SPICEY CRAB CAKES WITH RED-PEPPER COULIS

By akselden

Ingredients

• Gougeres:
• 3 red bell peppers, seeded and quartered
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1 tbsp minced ginger
• 1 1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce, divided
• 3/4 cup dry plain bread crumbs
• 2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp dry mustard
• 1 lb. lump crab meat, cartilage removed
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
• 3 tbsp milk
• 2 eggs
• Salt to taste
• 2 tbsp sour cream
• 2 tbsp unsalted butter
• Lemon wedges for garnish
• 5 tbsp. butter
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup grated gruyere cheese
• 5 large eggs, at room temperature
• (very important!)

Preparation

Step 1

IIn heavy saucepan over medium heat, combine peppers, onion, ginger, I tsp hot sauce, and r.cup water. Bring to boil, Reduce heat; Cover and simmer until peppers are tender, about 50 min. Remove from heat, drain if necessary and let cool. In medium bowl combine bread crumbs, black pepper and mustard. Stir in crabmeat, 2 tbsp oil, milk, eggs and remaining hot sauce. Season-with salt. Cover with plastic wrap and let sit 20 min. Blend pepper mixture in blender or food processor until smooth. Stir in sour cream. Season with salt. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate coulis until ready to serve. Form crabmeat mixture into I2 small patties. Heat I tbsp oil and I tbsp butter in large skillet over medium heat. In batches, fry crab cakes until golden, 4-6 min., turning once. Add remaining oil and butter to skillet as necessary. Serve warm with coulis; garnish with lemon wedges.

Preheat oven to 425°. Add butter, salt, pepper, and nutmeg to 1 cup water in medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. When butter melts, reduce heat to low. Add flour to butter-water mixture all at once and cook over low heat, beating with a wooden spoon, for 1 minute, until mixture pulls away from sides of pan. Remove pan from heat. Add cheese to pan and beat in with a wooden spoon until well incorporated. Add 4 of the eggs, 1 at a time, beating each egg into the batter until thoroughly absorbed. Continue beating mixture until it is smooth, shiny, and firm.
Drop batter in small spoonfuls onto a lightly greased cookie sheet to form Gougeres. Beat remaining egg with 1/2 tbsp. water, then brush tops of uncooked Gougeres with egg wash. Bake in upper third of oven for 15-20 minutes or until Gougeres are golden and doubled in size. Remove from oven and serve hot, or allow to cool to room temperature. Bakes about 3 dozen Gougeres.