This recipe has three sections that include preparing the crab fritters, coating and cooking the fritters, and preparing the tomato sauce. The recipe was created by Waldy Malouf, Chef/Co-Owner, Beacon Restaurant, Bar & Bakery, New York City and made available to us by the Idaho® Potato Commission.

Blue Crab, Idaho® Potato & Almond Fritter with Spicy Tomato Sauce

Ingredients

For crab fritters:

• 1 lb Lump crab-meat (picked clean of shells if any)
• 1 Egg
• 4 oz Heavy Cream
• 2 medium Idaho® Potatoes (boiled, peeled and mashed)
• 1 oz Butter (melted)
• 1 oz Brandy
• 2 Tbsp Shallots (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp Grated white pepper

Coating & Cooking

• Flour
• 2 eggs (beaten)
• 1 cup sliced almonds
• 1 cup almond flour

Spicy Tomato Sauce

• 2 oz Olive oil
• 4 oz Tomato paste
• 16 oz whole peeled tomatoes (canned) with juice
• 1 small Onion (sliced thin)
• 1 Garlic clove (chopped fine)
• 2 Shallots (chopped fine)
• 2 Tbsp Red wine
• 1/4 tsp Thyme (dried or 1 tsp fresh)
• 1 Bay leaf
• 5 Whole peppercorns
• 1 Small Jalapeno pepper (chopped fine)
• 1/4 lb Butter
• Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

For crab fritters:

1. Combine all ingredients except crab-meat until thoroughly mixed, then fold crab-meat in attempting not to break it up too much.

Coating & Cooking

1. Set up breading station by putting flour in one pan, beaten eggs in a bowl, and almonds and almond flour together in another pan.
2. Form fritters into small sausage shapes, roll in flour, then in egg was, and then roll in almond/almond flour mixture.
3. Using thumb and first three fingers shape to form a cone shape.
4. Pan fry in clarified butter or deep fry until golden brown.

Spicy Tomato Sauce

1. In a saucepan with olive oil, sauté onions until translucent. Add shallots, garlic, and pepper and cook 2 minutes. Add red wine and let reduce by 1/2. Add whole tomatoes, paste, thyme, bay leaf and peppercorns.
2. Cook for 30 minutes. Whip in butter. Strain through fine strainer and keep hot. Season to taste with salt & pepper.

Recipe courtesy of Waldy Malouf, Chef/Co-Owner, Beacon Restaurant, Bar & Bakery, New York City

Recipe provided to Wine Trail Traveler by Idaho® Potato Commission