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Happy in the Kitchen: Corn Nugget Crab Cakes

Written by foodie pam

Tuesday, 05 August 2008

Freshly picked corn has a sweetness that I crave. I can eat it raw, cut right off the cob ,it is so delicious. Mix that corn with other summer bounties like just-off-the-vine tomatoes and you have a quick bruschetta or sauté it with some prosciutto and toss tomatoes and some hot tortellini and you have a meal. It’s that sweetness and versatility of fresh corn that lured me to my latest creation from Michel Richard’s cookbook “Happy in the Kitchen” – Corn Nugget Crab Cakes.

As with any Michele Richards recipe this is unlike any other form of crab cakes you’ve likely seen before. The crab mixture is encased in an outer layer of fresh corn mixed with a shrimp paste to make it adhere and seal in the crab. The assembled cakes are wrapped in plastic wrap, steamed and sit overnight to allow the flavors to meld. The next day the cakes are cooked in the oven to brown and warm up. Accompanying the crab cakes is Michele Richards take on tartar sauce.

Plastic wrap enclosed corn cakes

Unlike the two and three day preparations of other recipes from “Happy in the Kitchen” (here, here and here) that I’ve made, the corn crab cakes really didn't take that much time, even though it was spread over two days. Since we’ve made a couple of dishes using Richard’s plastic wrap methods this one went more smoothly, although I’m still not a huge fan. Perhaps it’s those warnings from years past of chemicals emitting from plastic wrap or perhaps it’s the use of non-green materials, or simply call me old fashioned - I’d rather skip the wrap. Still, the cakes did come out nice and uniformly shaped so I see the appeal.

The result

The final dish was good but not my favorite Happy in the Kitchen dish – that would still have to be the Syrah Braised Short Ribs. The tartar sauce was based on a shallot dressing that I felt was a bit strong especially with the addition of the cornichons which added a bit more punch that I wanted. But perhaps the part that disappointed me the most was that the dish seemed more like a home cooked meal than a fancy restaurant dish. Don’t get me wrong I enjoy home cooked simple meals all the time but I was expecting more from this recipe based on the other Happy in the Kitchen recipes. End result - I’ll stick to one of my standard crab cake recipes (here and here) that takes 30 minutes max to make. But, I’m eagerly waiting to make my next Happy meal which will undoubtedly incorporate Tomato Water from my homegrown tomatoes and other summer vegetables...

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Last Updated ( Sunday, 03 August 2008 )