Crab Beignets
Crab Beignets
Down-home, honest cooking gets a bit of a gourmet flair in this appetizer recipe. A bit of beer in the batter never hurts, and we use a touch of Abita Amber to thicken the batter slightly and give it extra flavor.
Click here to see Mardi Gras: The Feast Before the Fast.
Servings
8
Ingredients
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 2 1/4 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
- 1 cup abita amber, plus more as needed
- 1/4 pound jumbo lump crabmeat
- 1/4 pound crab clawmeat
- 1/2 cup mascarpone
- 2 tablespoon creole cream cheese
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced chives
- 1 tablespoon finely diced shallot
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- pinch of black pepper
- pinch of cayenne
- 3 tablespoon all-purpose flour
- vegetable oil, for frying
Directions
- In a bowl, mix together all of the dry ingredients. Add the beer slowly until the batter is just thicker than pancake batter; if too thick, add a little more beer. Set aside, covered, at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- Mix all of the ingredients except for the oil together in medium-sized bowl and form into ½-ounce balls. Place on the baking sheet. Freeze.
- When ready to fry the beignets, heat 1 ½ inches oil to 350 degrees in a deep sauté pan. Drop the crab filling balls in the batter and lift out with a teaspoon. Gently drop them into the oil and fry until golden brown and hot all the way through, about 4-5 minutes.