Crab Croquettes
With Mom's “So good, you could eat it on a stick” Seafood Sauce
Makes 6 Croquettes

Ingredients

Croquettes

1 lb Handy pasteurized lump crab meat
½ lb Handy pasteurized backfin lump crab meat
6 Slices Nueske’s Smoked bacon, cooked crisp and chopped
1 Cup Panko bread crumbs
½ Cup Heavy cream
¼ Cup Shallot, minced
1 Clove Garlic, minced
2 Tbsp Parsley, minced
2 Tbsp Mustard, whole grain
2 Eggs, large, lightly beaten
2 Tbsp Lemon juice, fresh
1 tsp Black pepper, cracked
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning

Breading

½ Cup  Cup AP flour
1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
2 Eggs
1 Tbsp Heavy cream
1 Cup Saltine crackers crushed to Panko size
2 Cups Canola oil

“So good you could eat it on a stick” Sauce

¼ Cup Ketchup
¼ Cup Mustard, whole grain
¼ Cup Worcestershire sauce
¼ Cup Sour cream or crème Fraiche
1 Tbsp Lemon juice, fresh
½ tsp Tabasco

Garnish

6 Lemon wedges
½” Chives

 

Method

• Place the crab meat in a large bowl. Add bacon, Panko, cream, shallot, garlic, parsley, mustard, eggs, lemon juice, black pepper and old bay. Combine well, but gently, with your hands or a wooded spoon.
• Form the mixture into 6 patties about ½" thick. Put the patties on plastic wrapped plates and place in the freezer for about 15 minutes until the patties are firm.
• Heat oil over medium heat source until it reaches 350 degrees.
• Season the flour with Old Bay. Lightly beat the eggs and cream. Place flour, eggs and crackers in 3 separate shallow bowls.
• Dredge the croquette in the flour; shake off excess, coat with the egg mixture. Place into the saltine crumbs and coat well. Shake off any excess crumbs.
• Fry in the oil for about 4-6 minutes on each side, or until golden brown and heated through. Drain on paper towels. Reserve in a warm place.
• In a small bowl combine all the sauce ingredients and stir well, refrigerate until ready to use. Can be made the day before.

Plating

• Place the croquettes on a cutting board and cut into ¼’s.
• Place the rounded side in towards the middle of the plate to form a star.
• Place 2 tablespoons of sauce in the center of the plate
• Put a lemon wedge in the sauce vertically.
• Sprinkle some ½" chives on the croquettes and around the plate.
• Enjoy!

From the kitchen of Jamie Samford
Corporate Chef of Winn Meat Company