Jim Bickford's recipes for Hampton Crab Cakes, Parisian eggs and more

 

 

Hampton Crab Cakes

Makes: 4-6 

Crab cakes:

1 pound backfin lump or  claw crab meat

1 stick of butter

4 ounces cream cheese

Optional seasonings: a pinch of Old Bay seasoning, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, 1 teaspoon mustard.

Flour

1 egg, beaten

1 cup panko bread crumbs or crushed Ritz crackers

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons chopped chives or green onions

Optional seafood sauce

1 cup mayonnaise

½ cup ketchup

¼ cup pickle relish

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon curry powder

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Dash Texas Pete hot sauce

Salt and pepper

For crab cakes melt butter and cream cheese in pan or microwave and add seasonings.

Mix with crab meat and separate into serving portions on a plate and put in refrigerator (or freezer to save time). When cooled, shape into patties. Dip patties into flour, then egg wash, then bread crumbs. Sauté over medium heat in olive oil and butter, or peanut oil until golden brown. Add salt and pepper to taste and sprinkle with chives.

Served with green beans, corn on the cob, and sliced tomatoes and a nice white wine like Viogner, this is heaven For optional seafood sauce Mix together all ingredients and serve with crab cakes.

Source: Jim Bickford of Norfolk

Pear Pear (or Poire Poire)

4 to 6 pears (Anjou, or Bartlett ripe and soft)

1 lemon

1½ to 2 cups of inexpensive ruby port

8 peppercorns

2 cloves

1 pint heavy whipping cream or fat free or regular half-and-half

Mint leaves for garnish

Core and peel pears (leave some of the stem unpeeled and cut off the bottom ½ inch.

Place cut pears in bowl of water with the juice of the lemon to keep them fresh. Pour port into small sauce pan. Add peppercorns, cloves. Add pears vertically (add water as needed to cover most of the exposed flesh). Bring to a boil, reduce heat. After 5 minutes remove from heat and cool (30 minutes minimum). When pears are cool, remove and place in zip lock bag or airtight container and refrigerate.

Return sauce to heat and reduce 70 percent; strain sauce. When ready to serve, add cream to sauce. Put sauce in plate and stand pear up - garnish with mint leaves. Variations Substitute for ruby port: pear port, white or red wine with ¼ cup of sugar, or cranberry/raspberry juice. Serve also with ice cream (vanilla or pear). Whip the cream or use cool whip mixed with port sauce.

Source: Jim Bickford of Norfolk

 

Parisian Eggs

2 eggs

3 pieces of bacon or ham (see note)

Baby Swiss cheese, sliced or grated

1 piece of buttered toast or croissant

Cook bacon or use precooked. Crack 2 eggs in a bowl and pour over bacon in skillet. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and cook to desired hardness Serve on top of buttered toast or croissant

Note If using precooked bacon, Bickford suggests Ready Crisp fully cooked uncured premium bacon from Boarder Station in Moyock, N.C.

Source: Jim Bickford of Norfolk

Gravlax

1 whole filet of salmon (not steaks)

½ cup kosher salt

½ cup brown sugar

1 ounce gin

3 tablespoons dry dill weed

Cut salmon into two equal-size pieces. Coat the flesh sides with salt and sugar. Sprinkle gin over salmon. Sprinkle dill over salmon.

Place one piece skin side down on a piece of plastic wrap. Place second piece of salmon flesh side down on top of first piece. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Place on a plate, and place another plate on top and weigh down with cans, a brick or something heavy. Wait 24 to 48 hours to serve. Slice thin on pumpernickel toast with crème fraiche or cream cheese.

Source: Jim Bickford of Norfolk

Chicken and Bean Soup

2 pounds boneless chicken thighs

3 shallots or 1 large onion, chopped

1 pound ground chicken

4 (15-ounce) cans of beans (such as pinto, butter, lima, navy, light red or dark red kidney, cannellini or Great Northern)

2 (15-ounce) cans diced tomatoes

4 (14-ounce) cans or 1 (48-ounce) package chicken stock

½ tablespoon tarragon

½ teaspoon thyme

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large 7-quart stock pot or frying pan, cook thighs in oil (olive or your choice) until golden brown. Remove and set aside to cool.

Sauté chopped shallots in olive oil until soft, 3-5 minutes. Add ground chicken and cook.

Chop chicken thighs into cubes and add back to pan. If using frying pan, transfer everything to 7-quart stock pot. Add all canned ingredients and seasonings. Cover and simmer for 30 minutes plus.

Variations

For super speed, use a deli-roasted whole chicken.

Eliminate ground chicken and use 3 pounds of thighs or 3 pounds of breast meat.

Substitute lamb for chicken, using rosemary instead of tarragon.

Source: Jim Bickford of Norfolk