Tag: Seafood Recipes

Seaside Starters: Maryland Crab Cakes

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on Seaside Starters: Maryland Crab Cakes

Good Morning and Happy Thursday, everyone!

This coming weekend is shaping up to be a busy (in a good way!) one- including a long overdue dinner with my family to celebrate my older brother and my niece’s upcoming birthdays, working at the station, catching a screening of “It: Chapter 2” with friends- and then Sunday will be fully devoted to sand, surf and scallops at Hampton Beach’s Annual Seafood Festival!

And, of course- the Patriots’ regular season kicks off- so there will be beer and nachos, as well. As is tradition!

Inspired by the Seafood Festival, and still getting acquainted with my new kitchen- I thought I’d whip up one of my own favorite recipes to share with you all- crab cakes! These can be served as an appetizer or, if you’re eating more than one- as an entrée all on their own. Whatever you choose- they’re delicious and very easy to make!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  • 8 ounces crab meat- drained, shells removed and patted dry.
  • ¼ cup diced red bell pepper
  • 2 teaspoons tarragon
  • 1 cup Panko bread crumbs, divided in half
  • 1 egg
  • ¼ teaspoon McCormick Old Bay seasoning
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon pepper
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • ¼ teaspoon dried mustard
  • 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish (optional)
  • Olive oil (to fry cakes)

READY? HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

  1. Drain crab meat, pick out shells and pat dry with paper towels
  2. Add crab meat, bell pepper, tarragon, ½ cup Panko bread crumbs, egg, salt, pepper, mayo, dried mustard and Old Bay seasoning to a medium mixing bowl and mix with a rubber-tipped spatula.
  3. Scoop handfuls of the combined mixture out one at a time and gentle pat/press together to form cakes.
  4. Add ½ cup Panko bread crumbs to a shallow dish. Place each cake in and coat the sides until all of the cakes are covered evenly in bread crumbs.
  5. Heat a heavy sauté pan and add the olive oil to cover the bottom of the pan. Place cakes in the sauté pan and cook approximately 4 minutes on each side or until they are evenly browned
  6. Remove cakes and place on a plate to allow to cool for approximately 5 minutes.
  7. Drizzle horseradish sauce over the cakes and serve.

I could eat these crab cakes all day every day- that’s how much I love them- and while I’m sure I’ll be eating plenty of variations of these at the Seafood Festival, among many, many other things- I’m a bit biased when it comes to my own! I don’t think they can be topped!

Next week, my blogging schedule returns to normal now that Labor Day is over (Monday, Wednesday and Friday!) I’ll be sure to have more Autumnal Activities to share, a peek into the Fall section of my wardrobe- and a few other surprises!

But until then- enjoy your weekend, everybody!

xx

– Ashley –

Backyard BBQ Recipes: Mini Lobster Rolls

by Ashley DeLargeLeave a Comment on Backyard BBQ Recipes: Mini Lobster Rolls

Good Morning and Happy Monday, everyone!

Despite the fact that most of this past weekend was rained out- I still had an amazing couple of days off from work and out of town- and even found the time to whip up one of my favorite recipes in-between thunderstorms that had rolled through the area and (briefly) interrupted some outdoor dining plans with friends.

Having been born and raised in New England- I’m very particular when it comes to seafood. If it isn’t directly from the ocean-to-the-table, then I want no part of it- and it’s pretty much an unspoken rule that clam chowder cannot be anything less than exemplary.

Of course, there are many varying opinions when it comes to one favorite Summertime recipe in particular- the lobster roll- which can take on many different forms and incorporate many different flavors. Wanting to create smaller portions of the standard hot dog roll or 6″ sub-sized version to make these easier to pass around during the aforementioned outdoor dining plans- I used a fool-proof recipe that excludes the unnecessary ingredients (looking at you, shredded lettuce) and instead features some unexpected flavors that actually work surprisingly well together- like dill and Dijon mustard.

And these don’t take long to make at all! Even better!

WHAT YOU’LL NEED:

  • ⅓ cup mayonnaise
  • Zest and juice of 1 lemon
  • 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 1¼ pounds cooked lobster meat, diced
  • 3 celery stalks, diced
  • 1 bunch scallions, sliced
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
  • 16 mini brioche hot dog buns or rolls
  • Chives, for garnishing

READY? HERE’S WHAT YOU DO:

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon zest, lemon juice and mustard. Stir in the lobster meat, celery, scallions, parsley and dill; season with salt and pepper.
  2. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, brush the melted butter onto both sides of the hot dog buns and/or brioche rolls and then place them in the hot pan. Toast until golden brown on both sides, about 2 minutes.
  3. Fill each bun with lobster salad. Serve immediately, garnished with chives.

Even though we had to eat these inside once the rain started to pour down instead of outdoors and under the shade of the trees as originally planned- it didn’t take away from the experience of biting into this recipe for the first time. Between the lobster, the lemon zest, the Dijon mustard and the dill (and don’t forget those perfectly toasted rolls/buns!) this was like a beach party for my taste buds.

And, for some added seafood flavor- why not throw some chopped shrimp or scallops into the mix, too? I’ve done it before- and it tastes incredible!

But now with it being Monday and there being a stack of work on my desk- I’ve got to dive right into this and start getting things done!

Have a great Monday, everyone! Here’s wishing you all a good week ahead!

xx

– Ashley –