I learned from my former boss Bonnie that its very important to refrigerate these the night before and use the freshest crab meat you can find. The Phillips or chicken of the sea super lump crab meat that comes in a 16 oz can at Costco seems to be the best bet unless you have a good seafood market.

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 6 green onions, chopped
• 3/8 cup olive oil
• 16 oz crabmeat
•   2 eggs
• 1.5 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard

•   6 ounces buttery round crackers, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning TM
• salt to taste
• ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs) or regular dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 stalk celery (pureed or minced)
• 1/4 cup chopped green or red pepper
• 1/4 cup cooked onion

1. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a skillet over high heat. Saute green onions briefly until tender; cool slightly.
2. Combine crabmeat, sauteed green onions, egg, mayonnaise, dry mustard, crushed crackers, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, Old Bay seasoning, salt and pepper. Form into 1/2 inch thick patties. Coat the patties with bread crumbs. *Put them in the fridge overnight before cooking.
3. Heat 1/2 cup oil in a skillet over medium high heat. Cook cakes until golden brown on each side. Drain briefly on paper towels and serve hot. You can bake at 350 degree oven instead.

Aioli: 3/4 cup mayo, 3 garlic cloves minced, 2.5 tblsp lemon, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper

Wow was this a hit! Made it for a pot luck super bowl party and it was gone in 30 minutes. Lots of flavor with several alterations from some basic recipes.

2 lbs raw, deveined shrimp (tails off) OR 3 lbs crawfish tails if you can find them!

2/3 cup vegetable oil

¼ cup melted butter

1/2 cup flour

1 medium yellow onion chopped

1/2 cup chopped green onions

6 stalks chopped celery

1 medium chopped green bell pepper

1/2 cup minced fresh parsley

5 minced garlic cloves

5 bay leaves

1 cup chopped tomato

2 – 3 cups shrimp stock

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1.5 tbsp Tony Chachere’s Cajun Seasoning

1.5 tbsp old bay

2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

1-2 tbsp Louisiana hot sauce

Directions:

Assemble all ingredients before starting to cook!

Melt the butter in a large heavy-bottomed pot over medium/high heat. Once melted and bubbling, sprinkle the flour over top and mix with a rubber spatula until a smooth paste forms. If your paste is very thin, add a little bit more flour. Keep stirring and cooking over medium heat until roux turns the color of peanut butter. It will smell nutty and delicious.

Add the chopped onions, celery, green onions, bell pepper, garlic and parsley to the hot roux. Cook the vegetables until they soften—about three to five minutes. Stir continuously.

Add the diced tomatoes and bay leaves along with seafood stock. Add additional stock if mixture looks too thick (I added extra). It should be thick, but be a sauce-like or stew-like consistency. Mix well so there are no lumps. Cook on low for 15 minutes.

Add cayenne, Tony Chachere’s, Louisiana hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce and stir well. Bring mixture to a boil and slide in shrimp. Reduce heat to low and simmer until shrimp are done, about 15 minutes.

Serve Étouffée with rice, mashed potatoes and/or crusty rolls for dipping with extra Louisiana hot sauce on the side!

Optional Shrimp Stock:

• Shells from 2 pounds of shrimp
• 1/2 large onion, chopped
• top and bottom from 1 green pepper
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 5 bay leaves

Ingredients

• 1  French bread loaf
• 1/4 cup butter, melted
• 1 medium onion, finely chopped
• 1 small jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 2/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup (2 oz.) shredded Parmesan cheese
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons Creole seasoning

French Bread

1. 1. Cut bread loaf in half lengthwise. Brush melted butter evenly onto cut sides of bread halves.
2. 2. Stir together onion, jalapeño pepper, and next 5 ingredients, and spread mixture evenly over buttered sides of bread halves. Place bread halves, buttered sides up, on a baking sheet, and sprinkle evenly with 1 1/2 tsp. Creole seasoning.
3. 3. Bake at 350° for 18 to 20 minutes or until brown and bubbly. Let stand 5 minutes; cut crosswise into 1-inch-thick slices, and serve immediately.