Sauteed Crab Cakes and Couscous with Gewurztraminer
This is a meal that can be made quickly after work, taking less than half an hour from start to finish. The sauteed crab cakes worked beautifully with the Gewurztraminer, one of those rare pairings that makes both the food and wine better for the marriage. Making sure the crab gets a nice crust without overcooking it is critical. We tried cooking the crab two ways, one was the obvious sauteing, the second was baking them in muffin pans with just a bit of olive oil dribbled on the top. There was no contest here, the sauteed crab cakes were far superior in flavor and texture. We tried the baked crab in a green salad with seafood style salad dressing, which gave the crab the extra interest it needed. The couscous dish was not too heavy for the wine and the topping of chopped tomatoes, jalapeno and onions created a bridge to the wine that worked well, but wasn't the marriage the crab offered.
| Foods: |
Paired Wine: |
Main Course: Sauteed Crab Cakes - Crab cakes are always a crowd pleaser, and these are about as simple and easy as it gets. Be sure to use premium lump crab meat, either fresh or canned. If you are trying to keep your fat calories down, substitute a low fat mayonnaise and leave out the parmesan cheese. It won't be as rich, but still tastes quite good and still works great with the wine.
Couscous with Pico de Gallo - We added parmesan cheese and pico de gallo before and after cooking to give the dish a little interest. The pico de gallo also acted as a bridge to the wine, which can handle the little bit of spice from the jalapeno.
|
Wine: 2006 Madrona Gewurztraminer, El Dorado: There is little doubt about this wine's accestory, it has all the classic markers a good Gewurztraminer. There is a hint of white floral and spicy mint upfront with beautifully exotic orange peel and lychee nut. That is followed by a finish of ginger and juniper berries. The body is full, having some pretty good alcohol at 14.5% and just a bit of residual sugar (not enough to make the wine sweet). It is that residual sugar that helps it pair so well with the jalapeno in the pico de gallo. This is a great food wine that would go well with Mexican, Thai or Chinese food, or even a fruit dominated salad. The wine's richness and body is a perfect match for the richness of the crab cakes.
|
Crab Cakes
2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 egg, well beaten
1 tsp dried tarragon
1/2 tsp lemon pepper
2 to 3 dashes hot pepper sauce
1 lb premium lump crab meat
2 green onions, sliced
2 tbsp chopped chives
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 tbsp olive oil
In medium mixing bowl add first three wet ingredients, mix well. Add spices to the wet mixture and mix. Add crab meat, onion and chives to bowl, mix. Divide mixture into eight patties of equal size. Pour breadcrumbs and cheese onto a plate, mix with a fork. Coat patties with breadcrumb mix. Heat Olive oil in a nonstick saute pan. Add patties in single layer and cook on each side until well browned, cover and cook for six minutes, or until cakes are warm in the center . Serve with tartar sauce or cocktail sauce.
|
Couscous with Pico de Gallo
1 cup couscous
1 cup hot water
1 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp white pepper
2 medium tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 small jalapeno, seeded and diced
1/4 medium red onion, diced
1 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp chopped cilantro
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
Mix tomatoes, jalapeno and onion together in a mixing bowl. Add lime juice and cilantro, mix and set aside. Place water, butter, salt and pepper into a sauce pan. Bring water to a boil. Add couscous and 1/2 parmesan cheese to water and stir. Remove from heat and cover. Just before serving, place on plates for serving, topping each serving with tomato mixture and parmesan cheese.
|
|
 |
