Date Night : Crab Cakes with Jalapeno Maque Choux & Fried Brussel Sprouts Salad

Crab cakes are my Mountain Man's absolute favorite. Well that and a big ole piece of meat, haha. But, I can't think of anything more "date night"-ish than crab cakes. They are just classic to me. I wasn't quite sure what I wanted to serve them with, but I ended up deciding to make a classic Cajun dish called Maque Choux. It's sort of a spicy creamed corn, and it's delicious. But, by far, my favorite part of our meal was the fried brussel sprouts salad. I know, I know, fried brussel sprouts salad is kind of a contradiction. I mean how do you have a fried salad? Well, you can. Once fried up, these babies are like potato chips and have the best nutty taste. Then, the sprouts are tossed in a sweet-tangy dressing until lightly covered. I'm addicted to it, seriously. So good. This was definitely another successful date night in my book, we really look forward to it every week!! Enjoy :)

Crab Cakes with Jalapeno Maque Choux & Fried Brussel Sprouts Salad

Yummy Golden Fried Brussel Sprouts

Top the Crab Cakes with Some Remoulade

For the Crab Cakes:

1lb Crabmeat, Picked Free of Shells

½C Crushed Crackers

¼C Fresh Chives, Finely Sliced

½C Red Bell Pepper, Finely Chopped

¼C Mayo

1 Egg

1t Worcestershire Sauce

1t Dry Mustard

1T Lemon Juice

¼t Garlic Powder

¼t Cayenne

 Salt & Pepper, To Taste

½C Flour

1 Egg

2T Milk

1C Panko Breadcrumbs

Oil, For Frying

Remoulade Sauce

For the Jalapeno Maque Choux:

1 ½C Heavy Cream

8 Whole Cloves of Garlic

1 Jalapeno, Diced

2t Vegetable Oil

½C Onion, Red Bell Pepper, & Celery (all diced)

2C Charred Corn

1t Fresh Garlic, Minced

2 Fresh Jalapenos, Diced

1 Shallot, Diced

1 Green Onion, Sliced

1C Prepared Garlic Cream

1t Cajun Seasoning

Salt & Pepper, To Taste

   

For the Fried Brussel Sprouts Salad:

1lb Brussel Sprouts, Trimmed & Quartered

Canola Oil, For Frying

1T Olive Oil

1T Apple Cider Vinegar

2T Maple Syrup

1t Dijon Mustard

1T Grainy Mustard

1t Garlic, Minced

Salt & Pepper To Taste

Directions:

1. For the Crab cakes: In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients, except for the flour, panko, and peanut oil. Shape into patties and dust with the flour. Put the crab crakes onto a baking sheet and chill in the refrigerator for an hour. Make a battering station, one container with the egg and milk and another with the panko breadcrumbs. Once chilled, coat the crab cakes in the egg wash and follow with a crust of panko. In a large skillet over, heat the oil over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, carefully place the crab cakes, in batches, and fry until browned, about 4-5 minutes. Carefully flip the crab cakes and fry on the other side until golden brown, about another 4 minutes.
2. For the Jalapeno Maque Choux: Place the cream in a heavy sauce pot and add in the garlic cloves and jalapeno. Bring the cream to a simmer, and then turn down the heat to low-medium heat. Let it reduce to 1 cup. Heat a 10-inch sauté pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil and butter to the pan and cook until the butter is melted, about 45 seconds. Add the onions, bell peppers and celery to the pan and cook, stirring often, until the onions are translucent, and the peppers and celery are soft, about 4 minutes. Add the corn, garlic, Essence, salt and cayenne to the pan and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Add the prepared garlic cream to the pan and reduce the heat to low. Continue to cook the corn until tender and most of the cream has reduced and the maque choux is creamy, 3 to 4 minutes.
3. For the Fried Brussel Sprouts Salad: Heat the canola oil in a deep fryer to 350 degrees. While the oil is heating, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, maple syrup, mustards, garlic, & seasonings in a small bowl until combined. Set it aside. Once your oil has heated, deep fry the brussel sprouts in small batches until the edges begin to curl and brown, about 3-4 minutes. Drain from the oil onto a paper towel. Toss the fried brussel sprouts in the maple-mustard vinaigrette right before serving.
4. Assembling the Dish: Plate the Jalapeno Maque Choux on the plate and top it with the crab cake. Spoon some of the fried brussel sprouts around the corn. Drizzle some of the Remoulade on top.