Dessert: Crabmeat Cakes, Crisp Beets, and Sweet Potatoes

Recipe by Christian Albin Impress your guests with this signature appetizer recipe from the legendary Four Seasons restaurant.

Ingredients

12 slice white bread
2 beets
1 sweet potato
1/2 c. all purpose flour
1 1/2 c. vegetable oil
1/2 c. butter
4 tbsp. chicken stock
4 tbsp. milk
1/2 c. Pommeray mustard
salt
ground black pepper
2 tsp. crushed yellow mustard seed
2 tsp. ground turmeric
2 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. paprika
2 egg yolks
1 1/4 c. mayonnaise
1 dill pickle
2 stalk celery
2 lb. lump crabmeat

Instructions

Chop the bread in a food processor and transfer resulting crumbs to a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
Slice beets and sweet potatoes and dust with 1/4 cup of the flour. In a large skillet, heat vegetable oil until very hot, then add beets and sweet potatoes. Cook until crisp, approximately 30 seconds. Remove from oil and drain. Set aside and keep warm.
Over a low flame, melt 1/4 cup of the butter. Using a wooden spoon stir in the remaining flour. Add chicken stock and milk and simmer, approximately 10 minutes. Add Pommeray mustard, salt, pepper, mustard seed, turmeric, curry powder, and paprika and stir. Continue simmering for 10 minutes more. Set aside and keep warm.
In a large bowl, combine egg yolks, mayonnaise, pickle, celery, and crabmeat. Make sure to incorporate every ingredient. Mold about 1/8 of the mixture into a potato-shaped ball. Press gently to be sure it retains its shape through the cooking process. Roll each crab cake into the breadcrumbs, pouring more crumbs on top until thoroughly covered and no longer sticky to the touch.
Over low flame, heat the remaining butter in a large nonstick skillet. When the butter melts and is evenly distributed, place 8 crab cakes in the skillet. Cook until golden brown, turning twice to create a three-sided cake.
To serve: Place two crab cakes on a dinner-sized plate. Spoon mustard sauce between them. Garnish with crisp vegetables.

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