Crab Cakes Eggs Benedict

Crab Cakes Eggs Benedict

In the very early days of Rock Recipes, actually in the first week, I featured one of my favorite Crab Cakes recipe which we sometimes serve in miniature form as delicious little finger food when friends come by in the evening for drinks. I decided to revisit the recipe this week in a terrific Eggs Benedict idea inspired by recent travels.

Our family vacation this year was another road trip, this time up eating our way up the eastern seaboard from Savannah to Boston. I tried some crab cake Eggs Benedict along the way in Maryland and knew I'd be making this dish when I got home with a bit of a Newfoundland twist.

Instead of an English muffin I've substituted our local favorite toutons and instead of the tarragon in the Hollandaise sauce, I used local Mt. Scio Savoury which I know may be an uncommon herb in may areas. Tarragon or dill will also make a delicious herb flavored Hollandaise if you can't find savoury. Any crab meat can be used. In Maryland I had blue crab cakes but I've used some delicious sweet Newfoundland snow crab in the version pictured.

My crab cakes use only enough other ingredients to hold the crab together and the mixture will be quite soft when you roll it into cakes and then into the cracker crumb mixture. They do take a gentle touch but once they are fried they hold together well. This very indulgent recipe sure would be perfect for a celebration brunch or breakfast treat at the end of a hard week.

Crab Cakes

You can always use English muffins or buttermilk biscuits as the base for this great dish. Find my recipe for Toutons at this link.

Crab Cakes Eggs Benedict

Recipe by Barry C. Parsons

Maryland meets Newfoundland in this indulgent version of Eggs Benedict, perfect for a celebration brunch.

Yield: 4 - 6 large crab cakes or about 18 hors d'ouevres
Ingredients

• 1 pound coarsely chopped (NOT MINCED) fresh or frozen cooked crab meat
• 3/4 cup + 1 cup cracker crumbs
• 4 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tsp lemon zest, minced
• 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 tsp hot sauce (optional)
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• Aprox 2/3 cup canola oil for frying
• FOR THE HOLLANDAISE SAUCE
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 tsp yellow mustard (or Dijon if you prefer)
• 1-2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp dry summer savoury (or dill or tarragon)
• 1/2 cup hot melted butter

Cooking Directions

1. Toss together the crab meat with the 3/4 cup cracker crumbs and all other ingredients except the canola oil.
2. Form into cakes by hand to whatever size you prefer. (Small cakes make great hor’s d’ouevres).
3. Roll in additional cracker crumbs.
4. Heat about a half inch of canola oil in a skillet or sate pan over medium-low heat. You want these to fry gently, they will burn quickly if the oil is too hot.
5. Fry until golden brown on both sides. Drain on paper towels.
6. FOR THE HOLLANDAISE SAUCE
7. In a blender combine the egg yolks, mustard and lemon juice for only a few seconds.
8. With the blender on medium speed, slowly pour in the hot butter in a thin stream. The sauce should thicken quite quickly.
9. Stir in the savoury. Pour into a bowl and keep the bowl warm in a warm water bath while preparing the other components of the Eggs Benedict.
10. Place the cooked crab cakes on the warm toutons, top with a poached egg and finally the Hollandaise sauce.