Seen in Season 4 Episode 15
Ah, crab. It’s something I rarely have at home (mainly because it’s painfully expensive), but I love it so much. I actually had something similar to this recipe at my wedding, but of course I never had the chance to try one.
I had a hard time deciding what “form” I wanted these crab puffs to be in. Naturally, when I thought of “puff”, I thought to use something with puff pastry. But there was something about the puff pastry and the crab didn’t really appeal to me. I wanted the crab puffs to look similar to the salmon puffs we see in season 6. The result is a sort of hybrid between a puff and a crab cake.
Now, the thought of Emily and her DAR darlings eating something fried is humorous and possibly not quite in character, but I think to think she makes an exception for our hors d’oeuvres.
Crab Puffs
Ingredients
For the Puffs
- 4 oz Lump Crab
- 3 oz Cream Cheese, Softened
- 1 tbsp + 1tsp Mayonnaise
- 1/2 Red Bell Pepper, Finely Chopped
- 2 cloves Garlic, Chopped
- 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp Lemon Zest
- 1/4 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1/2 cup Flour
- 1/2 cup Panko Bread Crumbs
- 1 Egg
- Vegetable Oil, For Frying
For the Sauce
- 1/2 cup Mayonnaise
- 1 clove Garlic, grated (or VERY finely chopped)
- 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
- 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine the crab, softened cream cheese, finely chopped bell pepper, mayonnaise, garlic, old bay, lemon zest and grated parmesan. Salt and pepper to taste.
- Roll the mixture into small balls (1/2 inch for “one biters” or 1 inch for two biters). Put the balls (dirty) in the freezer for about 30 minutes to firm them up.
- While waiting for them to firm, you can make the sauce. Whisk together mayonnaise, grated garlic, lemon juice and old bay until smooth, set aside.
- In a deep skillet, heat about 1 inch of vegetable oil to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. In batches, add the crab puffs and fry until all sides are beautifully golden (about 3 minutes per side). Drain on a cooling rack.
- Scoop sauce into a plastic zip lock bag and cut a small piece off of one of the bottom corners. Gently squeeze the sauce on top of the puff and serve!
