OOOO these were so good. SO good. Light, crispy, deconstructed, fancy shmancy crab cake endive bites. All the flavor with a whole lot less guilt.
We were having friends over this weekend for a heavy steak dinner. Steak + cooking at very high temps = high drama. So not only did I want to make an appetizer that was light and wouldn't crush every ones appetite, but something that was easy to make ahead and assemble quickly.
Charlie and I made crab cakes at a cooking class a few weeks ago and they were so delicious, that all I've been thinking about is that flavor. That fresh seafood, crunchy buttery flavor. Since we were having steak, hash browns, wedge salad, and a mess of other things, I thought I'd make a slightly less horrifyingly fattening version. SCORE.
Here's the recipe peeps:
4 Heads of Endive
12 Oz of Premium Lump Crab Meat (Fresh is best or canned in the fridge section)
1/4 Cup Hellman's Mayonnaise
1-2 Tsp of Sriracha
1 Garlic Clove, Finley diced and worked into a paste
2 Tbs Finely Minced Chives, plus more for garnish
1 Tbs of Dijon Mustard
1 Tsp Low Sodium Soy Sauce
1/3 Red Pepper, Finely Diced
1 Tbs Fresh Lemon Juice
1/4 Cup of Panko Bread Crumbs, seasoned with salt & pepper
1 Tbs of Butter
Lemon Zest
Trim and clean the endive, separate and set aside the best leaves. Drain crab and rinse gently with cold water, pick through grab and discard any rogue shells. Pat dry with paper towels. Add all the ingredients to the crab except of the lemon zest, Panko and butter. Gently mix everything together, careful not to pulverize the crab - you want to leave nice big chunks. If possible, chill crab mixture for two hours. Right before serving, melt butter over medium heat and add breadcrumbs that have been seasoned with salt and pepper. Once they become golden brown, set aside. Fill endive with a dollop of the crab mixture and then top with a little bit of bread crumbs and additional chives. Finish with a little lemon zest and ENJOY.
Stay hungry!