Secrets of the Tulalip Chefs

 

The award-winning chefs who design and oversee the restaurants at the Tulalip Resort Casino share their favorite recipes and tips with our readers. Although the dishes look and taste like gourmet treats, even household cooks can follow these instructions to put the wow factor back into family dinners.

 

  Crabcakes are a natural part of Pacific Northwest cuisine. The sweet flavor of Dungeness Crab makes Pacific Northwest crabcakes the best in the country. I prefer to make mine like small towers, rather than the typical pancake style of crabcake. And I use very little "filler" ingredients such as bread crumbs and mayonnaise.

The predominant flavor of a good crabcake recipe should be (of course) crab! And if you're at a restaurant and you need to cut your crabcakes with a knife... run away! They should be tender and fall apart with a fork.

At Blackfish we pair the crabcakes with a trio of aioli sauces: Lemon Aioli, Honey-Mustard Aioli, and Black Pepper-Dill Aioli. And we serve an Apple-Watercress petit salad with the dish.

Blackfish Dungeness Crabcake

1/3 cup Fresh Corn, roasted, cut from cob

12 Oz Dungeness Crab meat, lightly pressed but not squeezed

2 Tbsp. Shallots, minced

1 Tbsp. Fresh chives, minced

1/2 Tbsp. Parsley, chopped

1/8 Tbsp. Fresh Tarragon, chopped

1.5 Tbsp. Red Bell pepper, small dice

1.5 Tbsp. Yellow bell pepper, small dice

2 Tsp Dijon Mustard

3 Tbsp. Panko or dried Bread Crumbs

3 Tbsp. Cooked Maple Bacon, 1/4" dice

1/3 cup Best Foods Mayo

Pinch Kosher Salt

Pinch Cayenne

1 Egg, lightly beaten

Lightly oil corn on the cob, season, grill on a BBQ or roast in the oven. Cut kernels from cob, chill.

Combine crab, herbs, peppers, Panko, Dijon, bacon, mayo, corn and seasonings, fold together until well mixed. Add egg, gently fold into crab mixture.

Using a number 50 rind mold (available in sets at kitchen stores), form mix into tall disc (2.5 oz each). Spread some Panko on the counter and lightly press each crabcake into additional Panko on both sides, using just enough Panko for a very thin layer. Gently remove crabcake from mold and repeat until all the crabcake mix is used.

Over medium-high heat, sauté crabcakes in olive oil until golden brown, gently flip and sauté other side.

Finish in oven (set at 350°) to an internal temp of 145°. Serve!

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