Crab Cakes

I picked up a can of crabmeat at Trader Joe's on my last trip. Not the kind that can get room temp, but the kind that is "fresh" and has to stay refrigerated. It comes in big, 1 lb cans and is graded. I got the Deluxe and I can't for sure tell you what that means but there were some larger chunks of crab and a lot of more shredded body meat. But it smelled good and fresh and I decided to make crab cakes. I can't tell you the last time I made crab cakes. I can tell you that it was so long ago, I have no idea what recipe I used so it was like starting all over from scratch. I always start at Fine Cooking's recipe website when in need of a recipe but this time it didn't help me. There was only one recipe and it hadn't gotten good reviews. The next place I tried was the Cooks Talk forum on Fine Cookings site. I'm quite used to the people here and I trust that most of the recipes are reliable. The site isn't like most cooking sites. There is much more discussion and a lot less recipes being exchanged. I find someone has to get really excited about something to post a recipe. I found a promising recipe from a reliable poster and went to work. Here's the result:

They turned out great - exactly like what you would want a crab cake to taste like. Simple and not fussy. I don't think crab cakes were meant to be fussy.

Sear-Roasting

I always get excited when I see that Fine Cooking has an article on fish because, let's face it, cooking fish is kind of my thing. I've considered renaming this blog "Fish and Veg" since it seems like that's the topic of every other post. When I opened the new issue (92,) I was especially interested because this article is on cooking fish my favorite way - by first pan searing and then roasting to finish in a hot oven. That, I think, is the best way to cook a thick fillet of fish, or a nice piece of meat like a steak/chop (if you're not cooking outside.) Broiling will never get you that crusty seared brown that direct heat on a flat, hot pan will give you. I find that broiling makes the moisture in meat and fish rise to the top and weep out, giving you a mediocre browning at best. On the other hand, if you pan sear and then try to finish cooking the whole way in the hot pan, there's a chance that your fish/meat will dry out near the surface. So searing to the crusty brown you want and then finishing in the hot, hot oven (or "sear-roasting") is the answer to perfect even cooking everytime.

OK, off the soap box and on to the article. Three recipes are offered, all working with this cooking method. One is a Spice-Rubbed Salmon, another is a Sear-Roasted Haddock or Cod with Aioli and Breadcrumbs and the third is Chinese Five Spice Rubbed Halibut with Red Pepper and Ginger. Knowing my affinity for asian flavors, you can guess that I was immediately drawn to the last one. Halibut just came into season (Hurrah!) and I got a large fillet (squeaky fresh, not frozen,) cross cut into two nice chunky rectangles. The spice rub is made with five spice powder, brown sugar, cayenne and some orange zest. You also make an interesting quick pickle of red pepper and ginger as a "relish." for the fillet. The dish came out nice but I thought the rub was a bit strong flavored for the fish. I loved the pepper relish. Loved. It. I will use this again on other things. I think this whole recipe would work great on a pork chop. The rub would go better with pork and the red pepper relish definitely would complement a chop too. I served the fish with stir-fried asparagus which are "seasonal" but not really in Illinois where we have snow on the ground.

I will make the cod recipe next because the aioli includes horseradish, but I might make it with halibut instead. I can't give these recipes because they are in the current issue. There's also a scallop recipe with pea puree that I'm dying to make but I haven't seen fresh peas in the market yet.

Good Recipe, Poor Photography

My pictures don't do this dish justice. But this is such a dang fine recipe that I'm going to post about it anyway. Jewel has had frozen Orange Roughy fillets on sale ($5.79/lb) for the past week and I decided to pick some up to keep in the freeze for a quick weeknight dinner. Orange Roughy is a mild-flavored white fish that is easy to cook all sorts of ways. It can be pan-sauteed, baked, steamed or probably even fried (since it is a type of perch) although I haven't done that. It is a thin flexible fillet that can be wrapped nicely around a stuffing. You often will see it with simple butter and lemon preparation. But I'm always looking for something new to tickle my tastebuds and I came across this recipe that steams the fillets in foil. The recipe is for Lime-scented Orange Roughy with Spinach. Basically, in a pan, you saute some carrots until almost cooked and add some garlic and spinach until that wilts. Then you use that as a base inside your foil packet. The uncooked fillets sit on top of the veggies and you drizzle a lime/scallion/ginger/mirin (a sweet japanese cooking wine that you can find in the asian section of any supermarket) mix on top. The packet is sealed up and goes in the oven to cook. I changed this by sauteeing red pepper strips instead of carrots and I also added some cilantro sprigs on top of this fish which greatly enhanced the aroma when we unsealed the packets. I decided to go with the foil packets although my inner food stylist yelled "MUCH THE PRETTIER IN PARCHMENT!!" Next time. Oh well, hence my not so attractive shots of a very good dinner. The aromatic lime mixture mingles with the fish juices to make a great sauce and you have the spinach and peppers (which, I failed to capture in the shot,) so it is a whole meal in a packet. I've done many a fish packet and this is the most delicious one I've ever tasted. I picked up some more Orange Roughy in anticipation of making this again soon. By the way, it could also be done with tilapia, grouper or another white flaky fish of your liking.

Lime-Scented Orange Roughy and Spinach

Cooking en papillote (in parchment) helps the citrus rind and juice lend aroma and flavor to the spinach and fish. Here, we use heavy-duty foil to make the packets for the fish and spinach because it's easy to find and handle.

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup thinly sliced carrot
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
1 (10-ounce) package fresh baby spinach
1/3 cup sliced green onions
1/4 cup mirin (sweet rice wine)
1 teaspoon grated lime rind
3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 teaspoon grated peeled fresh ginger
4 (6-ounce) orange roughy fillets
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 lime wedges

Preheat oven to 400°.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add carrot; sauté 2 minutes or until tender. Add garlic; sauté 15 seconds. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt and spinach; sauté 2 minutes or until spinach wilts.

Combine 1/4 teaspoon salt, green onions, and next 4 ingredients (through grated ginger).
Fold 4 (16 x 12-inch) sheets heavy-duty foil in half lengthwise. Open foil; place about 1/2 cup spinach in center of each foil sheet. Top each with 1 fillet. Drizzle mirin mixture evenly over fillets; sprinkle evenly with black pepper. Fold foil over fillets; tightly seal edges. Place foil packets in a single layer on a jelly-roll pan. Bake at 400° for 20 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork. Serve with lime wedges.

Yield: 4 servings
CALORIES 221 (20% from fat); FAT 4.9g (sat 0.5g,mono 3.3g,poly 0.4g); PROTEIN 27.6g; CHOLESTEROL 34mg; CALCIUM 138mg; SODIUM 470mg; FIBER 3.4g; IRON 2.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 13.3g

Cooking Light, JANUARY 2005

Notes from the kitchen:

- I used thin slices of red pepper instead of carrots. I just think it goes better with the whole tone of the dish.

- Instead of the baby spinach. I use a bunch of regular more mature spinach. That holds up better and doesn't get that tissue-like texture with sauteeing. It is going to essentially get double-cooked, because you first saute and then it steams in the packet. So just barely cook it in the pan. HARDLY AT ALL would be best. I think with baby spinach you could almost put pack it up raw, but it will release water, so I don't know if I'd risk it.

- A few sprigs of cilantro really elevate this dish. Lime and cilantro are a natural pairing and when you open the packet the aroma jumps out at you.

Uncompromising Apple Muffins

Let me start out by saying, I am not a fan of lowfat/low calorie baking. Unlike savory foods where you can just pick recipes that, just by their nature, lean toward the lighter side, baked goods require substitutions for the fat and the sugar that make them taste good and have a tender crumb. Lowfat/low cal baked goods always seem to have a "compromised" flavor and rubbery texture. Why bother? I just prefer the real thing. Perhaps a smaller portion or less frequently, but real butter, please. But this recipe has really made me call that principle into question because these Apple Muffins are one of those recipes that substitutes applesauce for butter and includes whole wheat flour to increase nutritional value. And yet, these taste great. They're from my new favorite cookbook author and Food Network show host, Ellie Krieger and her cookbook The Food you Crave. We had these for breakfast Easter morning. They use half whole wheat flour and half regular unbleached white flour. And there is only 1/4 cup of canola oil in the whole recipe; but you get 12 generous, full-size delicious muffins. The muffins are studded with small apple chunks and have a cinnamon, brown sugar, pecan topping.

Tortilla Soup

This recipe for tortilla soup is from Fine Cooking (#50) and I'm going to include it here. But you'll notice that my picture which accompanies the post has shrimp and scallops in it and not the chicken that the recipe calls for. That is precisely what I love about the recipe. It is completely adaptable. The soup consists mainly of a simple, flavorful broth studded with beans, corn and tomatoes. This a thin, chile-flavored tortilla soup broth. Some tortilla soups are thickened with masa (the dough used to make tortillas) and they have a thicker, corny texture. I don't know which type is more authentic; I just want you to know what you can expect if you decide to make it.

To this spicy broth, you can add the cooked chicken as the recipe describes. Or you can buy a rotisserie chicken and shred that up, or you can cook shrimp and/or scallops in the broth to make a spicy seafood soup. You can even try the rib-eye version which is included in the original recipe. I have never made it with beef, so I can't say what that would be like.

So, there's the broth (see recipe), there's the protein of your choice, there's the vegetables (corn, beans and tomatoes) which are a snap to prepare and then there's the garnishes. You can pick a couple or do all of them. I like to do all because they aren't a big deal and you get a great, luscious bowl of soup at the end. I do think the avocado, tortilla strips and lime are essential. The tortilla strips, of course, because it is tortilla soup and the avocado because it is really neat to have a bite of dense cool creaminess in your bowl of hot, spicy soup. And the lime really brightens everything.

And for the drama. You stack up all your ingredients in the bottom of an empty bowl so you literally have a tower of beans, corn and tomatoes. You could even heap on some tortilla strips for flair. Then you ladle the hot, aromatic broth into the bowl around all the ingredients right in front of your guest (read: husband) and serve the garnishes (queso fresco, avocado, chopped cilantro, sour cream, more tortilla strips...) on the side. Dear husband thinks you've made this gourmet soup, which you have; but he thinks you've gone to a lot of trouble, which you haven't. That's the magic of it... Feign exhaustion, and let him tend to the dishes.

Chicken & Tortilla Soup
by Martha Holmberg

Be sure the broth is very hot so that it heats up the ingredients in the bowl and offers a strong contrast with the cool, smooth chunks of avocado. The spice level is very low—just a slight chile warmth—so if you prefer more of a kick, add more chili powder or use a hotter powder. This recipe is easily doubled.Serves two as a light main course or substantial first course.
ingredients

1 Tbs. vegetable or olive oil, plus another 1/2 to 1 cup for frying the tortillas
1/4 cup finely chopped onion (from about 1/2 small onion)
1 Tbs. chili powder; more to taste
1 Tbs. tomato paste
2 skinless chicken thighs (bone-in or boneless)
Salt to taste
4 cups homemade or low-salt canned chicken broth (I use Pacific brand)
Fresh cilantro: six 2-inch stems for the broth, plus 1/4 cup roughly chopped leaves for the garnish
4 fresh corn tortillas, 6 inches across, cut into 1/4-inch-wide strips
1/2 cup corn kernels (canned is fine)
1/2 cup canned black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup diced fresh tomato

For the garnish:
1 ripe avocado, diced and tossed with a squeeze of lime juice
1/4 cup crumbled queso fresco, feta, or ricotta salata
2 dollops sour cream
Lime wedges for serving

how to make

Put 1 Tbs. of the oil in a large saucepan or small soup pot, add the onion, and cook over medium heat until the onion has softened but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add the chili powder and tomato paste and stir with a wooden spoon to mix and cook briefly; take care not to let the chili powder scorch.

Season the chicken thighs lightly with salt and nestle them in the chile paste, turning them once so they’re entirely coated. Pour in about 1/2 cup of the broth and adjust the heat to a simmer. Cover the pan and cook the chicken, turning once, until it’s extremely tender when pierced with a knife, 30 to 40 minutes (add a little more broth if the pan is drying out). When the chicken’s done, remove it from the pan, let it cool a bit, and cut or shred it into bite-size pieces, discarding any bones and bits of fat or gristle; set aside.

If there’s any visible grease in the pan, spoon it off, add the remaining broth and the cilantro stems and simmer, uncovered, until the broth has reduced by about one-third and is quite flavorful, 20 to 30 minutes.

While the broth is reducing, fry the tortillas: Linke a plate with two layers of paper towels. Fill a small, high-sided saucepan with enough oil to come to about a 1-inch depth. Heat the oil over medium heat; when it reaches 375°F or when a strip of tortilla sizzles immediately when dipped in the oil, add six to eight strips of tortilla. With tongs or a long fork, "scrunch" them for a second or two so they take on a wavy shape. Fry until the strips aren't bubbling much and have become golden brown, about 1 minute. Transfer to the paper towels. Repeat with the remaining strips.

Divide the shredded chicken, the corn, black beans, tomato, and tortilla strips between two large soup or pasta bowls. Reheat the broth if necessary so it’s piping hot and pour it over the ingredients in the bowls. Serve immediately, and let each diner add the avocado, cheese, sour cream, chopped cilantro, and a big squeeze of lime juice at the table.

Variations

Rib-eye version: Instead of the chicken thighs, use an 8-oz. rib-eye or other tender cut of beef. Trim all the fat and silverskin and cut the meat into bite-size strips, slightly more than 1/4-inch thick. Toss the steak with a little salt. Start the recipe by heating the 1-Tbs. oil until quite hot, add the steak, and stir-fry it to brown the outside. The meat will cook more in the broth, but if you like your meat medium or well done, continue cooking it a few more minutes at this point. Remove the meat from the pan and reserve. Continue with the recipe above, skipping the chicken, of course.

From Fine Cooking 50, pp. 58
photo: Scott Phillips

Kitchen Notes:

I have gone to the trouble of frying tortilla strips for this, but you can just use broken, store-bought chips or homemade baked chips. If you fry them, make extra for leftovers, snacking and salads. They're irrestistible.

If you don't cook chicken in the broth, you don't have to worry about degreasing.

You can really make this hotter and give it a stronger chile flavor by reconstituting a dry chile (ancho or guajillo,) pureeing it and frying it with the onion before you add the broth. If you want to try this, I can e-mail you more exact instructions.

For the scallops, I cut large sea scallops in half, lengthwise, to make two thin coins. Shrimp could also be cut in half lengthwise, cut in bite size pieces, or left whole.

For the corn. Usually, I'll buy a cob, cut the kernels off and microwave them in a bowl with a tablespoon of water. I cover the bowl with plastic wrap and nuke for a minute and the corn is done enough for the soup. You can use canned corn too. Frozen tends to be limp.

In the mood for super healthy? Add some baby spinach leaves to your stack of ingredients. They will wilt immediately as they are flooded with the hot broth.

I don't use Pacific brand canned broth, that's the recipe author's choice. I use Swanson, low-sodium chicken broth.

Salsa

Click here to watch Jack peel tomatillos.
And here you can see Jack put the tomatillos in a broiler pan. Bear with me here folks, this is a learning process.