Almost every New Year’s Eve we celebrate with crab cakes. Crab Cakes and some sparkling wine or, if we can, champagne. I love Crab Cakes and order them in restaurants to try out the house recipes, but I think mine are the best. The one’s I always make are from a newspaper clipping I got from somewhere (we’ve lived in six different states) and they are titled ‘Maryland Crab Cakes’. Really simple with just a few ingredients so the taste of the crab really comes through.
This year I wanted to try a version from ‘Food & Wine’ magazine dated December 2003. Called ‘Mrs. Duvall’s Pan-Fried Crab Cakes’. Mrs. Duvall from Robert Duvall. His Mother.
Crab Cake Goodness
So her recipe is pretty similar to the one I do, just with some added minced onion ¼ C., 2 eggs, Worcestershire, dried mustard, salt, cayenne and a C. of crushed Saltines.
¼ C. of the Saltines, a pound of lump crab and all the rest of the ingredients are gently folded together, shaped into 16 cakes and coated with the remaining Saltines.
Crab Mixture
Then they are fried in butter & olive oil until crisp & golden. They can kept warm in a low oven for a few minutes while the salad is being made.
Warm Pear Salad w/ Walnuts & Chevre. This sounded perfect with the crab. I found it on-line somewhere.
Combine vinegar, honey, mustard, lemon, s & p. Whisk in the oil. Dip peeled pear slices in sugar and sauté in butter until just colored but still firm. Season w/ salt & black pepper.
Pears, walnuts & goat cheese
Toss baby greens with enough dressing to coat, Divide them between the plates, top with toasted walnuts, pear slices and slices of Chevre.
Our cocktail (instead of Champagne this time-we’re in a recession!) was the Stork Club Cocktail. A classic cocktail.
Stork Club Cocktail
Here are the ingredients and the finished drink.
For each drink, 1 & ½ oz gin(I used Hendrick’s) ¾ oz Cointreau, 1 oz fresh squeezed OJ, ½ oz. lime juice, dash of bitters. Combine and shake w/ ice. Strain into chilled glass and garnish with an orange curl.
Delicious!
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