Creole Crab Cakes

1 small onion (diced)
1 stalk celery (diced)
1 T oil
1 small clove garlic (minced or crushed)
1 egg (beaten)
1/4 C mayonnaise
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
1 pinch of nutmeg (freshly grated)
1/4 tsp. cayenne (see sidebar)
1/4 C red or green bell pepper (or a mix, finely diced)
1/2 lb. crabmeat (flaked, see sidebar) 
1 1/2 C soft breadcrumbs (unflavored)
3 T oil

Sauté celery and onion in 1 T of oil till soft. Add the garlic and stir for 2 minutes.  Set skillet aside to cool. Combine mayonnaise, mustard, nutmeg and cayenne. Add the diced pepper(s), crabmeat, and breadcrumbs. 

Shape into 12 small patties.  Sauté in the 3 T of oil till golden.  Drain on a paper towels, and serve warm with a bitey dip of Dijon mustard and mayonnaise.  (You can make these ahead, chill, and then toast them up in the oven.)

Tips & Glossary: Cajun & Creole Cuisine

• Blonde Roux (or Creole roux): used to thicken stews, especially Etouffee. Melt 1 part fat and gradually add 1part flour. Stir constantly over medium-low heat till mixture is a light golden brown. Depending on amount, it may take 10 minutes or so.  Be careful not to scorch it. If it has black flecks, it’s burned —sorry. Throw it out and begin again. Use what you need and store the remainder in the refrigerator for use in other recipes.

• Brown Roux (or Cajun roux): used as a thickener for gumbo. Follow recipe for blond roux but continue stirring for a longer time, till you achieve a rich brown, mahogany color. Be careful not to burn it.

• Cajun seasoning:  a seasoned salt; buy it at most grocery stores or make your own in a blender: 3 T each of black pepper, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, oregano, and 3 bay leaves.  Add the ground spices to a standard 26 oz. box of salt.  You can also add basil, nutmeg, paprika, or thyme.  Experiment with amounts and spices till you get what you like. Watch those chilis! Unless you love the real hot stuff, reduce the amount of chili called for in the recipe.

• Chile Powder:  dried, ground hot chili peppers; an ingredient in chili powder (see below).

• Chili Pepper: any small, hot pepper, as opposed to larger, milder bell peppers; includes, cayenne (red), chipotle (smoke-dried jalapeños), habanero, jalapeño, paprika, poblano, serrano, and tabasco.

• Chili Powder: different from chile powder (see above); dried ground chili peppers typically mixed with cumin, garlic powder, and oregano.  You can make your own blend with cinnamon, cloves, coriander, even nutmeg.  Briefly heat dried peppers and spices in a skillet to release flavors, then grind them into powder.

• Crabmeat: meat from body, legs or claws of numerous varieties of crab.  Most prized is jumbo lump from the hind leg.  But for crab cakes and casseroles, use regular lump, as well as finback from the body.  Claw meat is brown and stronger flavored, though also good for crab recipes.  Buy it fresh if you can. 

• Etouffee:  “to smoother” in French; a spicy, Creole stew served over rice.  Similar to gumbo (see below) but lighter in color and made with a blond roux (see above).

• File Powder:  also called “gumbo powder”; a spice made from dried, ground sassafras leaves.  Used as flavoring and thickener in Cajun cooking, especially gumbo.

• Gumbo:   African for okra, a spicy Cajun stew containing rice, okra, and often seafood or other meats.

• Jumbalaya:  spicy Cajun stew, different from Gumbo and Etouffee in that the rice is added during the cooking (not after) to absorb the flavor.