crab cakes benedict with avocado
"How can I make this lower in carbs and more delicious?" is what I ask when starting lots of my recipes. By replacing the traditional English muffin in Eggs Benedict with crabmeat, I can sleep knowing I have completed my goal. And is there anything worse than a bready crab cake? I hate fillers. (Well, food fillers I’m all for the face ones, even if my face kind of needs the opposite.) Anyhoo…that running yolk seeping into your greens with the lumpy crab and red pepper sauce? The ultimate.
ingredients
for the fake hollandaise
½ cup mayonnaise
¼ cup Sriracha
1 teaspoon minced garlic
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
for the crab cakes:
1 large egg
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1½ teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Sriracha
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons minced chives
¾ pound lump crabmeat, picked over
⅓ cup fine fresh bread crumbs
½ cup canola oil
for the eggs:
2 cups baby arugula
1 small avocado, sliced
½ teaspoon distilled white vinegar or lemon juice
4 eggs
Freshly ground black pepper
steps
MAKE THE FAKE HOLLANDAISE: In a bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, Sriracha, garlic, and salt until combined. Refrigerate until ready to use.
MAKE THE CRAB CAKES: In a bowl, whisk together the egg, mayo, mustard, Sriracha, Worcestershire, salt, pepper, and chives. Add the crabmeat and bread crumbs and gently fold, trying not to break up the crab. (It’s just a little bit of bread crumb to hold the cakes together, not a filler!) Form into 4 crab cakes, arrange them on a plate, cover, and refrigerate for 1 hour. In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is shimmering-hot, gently lay the crab cakes in the oil and fry until golden on the underside, 4 minutes. Gently flip and fry an additional 4 minutes. Drain on paper towels and cover with foil to keep warm.
POACH THE EGGS: Bring a large skillet of water to a simmer over high heat. Divide the arugula and avocado among 4 plates and top each plate with a crab cake. Cover with foil to keep warm. Add the vinegar to the simmering water. Crack the eggs into individual small bowls and slip the eggs into the simmering water, remove the pan from the heat, cover, and let cook until the whites are solid, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, drain the eggs from the water and top each crab cake with an egg. Spoon some fake hollandaise sauce over each egg, season with pepper, and serve right away.
NOTE: peeling/pitting an avocado Use a sharp chef’s knife to cut into the avocado lengthwise, hitting the pit. Then roll the avocado along the blade to make a complete 360-degree cut. Gently twist one side of the avocado away from the other so you have two halves. Whack the pit with the heel of the knife and lift out the pit (you may have to jiggle it a little). Slip a large spoon between the flesh and peel and scoop out the avocado half.
