Sunday 4th Dec 2011 - What's cooking?

[Vanilla Bean]

Broccoli Aglio Olio (With Garlic and Olive Oil) over tagliatelle topped with fresh grated romano and parmesan cheeses.

I want some of that pasta! Broccoli is one of my fav veggies with pasta.

 

[pacanis]

Pac, did you use an egg, or some mayo along with your breadcrumbs? Your crab cake dinner looks wonderful, binder or not.

Yes, egg, mayo, the crumbs were 8 saltines (for 1 lb of lump crab). And it said to carefully fold the ingredients in to leave big chunks of crab, which I did. It just didn't bind all that well. Something in my head was telling me I needed more crumbs. Beats me. The cakes were rather loose.

 

[pacanis]

Thanks Vanilla.
I'll get it right. I'm going to read through some other recipes and see if there's one thing that stands out as being done differently.

 

[vitauta]

Gotcha. Wild wild.

The crab cakes were delicious, but need work.
This was my first time making Maryland crab cakes. And just like my first time making "Texas Red" chili and pretty much every recipe I've made on PPPC Sunday, I went with an internet recipe that sounded good, getting no outside advice. The crab cakes needed a better binder or different method. The taste was there, but man were they delicate. Which is why you only see the one that half held together But it's all about doing and I did It was a great experience. The lime buerre blanc was awesome, as were the roasted veggies. Just need to work on the crab cakes holding together better. I don't have a problem with salmon patties, but I don't try to leave those as chunky either.

lovely dish, pac. i applaud your efforts--crab cakes are tricky unless you use a lot of filler and binder. but if you do that, they won't be any good. the ideal crab cake uses big chunks of crab and just enough binder to loosely hold the cake together. i lived in maryland for 18 years. i ate many crab cakes in that time. the best ones were always very delicate, barely holding together. pac, i think if you had made three crab cakes out of that beauty on your plate, it would be "problem solved." the insanely sweet delectable crab meat taste on your tongue as you bite into a crab cake is your proof of a job well done, and reward enough....

 

[pacanis]

Thank you very much for your input, Vit.
They were certainly loosely held together, lol. I guess it's a fine line. When I Googled, can you make them ahead of time, the answer was no. When I Googled, crab cakes won't hold together, other than use more crumbs, flour or corn starch, the majority of the responses were make them ahead of time to let them set up, lol. You are right though, a thinner cake probably would have been better for a first effort... but the thick ones look so nice...
I value your input as someone who has lived in MD and is familiar with these delectable cakes. Crab cakes have not seen the last of me!

 

[Andy M.]

I don't make crab cakes often.

I have discovered that if you shape the crab cake into a ball and put it into the hot oil then press it sort of flat it's easier. It doesn't break getting picked up and put into the pan and the crust on the first side helps hold it together when you have to turn it.

PS: I usually burn one finger in the turning process.

 

[msmofet]

Everyones food LOOKS and sounds wonderful!!

I want some of that pasta! Broccoli is one of my fav veggies with pasta.

Thank you VB.

 

[pacanis]

Thanks for the tip, Andy. I will try this with my next batch... hopefully excluding the burned finger.

 

[Andy M.]

Thanks for the tip, Andy. I will try this with my next batch... hopefully excluding the burned finger.

That usually happened when turning the cakes over. I've changed my method and now don't use flesh-covered utensils.

 

[Ranchwifeg]

Trout? What is a steelhead? Your meal sounds wonderful, Ranch! Do you catch your own fish?

Steelhead is a west coast fish that is basically a salt water rainbow trout. It is a large fish like like salmon with a high fat content and pink meat. It is fished like salmon is in rivers because it has to migrate up rivers to spawn. The flavor is very sweet, kind of like Atlantic salmon. I really like it because it is not fishy and is delectable. We don't live near any steelhead spawning rivers, so Safeway farm raised mine for me.

For the aioli sauce, I combine mayonnaise, lemon juice, garlic, smoked paprika, lots of dill, and a smoked season salt. I make a thick layer of sauce over the fish and bake it at 400 degrees. The mayo mixture turns a beautiful golden color and blends really well with the fish.

 

[pacanis]

Steelhead is a very popular fish in the Great Lakes, too. Most people around here smoke them.