Posted: May 29, 2008, 12:52 PM CST
Ok, couple of all time fav's...they might look complex, but truly are easy ones after you make them couple times.
One is "Naga's Crab Cakes" (recipe from chef Katsuo Naga of Cafe del Ray in Marina del Rey, California.
2 pink or ruby grapefruit
3/4 pound shelled cooked crab
2 tbl/spoons diced red bell pepper
1 tbl/spoon celery
1 tbl/spoon diced red onion
2 tbl/spoons chopped parsley
1 large egg
1/2 tbl/spoons dry mustard
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne. About 1 cup dried bread crumbs
6 tbl/spoons butter
1. Cut and discard peel and white membrane from grapefruit. Drop segments into strainer; sae juice for other uses.
2. Sort crab from shells.
3. In a bow combine red pepper, celery, onion, parsley, egg, mustard, mayonnaise, pepper and cayenne-mix well with fork-add crab and stir.
4. Mound 1/8 of the crab mixture on bread crumbs, transfer cake(with spatula, they're gragile) to a sheet of waxed paper. Repeat with remaining mixture setting cakes slightly apart.
5. Melt butter in 10-12 inch pan, set crab cakes in pan. Cook, turning once, 5-8 min. total.
6. Set pan with grapefruit sauce over high heat, add 4 tbl/spoons butter and stir 1-2 min. Set crab cakes on plates,spoon warm sauce equally around them. Garnish with grapefruit segments and sprinkle with parsley.
Grapefruit sauce: combine 1 tbl/spoon butter, 1 tbl/spoon onion and 1/4 cup minced mushrooms in frying pan. Stir over high heat for 2-3 min. Add 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, 1/2 cup dry white wine, 2 cups grapefruit juice- boil for about 15 min.
Invite your lover with a bottle of french Champagne.........