Scrumptious Crab Cakes

 

1 pound jumbo lump crab meat (important you get this kind)

1/2 c mayonaise

1 T dijon mustard

1 tsp worcestershire sauce

1 - 2 tsp hot sauce

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tsp lemon zest, plus 1 Tbsp lemon juice

freshly ground pepper to taste

1/2 tsp salt

Fresh parsley, chopped (about 1/8 cup)

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs (or more, if needed)

Oil for frying

Combine mayo, mustard, worcestershire sauce, hot suace, egg, lemon zest and juice, parsley, salt and pepper. Carefully fold in the crab meat, but don't break up the crab. Then fold in bread crumbs to make a firm, but not stiff crab mixture. 

Using 1/3 cup measuring cup, form 8-9 crab cakes and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Chill for at least 20 minutes or until they are firm and cold.

Heat oil in a large pan and add the crab cakes - cooking over medium heat. Do not disturb them so they get brown and crispy, but not burnt. It should take 3-4 minutes. Then turn crabcakes carefully and brown on the other side (you may need to add more oil) until they are hot through and crispy, but not burnt. This should take another 3-4 minutes.

Place on a serving platter and eat with tartar sauce, cocktail sauce and lemon wedges. Can be eaten alone or as a crab cake sandwich. 

 

 

I made these for Christmas 2023 and we enjoyed them very much. Leftovers, reheated are good, but eat within a day or two or freeze them.

Shrimp and Grits

 This is a modified version on Bobby Flay's Shrimp and Grits. I think mine is much better! :D

Ingredients

Grits: 

Make grits according to package directions, be sure to make enough for 4-6 servings. 

1 1/2 c. grated cheddar cheese

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

3 Tbsp butter

 

Shrimp:

1.5-2 pounds peeled and deveined shrimp

6 slices of bacon, chopped

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1/4 c. dry sherry wine

Cajun seasoning (enough to cover shrimp)

1 clove garlic, minced

4 scallions, thinly sliced

2 Tbsp chopped parsley (fresh)

 

Make the grits, add the cheese and butter (keep warm)

Rinse shrimp and pat dry. Add Cajun seasoning and set aside. Fry bacon until crisp, removed from pan and set aside. To the bacon grease, add the shrimp and cook until it turns ALMOST pink. Add the scallions and garlic and fry for 30 seconds or until fragrant. Add the lemon juice, and sherry and reduce slightly and shrimp is done. Stir in parsley and bacon.

To serve, spoon grits into bowls or on plate and top with shrimp and a little of the sauce.  Serve immediately!

This makes 4 helpings.

Note: You can remove the shrimp and wait to add the scallions until after you add the lemon juice and sherry. You can then add more sherry (or a small amount of chicken broth) and simmer until reduced and slightly thickened. Add the shrimp and scallions back into the sauce. Then stir in parsley and serve. 

Note: Sometimes I don't add the bacon (it gets soggy) and then just top each serving with the crispy bacon to keep the bacon crunchy.

Note: It's important to make the grits first and keep them warm since the shrimp cooks very quickly. You can fry the bacon while cooking the grits. Better yet, have two people make this dish -- one to make the grits and the other to make the shrimp.

Emeril’s Jambalaya

I almost never use a recipe as written, but Emeril's jambalaya is one of the best. The link to his webiste is below, but I'm putting it on here with my own adjustments to the recipe, just in case the link stops working. Honestly, if you love jambalaya, use this recipe!

 Ingredients

• 24 medium peeled, deveined shrimp, about 1/2 pound,chopped
• 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, diced
• 1 tablespoon Emeril's Original Essence
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onions
• 1/2 cup chopped green bell peppers
• 1/2 cup chopped celery
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes (if you use canned,  reduce chicken stock by amount of liquid)
  
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons hot sauce
• 1 1/2 cups long grain rice
• 3+ cups chicken stock, add more stock if needed
  
• 8-10 oz Andouille sausage, sliced
• Chopped green onion for garnish

Directions

• Combine the shrimp, chicken and Essence in a bowl and toss to coat evenly. Set aside.

• Heat the oil over in a large, heavy pot over medium heat. Add the onions, peppers and celery, salt and pepper and cook, stirring, for 10 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic, tomatoes, bay leaves, Worcestershire and hot sauces. Stir in the rice and slowly add the broth. Bring the rice to a simmer and reduce heat to low and cook until most of the liquid is absorbed and the rice is tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes. Stir in the shrimp and chicken mixture, and the sausage. Cook for 10 minutes longer or until the meat and shrimp are completely cooked. Turn off the heat and cover, allowing the jambalaya to continue to steam 10 minutes longer before serving. Adjust seasoning, adding more Essence, salt, pepper, and hot sauce. Stir in the green onion and pass extra hot sauce!
  

 https://www.emerils.com/121423/cajun-jambalaya

Homemade Buffalo Sauce (Two Recipes)

I love making my own sauces and spice mixes. This one is so simple, you can make it and store it in a mason jar for at least a month. Use it on wings, or make buffalo chicken sandwiches by marinading boneless skinless chicken breasts and grilling them, brushing the chicken while it is grilling. Use this sauce for a buffalo chicken pizza (in place of my homemade pizza sauce). Don't forget to check out my gorgonzola sauce when serving buffalo chicken.

1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup Frank's red hot sauce
1 1/2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar (or white vinegar)
1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (less if you prefer less spicy sauce)
1/2 tsp white pepper (or black pepper if you don't mind the black specks)
1/2 tsp celery salt (make your own with celery seeds and salt)
1/2 tsp granulated garlic

In a saucepan, melt butter. Add remaining ingredients and whisk to combine. Bring just to a boil, but do not boil. Take off burner and cool in the pan. Use right away or store in a Mason jar in the refrigerator, mixing before serving.

For a spicier version, add hot sauce or ghost pepper flakes. For less spice, do not add cayenne pepper and substitute black pepper for the white pepper because white pepper is spicier.

Another Recipe:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/2 cup Frank's Hot Sauce
• 1 Tbsp hot sauce (like Tabasco)
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp apple cider vinegar

In a small saucepan, melt butter. Add remaining ingredients and whisk until combined. Remove from heat and refrigerate in an airtight jar for up to a week.

Shrimp Etoufee

1 cup celery, finely chopped
1 cup onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup shallot, chopped
1/2 cup green onion, finely sliced (include green part)
3 large cloves garlic, smashed and roughly chopped
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1/4 cup flour
2 cups homemade chicken broth (if using boxed, use low sodium)
14 oz can fire-roasted tomatoes with green chiles
salt & pepper to taste
3 dashes of cayenne pepper (more if you like it spicy)
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
24 oz. large Gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined

Melt butter in a large frying pan, then saute' celery, onion, shallot, green onion and garlic until soft, but not brown. Slowly add flour and continue cooking until light brown, but not burned. Stir constantly to keep from burning it.

Slowly add the chicken broth until mixed in completely. Add tomatoes, salt and pepper, cayenne pepper and Worcestershire sauce and give it a good stir. Simmer for 15 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning.  Start rice while simmering sauce. Keep an eye on sauce and give it a stir to keep it from burning. Sauce should be thick, but not too thick. If it is, add more broth or some water.

Add shrimp and simmer for 10 more minutes or until shrimp is pink and completely cooked. Serve over rice and top with hot sauce if desired.

Gumbo with Shrimp and Andouille

Adapted from a recipe I found on the Internet, this recipe is full of flavor and medium heat. Be sure to use large Gulf shrimp and allow plenty of time to make this! Between chopping, cleaning the shrimp and making shrimp broth, allow at least 1 1/2 hours! If you have a sous chef, you can cut that time down by quite a bit. I recommend a spouse who can assist with cleanup too! :)

1 pound large Gulf shrimp in the shell
1/2 tsp (about 2) garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp. dried or 2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
salt & pepper (season well)

4 Tbsp. olive oil (or more)
1 1/2 cup diced onion
1 cup red chopped bell pepper
3/4 cup chopped celery (with some celery leaves mixed in)
2-3 cloves, minced
4 Tbsp flour
1 Tbsp tomato paste (from a tube)
1 tsp paprika
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 heaping cup fresh tomato, seeded and chopped
12 oz. smoked andouille sausage (I use Chicken andouille from Trader Joe's), sliced into 1/2 to 1/4 inch round slices
6 cups shrimp broth OR low sodium chicken stock/broth
2 cups chopped okra, thinly sliced and fried in olive oil (see note below)*
file' powder (to taste)

Cooked white rice

Peel shrimp and save shells for broth. To make broth: heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a 9-10 cup stock pot, add shells, 1 bay leaf, fresh thyme, 2-3 cloves garlic (sliced), and 1/2 onion roughly chopped, allow to sizzle for about 1-2 minutes, but don't allow to brown. Add 7 cups of water, salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Simmer for 30 minutes, Strain and refrigerate if making earlier in the day.

Devein shrimp and place in a bowl. Add crushed garlic, thyme and salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until later.

Now it's time to make the gumbo roux. Heat olive oil in a large stock pot (can use the same one you used for broth, but make sure it is dry and clean). Add onion, red bell pepper and celery. Stir fry until vegetables are soft and lightly browned. This will take about 8-10 minutes. Sprinkle flour in slowly and mix with oil and veggies. If too dry, add a bit more olive oil until you get a nice thick paste. Cook until well browned. A good roux takes time, so don't hurry this step. Flour will stick on the bottom of the pot, so stir well so it doesn't burn. Add tomato paste, paprika, cayenne and minced garlic. Stir fry about 1 minute. Add the chopped tomatoes and stir well. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the stock (shrimp or chicken) slowly, mixing the roux into the liquid and scraping up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the andouille sausages and then heat to a boil. The liquid might be foamy (this is natural). Give it a stir and simmer for about 25 minutes on low.

While gumbo base is simmering, prepare okra and rice.

Fresh okra is slimy, but don't worry, it won't be slimy in your gumbo! Wash, cut off ends of okra and slice it very thin. You will see the slime, but press on! If you love okra, you can add more than 2 cups, but be sure to do at least 2 cups of okra. Now take a large frying pan and add a small amount of olive oil. Add your okra and stir fry on medium heat for about 10-15 minutes or until the slime is gone. Okra will brown, but don't allow it to burn. Once cooked, add to the gumbo base and bring it up to a slow boil. Add shrimp and cook no more than 2-3 minutes or until shrimp is just pink.

To make rice fluffy, after rice is done cooking, remove lid and place an old flour sack dish towel on top and place lid on top to hold it in place. The towel absorbs the extra moisture and rice is not sticky or gooey that way.

Serve gumbo in a large bowl by adding rice to the bowl and then ladling gumbo on top. Top the gumbo with generous amount of file' powder. Adjust salt and pepper levels to taste and add hot sauce if you want it extra spicy.

*If you cannot find fresh okra, use frozen. No need to fry it first, just drop it in the pot and cook until done.

I cannot say enough good about this recipe. This is the first time I've made gumbo and the first time I prepared fresh okra. I'm a huge fan and plan to make this again. I cannot wait to eat the leftovers too!

Quick and Easy Shrimp Creole

First start boiling the water for the rice, then start the shrimp creole because this shrimp creole takes only about 30 minutes to make. This quick and easy recipe is packed with punch that will please any shrimp-loving, creole-loving person!

1 medium onion (about 1 cup), chopped finely
1 medium green pepper, chopped finely
2 stalks celery (about 1 cup), chopped finely
2-3 cloves of garlic, pressed
1 Tbsp. butter
1 Tbsp. olive oil
14 1/2 oz. crushed tomatoes
14 1/2 oz. petite-diced tomatoes
1/4 c. water
1 fresh bay leaf (can substitute dried)
1/2 tsp salt
pepper to taste
1 1/2 tsp. red pepper (cayenne)
Hot sauce (I used Tabasco or Louisiana hot sauce) to taste
1 pound raw shrimp, peeled, deveined and thawed (30-40 count or bigger)

Melt butter in a large frying pan, add olive oil and heat. Saute onion, green pepper, celery and garlic until tender crisp (about 5 minutes). Stir in tomatoes, water, bay leaf, salt, pepper, cayenne pepper and hot sauce. Simmer about 10 minutes until it starts to thicken.

Add raw shrimp and simmer until shrimp is pink and cook through (about 5-10 minutes). Rice should be done!

Serve over rice and pass extra hot sauce. Makes 4 generous servings. Serve with hot french bread and a lettuce salad.