recipephile

PJs Crab Cakes with Imperial Sauce

My cousin PJ makes the absolute BEST crab cakes.  He hails from Annapolis and used to own a restaurant called the Oxbow Inn so I always turn to him when preparing something crabby. My friends and I wanted to make crab cakes the other day so I called on PJ to get his amazing recipe. 

PJ told me "You can get a decent recipe on the back of a Old Bay box but I prefer mine." And so does many other people.

If you use fresh back fin crab it's my [PJs] feeling that little spice is best- It's all about the crab.  Usually though its hard to find fresh and even here [Annapolis] the stores only have pasteurized crab from Indonesia. 

Buy a can of 1 lb jumbo lump crab meat and remove from the can. Place the crab meat in a colander and refrigerate to drain any liquid. If crab has a little "off" flavor (gas or tinny), which is not unusual sprinkle some fresh lemon juice and dust with a little bit of Old Bay. 

While the crab is draining (this should take about 1/2 hour) make the Imperial sauce. 

- 1 cup of mayonnaise
- 1 egg
- 2 dashes of Tabasco
- 2 dashes of Worcestershire
- Juice of 1/2 lemon
- 3 tsp of Old Bay
- 2 tsp dry mustard
- 1 tbsp fresh chopped parseley

Combine all ingredients and mix well.  The mixture should be like a thick batter. 

According to PJ, most chefs in Annapolis use bread pieces or breading but he prefers to use crackers as a  binder.  Gently fold about half dozen hand crushed Ritz or Club crackers with the crab meat and enough Imperial sauce until the cakes  hold together.  Obviously add more cracker or sauce accordingly until the cakes can form into a firm ball.

Microwave the cakes jfor about 2-3 minutes; just enough to start the the cooking process. The inside temperature should be about 100 degrees. Then saute' the cakes in clarified butter until golden brown. 

One more note from PJ "Serve with homemade Tartar sauce (Mayo,diced Gherkins, lemon juice, and capers) with crackers, please not Cocktail sauce."

Chopped Salad

It is well known by many of my friends that I am a big fan of head lettuce.  I love it.  The crunchiness, versatility and most importantly how it takes me back to the 70's dinner table.  So for Easter dinner I made a head lettuce salad with a little twist.  My 70's dinner table inspired salad had all of the typical ingredients, onions, carrots, radishes, etc... but we chopped it up and got creative with the dressing to make it more relevant for our guests' distinctive palettes.

The carrots in this recipe were steamed for about 2 minutes.  I learned this trick from Anchor Oyster Bar in the Castro district of San Francisco.  I love carrots with an easier bite.  They make for a wonderful addition to any salad. You can get the olives at your local Italian grocery or in the deli section at your local grocery store. 

This is an easy one...

- 1/2 head lettuce, chopped into small pieces
- 1/2 red onion, chopped into small pieces
- 2 carrots, steamed for about 2 minutes and then chopped into small pieces
- 8-10 radishes, chopped into small pieces
- 8-10 pitted green olives that have been cured in Italian seasoning, chopped into small pieces
- Juice of 1 lemon
- 4 tbsp of olive oil
- 2-3 tbsp of grated Parmesan cheese
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Toss everything together very well.  Taste and then add salt and pepper to your liking.

Serve!

Angel Hair With Sage and Lemon Chicken Sauce

Within the many pages of this site you'll often read about one of my favorite foodies, Janet Conomos.  She has inspired me in so many way and whenever I am home visiting my parents in Pittsburgh I head over to her kitchen to see and taste the food she making.  When I was younger it seems that every time I would go over to the Conomos house there would be lemon chicken in the oven.  The use of lemons is a key element in Greek cooking and Mrs. C utilized them often.

Over the summer I was visiting in New York and prepared a dinner for Kate, my business partner, and some other friends.  One of the dishes, which was inspired by Mrs. Conomos and love of lemons, was a pasta dish with sage and lemon chicken sauce.  So when Kate and I decided to prepare a meal for our clients Jess and Kenny she insisted that I make the pasta again.

This is easy to make and absolutely delicious.

For 1.5  pounds of fresh angel hair pasta:

- 1 stick of butter + 2 tbsp of butter
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 sweet onion, chopped
- 8 sage leaves
- The juice of 1 lemon
- 1.5 cups of chicken broth
- 1 cup of dry white wine or dry vermouth
- 1.5 tbsps of flour
- 6 boneless and skinless chicken thighs
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Start by baking the chicken thighs at 400 degrees for about 25 minutes. While the chicken is cooking you can start making the sauce.  Once the chicken is done let cook for about 15 minutes and then chop into small pieces.

Make sure you start your water to cook the pasta.  Add salt to the water and begin cooking the pasta about 5-10 minutes before your sauce is done.  If you are using fresh pasta it should not take too long to cook.

To prepare the sauce melt the butter (do not include the 2 tbsp as these will be used later) and sautee garlic over medium heat, being sure not to brown.  Add the sage and onions and continue to cook until the onions are translucent.  Add the lemon juice and then jack up the heat to high and once the pan is very hot add your wine or vermouth to the mixture and let cook down by half.  Then add the chicken broth and let that cook down by half. As the liquid is cooking down melt the 2 tbsp of butter and then mix with the flour in a small bowl until combined and smooth. Whisk this mixture into the sauce and continue to cook.  This will help to thicken the sauce a little.  Turn down the heat to medium, add your chicken and let cook for a few more minutes.  Taste the sauce and then add salt and pepper to your liking.  If you think it is too lemony you can add a little sugar (about 2 tsps) to cut the bite.

When the pasta is ready, strain it well and then add it to the pan with the sauce.  Let cook for a few minutes, tossing frequently, so that the flavors meld. Serve and enjoy.

Linguine With Clam Sauce

A few weeks ago I was in DC for a client meeting and had the opportunity to spend time with my cousins, who are all pretty much into cooking and eating great food.  My cousin Carol is especially proficient in all things culinary-related.  So during my stay I asked Carol to teach me how to make her delicious linguine with clam sauce.  She did and it was amazing, as usual.

A few weeks ago I tweaked it a little to give it my own personal signature. Carol and I made fresh pasta for our version, but if you do not have a pasta maker or the desire to make your own, store-bought will work fine.

For one pound of pasta:

- 1/2 stick of butter
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 sweet onion chopped
- 1 cup of white wine or vermouth
- 1 jar of clam juice
- 1/2 tbsp of flour
- 1 can of clams - reserve the juice
- 15-20 fresh littleneck clams

To prepare the clam sauce melt the butter and sautee garlic over medium heat, being sure not to brown.  Add the onions and continue to cook until translucent.  Jack up the  heat to high and once the pan is very hot add your wine or vermouth and clam juice (including the juice in the can) to the mixture and let cook down by 1/2.  As the liquid is cooking down remove a few tablespoons and mix with the flour in a small bowl until the the liquid and the flour are combined without any lumps. Whisk this mixture into the sauce and continue to cook.  This will help to thicken the sauce a little.  Turn down the heat to medium, add your canned and fresh clams and cover for a few minutes.  The sauce is ready when the shells have opened up.  Toss with cooked linguine and serve.

Fennel Salad With Sweet Florida Onions

My dad is pretty impressive when it comes to his culinary skills.  Many of the recipes that you find on RecipePhile come from cooking, eating and exploring everything epicurean with my dad.  For the last few days I have been in Florida visiting my parents (my adorable niece and nephew were there as well as my brother and sister-in-law) and as usual, we ate like Kings (and Queens).

On Wednesday we ate at Ristorante Claretta and my brother and I devoured a 48 oz certified Angus beef T-Bone steak grilled Tuscan style ('La Fiorentina').  It was truly the most amazing steak I have had in ages.  Mom's prime rib ruled on Thursday and the grilled lobsters and risotto my brother made were to die for. 

My dad prepared an incredible salad for lunch one day with vegetables purchased from this incredible vegetable stand near Jensen Beach. Cathy the owner and her husband buy produce only in South Florida and the onions they have are incredible. 

The salad has become a staple in our household, but is best when it includes their sweet Florida onions.  The salad is easy to prepare and you can use just about any raw veggie.  Here is our version:

- 1 small bag of radishes
- 1 fennel bulb chopped
- 1 large sweet Florida onion (or vidalia if you are not in Florida)
- 2 red or yellow peppers
- 2 carrots
- 2 stalks of celery
- Rice vinegar
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil or Olio N'uovo
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Chop the veggies (bite size) and toss into a bowl.  Add about 3 or 4 tbsp of rice vinegar (my dad says that you should always add the vinegar first, because if you put the olive oil in before the vinegar the vinegar will not take to the veggies) and 2 or 3 tbsp of the olive oil.  We use Olio N'ouvo for this recipe.  It is extremely flavorful.  Season with  kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, toss well, taste, adjust seasoning to your liking and then serve.

Shaken Beef

One of my favorite Vietnamese dishes is Shaken Beef, which I had the pleasure of trying when the Slanted Door was still located on Valencia St. in the Mission District of San Francisco.  A few years later my friends and I were introduced, once again, to this amazing entree while dining at a now closed restaurant in New York City, called Nam Phuong, which we were very sorry to see leave Tribeca for new roots in Houston, Texas (the rent is cheaper in Texas than it is in Manhattan).  As luck would have it a traditional Vietnamese place, with a "twist" opened in my neighborhood and has once again brought Shaken Beef back into my regular repertoire of favorite eats.

Zadin, which is located in the Castro District of San Francisco, has become a favorite haunt (we visit almost weekly) for my group of friends.  The owners, who are also cousins, Bao and Truc, have done an amazing job of transforming Vietnamese fare in a fun and interesting way.  The dishes are traditional, but also offer a slight twist on what you get on the streets of Siagon.  The Shaken Beef, in my opinion, is very close to the traditional.

So for our Vietnamese Saturday at Orr Hot Springs in Northern California, I decided to try my hand at this dish.  Bao gave me some pointers on preparation and marinade, but was tight lipped on her secrets so I searched online and found a recipe that I of course adapted in the hopes that it would produce a similarly flavorful dish.

My one recommendation is that you use fine filet of beef for this dish.  Do not skimp on the meat.  Ingredients are everything when cooking and this is no exception.  Keep in mind that this is a two-day dish.  The meat and the onions should marinate for about 24 hours.

What you will need:

For the Beef:
- 2-3 lbs of beef fillet, cubed into bite size piece (about 1/2-3/4 square inch)
- 4 cloves of garlic minced
- 2-3 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- Lots of freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 cup rice wine or sherry

For the Onions:
- 2 large red onions sliced thin (we sliced them into half moons)
- 1 cup of rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp fresh ground black pepper

To Serve:
- 1 head of red leaf lettuce chopped
- 1 big and beautiful platter

For the beef, combine all of the ingredients (except for the rice wine or sherry, the wine or sherry will be used during cooking) into a large mixing bowl, stir well so that all ingredients have coated the beef, cover and store in the refrigerator overnight.  In a separate bowl, combine all of the ingredients for the onions and mix well.  Cover and store in the refrigerator overnight.

Strain the onions and save the marinade. When you are ready to cook the meal heat up a wok to a very high temperature, add a small amount of olive oil into the pan and sear the beef by continuously tossing during the cooking process.  This dish is best served when the beef is rare to medium rare. As the pieces are small the cooking time should be short.  About a minute before you remove the beef add the rice wine or sherry and toss until the liquid has almost completely dissipated.  Remove the beef from the wok and set aside.  Place the onions in the Wok and cook, stirring constantly for about 1-2 minutes.  You really only want to heat up the onions.

Arrange the lettuce onto the platter, top with the onions and then top the onions with beef.  Drizzle the onion marinade onto the beef and serve.

This is best served with white or brown rice and some sauteed bok choy on the side.

Alternative Preparation for Green Papaya Salad

Last weekend my friends and I headed up to Orr Hot Springs Resort for an annual trip of soaking, eating and drinking in an amazing setting.  The theme for Saturday night's dinner was Vietnamese and one of the dishes, prepared by my good friends Scott and David, was a variation on the traditional Green papaya salad, which is hugely popular throughout Southeast Asia. The dish is usually made from unripe Southeast Asian papayas, but as they were unavailable Scott and David opted for seedless European cucumbers.  They are the long, thinner version of the cuke, usually wrapped in plastic, that you find in the grocery store.

While Scott was busy slicing and dicing the veggies for this amazing salad, David was chopping up a hot chili pepper.  Both Scott and I winced with concern over too much heat being added to the dish and kindly requested David serve the heat on the side.  Without us knowing he plopped the diced pepper into the bowl and quickly stirred to hide his addition.  According to David, and I quote, " I did indeed add the Serrano pepper in the end, despite both of your recommendations, and I think it really rounded the dish out, and made it even more fresh."  He was right.  The dish has just enough heat and was absolutely incredible.

We must give Gourmet Magazine credit for this recipe, but note that the shrimp was eliminated

Here is what you will need:

For the Dressing

1 large garlic clove, forced through a garlic press

3 tablespoons fresh lime juice

1 1/2 tablespoons Asian fish sauce (preferably nuoc mam)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 small thin fresh red or green Asian chili (1 to 2 inches long) or
serrano chili, or to taste, seeded and chopped fine (wear rubber
gloves)

Veggies and Such

2 seedless cucumbers chopped into bite size pieces
1 carrot, shredded fine
1/3 cup fresh coriander leaves, washed well and spun dry
2 tablespoons roasted peanuts, crushed

In a large bowl whisk together dressing ingredients until sugar is dissolved.
Add cucumber, carrot, and coriander to dressing, tossing well. Salad may be made 2 hours ahead and chilled, covered. Bring salad to room temperature before serving.

Serve salad sprinkled with peanuts.

New RecipePhile Mobile Site

Hey Everyone.... No recipe today, but some GREAT news. Kate, my business partner, and I are meeting with our newest client, Proteus. Proteus makes mobile technology solutions. One of their products, Swift, (www.swiftmob.com) lets you create a mobile Web site in minutes.

We are sitting here in the conference room and I just created a mobile site. Grab your WAP enabled phone and log on to http://recipephile.swiftmob.com.

Now you check RecipePhile from your cell phone.

Enjoy!