butter, for cooking crab cakes

Microgreens

Smoked Tomato Beurre Blanc: Heat grill to high. Place soaked and drained wood chips in a foil pan. Lay the sliced tomatoes on the grill, turn the heat to medium, close the lid, and smoke for about 12 minutes.

Chop the tomatoes. Heat the olive oil in a large heavy skillet for 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.

In a large saucepan, bring wine, shallot, and thyme sprig to a simmer, and reduce the liquid by half to about 2 tablespoons.

Add the cream and tomatoes and reduce again by about half. Remove the thyme sprig and blend the sauce until smooth, return to the pan, and place over low heat.

Whisk in the cubed butter one cube at a time.  Adjust seasoning and keep in a warm place (pouring in a thermos works great!) while you make the crab cakes.

Crab Cakes:  Heat olive oil in a large heavy skillet, add celery and onion, and sauté until translucent.  Season with salt and pepper, and cool.

Combine the celery-onion mixture, bread, mayonnaise, parsley, egg, and Old Bay seasoning.  Mix well with a rubber spatula.

Gently fold in the crab meat, trying not to break up any more than necessary.

Form mixture into 6 cakes. Gently coat each crab cake with the panko crumbs.

Heat 2 tablespoons butter in a large heavy skillet and brown cakes on one side. Gently turn over and brown on the other side, adding more butter if needed.

To serve, place a small pile of microgreens on each dinner plate and then place 1 or 2 crab cakes alongside. Drizzle with warm smoked tomato buerre blanc.

Makes 6 large crab cakes