Crabcakes and Eggs
Ingredients
- Creole Sauce
- Clarified Butter - 1 tablespoon
- Onion - 1 medium, diced
- Green Bell Pepper - 1 medium, diced
- Red Bell Pepper - 1 medium, diced
- Italian plum tomatoes with juice - one, 16-ounce can
- Chicken Stock (preferably homemade) - 2-1/2 cups
- Paprika - 1 teaspoon
- Creole Seasoning (below) - 1 teaspoon
- Louisiana hot pepper sauce - 1 teaspoon
- Salt and crushed red pepper to taste
- Chive Hollandaise
- Egg Yolks - 4
- Water - 1 tablespoon
- Clarified Butter - 8 to 9 ounces warm
- Lemon Juice - juice of 1 to 2 lemons, depending on size
- Fresh Chives - 2 tablespoons, chopped
- Salt and freshly ground white pepper to taste
- Crabcakes
- Lump Crabmeat - 1 pound, picked over for shell
- Red and Green Bell Pepper - 1/3 cup, very finely diced
- Green Onions - 8, very finely diced (use white and green parts)
- Mayonnaise - 1/3 cup
- French bread crumbs - 1/3 cup, plus 2 cups for dredging
- Eggs - 2
- Louisiana hot pepper sauce - 1 teaspoon
- Worcestershire sauce - 1 tablespoon
- Creole Seasoning (below) - 2 teaspoons
- Flour for dredging
- Eggs - 2, beaten with 1-1/2 cups milk (egg wash)
- Clarified butter for sauteing
- Assembly
- Poached Eggs - 12 (consult recipe for Veal Roussel)
- Chives - 12, chopped
- Creole Seasoning
- Salt - 1 cup
- Garlic or Garlic Powder - 1/4 cup, granulated
- Freshly ground black pepper - 1/4 cup
- Cayenne Pepper - 1 teaspoon
- Thyme - 1 teaspoon
- Oregano - 1 teaspoon
- Paprika - 1/4 cup
- Granulated onion or onion powder - 1 tablespoon
Instructions
Heat the butter in a 2-1/2 to 3 quart saucepan. Add the onion and bell peppers. Cook until the onion is translucent. Pour in the tomatoes and chicken stock. Season with paprika, Creole seasoning, hot sauce, salt, and red pepper. Simmer 45 minutes. Adjust seasoning. Puree in a blender or food processor. Keep sauce warm until presentation.
Chive Hollandaise
Place egg yolks and water in a stainless steel bowl or the top of a double boiler. Whisk over gently simmering water until the yolks thicken and double in volume. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in the clarified butter. Add the lemon juice and chopped chives. Season with salt and white pepper. Reserve at room temperature over warm water.
Crabcakes
In a stainless steel or glass bowl, combine the crabmet, bell pepper, green onion, mayonnaise, 1/3 cup bread crumbs, eggs, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and Creole seasoning. Form the mixture into 12 balls. Roll the balls in flour and dip in the egg wash mixture. Coat with bread crumbs. Pat into cakes about 1/2 inch thick. Pour clarified butter into a saute pan to about 1/4-inch depth. Saute the crabcakes in heated butter about 1 minute per side. Using a spatula, press an indentation in the center of one side of each cake to help hold the poached egg in place during presentation. When browned on both sides, remove the crabcakes from heat and drain on towels.
Assembly
Ladle Creole sauce on serving plates (freeze any leftover sauce for future brunches). Set two crabcakes on each plate and place one poached egg on each crabcake. Cover with Hollandaise sauce and garnish with freshly chopped chives.
Note: For this recipe, approximately 1-1/4 pounds whole butter will be clarified.
Creole Seasoning
Combine and thoroughly blend all ingredients. Creole Seasoning will store indefinitely in a sealed container, although over time it will lose its punch.
