Crab Cakes

1 pound of crabmeat
1 medium onion, chopped
1/2 cup butter
1 cup of fine dry plain bread crumbs
3 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspooon dry mustard
Few sprigs of parsley, finely chopped
2 tablespoons of cream
All-purpose flour

Flake crabmeat if needed.  Brown the chopped onion with a 1/4 cup of butter. Add breadcrumbs and mix well.  Beat eggs thoroughly and add to crabmeat along with crumb mixture, salt, mustard, chopped parsley and cream.  Shape into 8 flat patties, coat with flour and saute in remaining butter until delicately browned on both sides.

And for an amazing crab cake you don’t have make yourself…try our handmade Jumbo Lump East Cost Crab Cakes bursting with big chunks of fresh Blue crab meat.

Serves 2 main course or 4 appetizer servings.

Mussels Steamed Ingredients
2 pounds cultured (farm-raised) mussels
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons diced Vidalia or other sweet onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh herbs such as basil or parsley, or 2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 to 3 teaspoons butter or extra virgin olive oil (optional)
Freshly ground back pepper

Gently rinse mussels under cold running water. Discard mussels with broken shells. Squeeze the sides of mussels with shells that are open (or gaping). If they do not firmly close, discard these gapers as well.

2. In a large pot, combine the wine, water, onion, herbs, and garlic. Add mussels to pot and bring to a boil over high head. Reduce heat to medium.

3. Time for 3 minutes (the minimum time mussels need to steam). Using a large spoon, stir mussels gently, cover pan tightly, and steam until all shells open, about 3-5 minutes. Remove pot from heat.

4. Using a slotted spoon, divide mussels among individual rimmed soup plates. Leave any unopened mussels in pot, cover pot tightly, and continue cooking for 1 to 2 more minutes to see if mussels open. Discard any mussels that remain unopened at this point.

5. Return heat to high and vigorously boil mussels broth for 1 minute to concentrate the flavors. Enrich broth with butter or olive oil, if desired. Add pepper to taste. Ladle the broth equally over the mussels. Serve with crusty bread for dipping.

For tips on how to buy fresh mussels like a real shellfish purveyor check out this post from LobsterAnywhere.com.

When Charlie travels to the lower Cape to play golf in Brewster, he enjoy a nice ice cold beer and a couple of stuffed clams. Here’s a delicious recipe for baked stuffed clams.

Stuffed Clams Recipe

12 medium-size cherrystone clams
2 tablespoons water
rock salt (optional)
2 tablespoons butter
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 cups soft bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/2 teaspoon dry basil
1/2 teaspoon oregano
2 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 tablespoon dry white wine
Freshly ground black pepper
8 slices bacon, cut into thirds

Place the clams and water in a pan, cover and steam until clams open. Reserve the liquid, remove the clams form the shells and chop finely. Wash the shells and place on rock salt in shallow baking pan. Melt butter in a skillet and saute the shallots and garlic until just tender. Add the bread crumbs, celery, parsley, basil, oregano, cheese, oil, wine and pepper. Mix well. Stir in enough of reserved liquid to moisten crumbs but not make it soggy. Distribute chopped clams among the shells, top with bread crumb mixture and a piece of bacon. Bake in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10 minutes and then broil until browned. Serves 4.

I know I sound like a country bumpkin but I do like to travel. Last week I went to New York City with my wife who loves to shop. Me being more food minded managed to squeeze some gastronomic experiences into the mix. Pastrami sandwich at the Carnegie Deli, good New York bagels€¦The height of my culinary treats was lunch at the Grand Central Oyster Bar. Located on the lower level of the recently renovated Grand Central Station this icon of New York cuisine lived up to its reputation.

One of the Signature dishes at the venerable Grand Central Oyster Bar is a seafood pan roast. Unlike the 94 €“ year-old restaurants’s seafood stews €“ the roasts contain a slice of bread and a shot of chili sauce that gives them a pale orange color and jazzier flavor. The menu offers a choice of oyster, cherrystone clam, Ipswich clam, shrimp, lobster or scallop pan roasts, or a combination, with all of the preceding awash in cream.

I opted for the combination pan roast and washed it down with a nice glass of French chardonnay (Pouilly Fuisse). Take a look at their cool spot “below sea level at grand central station”. Grand Central Oyster Bar.

Here is a recipe for a oyster pan roast but any seafood will work, whether cooked (lobster,crab), just-shucked (clams,oysters) or shelled (shrimp,mussels). And any variety of any of those types will do fine €“ just buy what looks best or order from us @ East Coast Gourmet. www.eastcoastgourmet.com

Pan roasts have an added attraction for New Year’s Eve. They go well with with the classic elixirs of the night €“ martinis or Champagne. Totally attuned to this out-with-the old, in-with-the new holiday, pan roasts are seductively retro.

Oyster Pan Roast

Total time : 30 minutes

Servings : 4

4 thick slices good white bread, lightly toasted
3 dozen freshly shucked oysters with their liquor
2 cups heavy cream
2 tablespoons Heinz Chile Sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ tablespoon coarse grain mustard (Creole or Pommery)
½ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Spanish smoked paprika for garnish (or chives)

Combine the oyster liquor with the cream, Heinz Chili sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and Old Bay in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and remove from heat. Melt the butter in a large skillet. Add the oysters and cook just until the edges start to curl, just a couple of minutes. Pour the warm cream mixture over them and cook, stirring constantly, until the oysters plump up, about 5 minutes. Place the toasted bread slices in individual bowls. Using a slotted spoon, divide the oysters among the four bowls. Raise the heat and cook the liquid until it thickens slightly. Pour over the oysters. Dust lightly with paprika (or chives) and serve.