Cleverley’s Corner – Houston Restaurant Week is Coming! Part 2

Starting on Aug. 10, your dining dollars will make a difference to someone in need. During Houston Restaurant Week, over 80 of Houston’s favorite restaurants are creating special 3 course dinners and will donate $5 from every special dinner sold to the Houston Food Bank. The event hopes to raise $100,000 to help fight hunger in Houston.

Chef Denis Wilson and his Jimmy Wilson’s Seafood & Chop House are participating in Houston Restaurant Week.

Wilson shows Houston Restaurant Week founder Cleverley Stone how to make his famous Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes, a dish that is included on the menu for Houston Restaurant Week.

Source: Denis Wilson, Owner and Chef of Jimmy Wilson’s Seafood & Chop House

Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes (serves 4)

Ingredients

  • Jumbo Lump Crabmeat 1 LB
  • Butter ¼ lb
  • Yellow Onion – finely chopped 1 cup
  • Celery 2 Tablespoons
  • Chopped Green Onion 2 Tablespoons
  • Garlic 1Teaspoon
  • Bay Leaf 1
  • Brown Sugar 1 Tablespoon
  • Fresh Thyme ¼ Teaspoon
  • Egg 1 each
  • Hamburger Bun 1 each

Directions

  1. Gather all ingredients and tools.
  2. Melt butter in a sauté pan on medium heat.
  3. Add onion, celery, green onion, garlic and bay leaf and cook until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes.
  4. Add the brown sugar and season with salt and cayenne pepper.
  5. Cool.
  6. Using food processor, crumble hamburger bun.
  7. Crack and whip egg in a 4 qt mixing bowl and blend with the hamburger roll.
  8. Add the onion mix until well combined.
  9. Add crabmeat to the base and gently toss. Do not over mix! Do not break up whole pieces of crab.
  10. Divide batch into 4 cakes.
  11. Place crab cake in breadcrumbs on the top and bottom only.
  12. Saute in a sauté pan with butter on medium heat until brown on both sides and completely heated through.

SAUCE

In a small sauce pan reduce 1 Tablespoon lemon juice + 1 Tablespoon dry vermouth to half. Swirl in over low heat ¼ lb cold butter, cut into pieces until emulsified. Season with salt and black pepper.

NOTE

To serve garnish with more crabmeat and chopped parsley.