Open Crab Cake Sandwiches with a Pickled Okra Relish

During my search for something to do with my bounty of okra, I came across this recipe on myrecipes.com.  I thought that it would be a nice jumping off point for our meal on Sunday night.  I wanted to do something a little more than just a crab cake, and serving it as an open-faced sandwich sounded like a cool idea.

To say that this meal was labor-intensive was an understatement, I got started about an hour and half before my expected ETA for dinner.  Rick didn't come over because he has been busy unpacking and settling in his new place, but my friend, Kelly (of all of the wonderful Kelly Creation posts), came over to join me.  Granted, I was taking my sweet Sunday time this Sunday evening, but I doubt it would be something that I would ever do during the week. Using crab meat from crab legs instead of lump meat from a container or can (like the guy at Publix tried to talk me into getting) definitely added the time, but both Kelly and I agreed that it was amazing. Besides, using lump crab meat not only is more expensive (Publix has snow crab legs on sale this week), but it also takes all the fun out of it!

The crab cakes and relish could definitely stand alone without the open sandwich part. I gotta admit that I did the open sandwich so that I wouldn't have to make a real side dish:  We enjoyed it with some reduced fat Pringles (gotta love coupons!) with it, though.  I had to tell Rick how great it was, and I can't wait to make it for him.  I think it will definitely make our Top Ten.

Here's what I did...

Open Crab Cake Sandwiches with Pickled Okra Relish

Ingredients for Relish

• 3  tablespoons  olive oil, divided
• 1  ear fresh corn
• 1/2 of a medium-size red onion, minced
• 10  pickled okra pods, thinly sliced
•  1 clove garlic minced
• 1/2 can of diced tomatoes (no salt added type)
• 2 1/2  tablespoons  rice wine vinegar
• 1/4  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  freshly ground pepper
• 2  tablespoon  chopped fresh cilantro

 Ingredients for Crab Cakes

• 2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
• 2  tablespoon  minced fresh chives
• 1  large egg, lightly beaten
• 1 1/2  tablespoons light mayonnaise
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1  pound  fresh crabmeat
• 1/2  cup panko (plus a little extra for a plate to coat the crab cakes)
• 1/4  cup extra virgin olive oil

To Make 'Em Open Face Sandwiches

• 2 English muffins
• Romaine Lettuce
• 1 tablespoon light mayo per muffin half
• extra virgin olive oil

Directions for relish

Put 1 tablespoon olive oil in a small plate and brush over corn,

Broil corn 5 inches from heat, turning occasionally, 13 to 15 minutes or until edges of corn kernels begin to brown (about 5 minutes and then turn); cool. Cut corn from cob.

Combine corn, remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, and remaining ingredients; toss gently.

Directions for crab cakes

Stir together first 6 ingredients; add crabmeat, and toss gently. Stir in breadcrumbs. Cover and chill mixture 30 minutes. Shape into 4 patties.

Cook crab cakes in hot oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat for  4to 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

For the sandwiches

Brush each half of the English muffins with extra virgin olive oil and toast in a toaster oven.

Place 1 tablespoon of light mayo on each English muffin half and the top with a piece of lettuce.  Top with a crab cake and then with relish.

Enjoy!

Okra, okra, everywhere!

The Okra Fairy came to Wyngate Circle this week, and I'm the proud owner of a rather nice sized bag of the little boogers.  I haven't decided what I'm going to do with mine (other than pickling some of them), but my neighbor Kelly has gone ahead and used some of hers.  I had the privilege of getting to sample some of the yummy Chicken Gumbo that she made in her Crock Pot this week.  She found the recipe on Whole Food's website.  Here's what she did...

Chicken Gumbo with Fresh Okra

Ingredients

4 tablespoons canola oil, divided
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
Sea salt
Ground pepper
4 tablespoons unbleached flour
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced green pepper
1/2 cup diced celery
2 cups sliced fresh okra
2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 (28-ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon hot sauce, to taste
3/4 pound cooked chicken sausage, sliced into 1/2-inch rounds
12 raw peeled large shrimp, fresh or frozen (optional)
Cooked long-grain white or brown rice


Directions
In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to skillet. Brown chicken on all sides, about 5 minutes total. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add remaining 3 tablespoons oil to the pan and heat until hot. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. The mixture should be about the color of peanut butter. It is extremely hot, so be careful not to splatter. Add onion, green pepper, celery and okra. Carefully stir in the chicken broth. Return chicken and any juices to the pan. Add chicken sausage, bay leaves and tomatoes. Cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes. If desired, add shrimp and continue to cook another 5 minutes or until the shrimp are done. Serve over rice.

To make this recipe in a slow cooker, after browning the chicken, place in slow cooker. Scrape up any brown bits from the pan and add to the cooker.

Add remaining 3 tablespoons oil to the pan, and heat until hot. Add flour and cook, stirring constantly, until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. The mixture is extremely hot, so be careful not to splatter. Add the onion, green pepper and celery, and cook until the vegetables start to wilt, about 2 minutes. Add the chicken broth and stir until smooth and incorporated. Pour mixture into the slow cooker. Add the okra, bay leaf, tomatoes and hot sauce. Cover, and turn cooker to low. Cook for 7 to 8 hours, adding another 1/2 cup chicken broth or water if necessary. Thirty minutes before serving, add the sausages and turn cooker to high. Five minutes before serving, add the shrimp. Serve over cooked rice.