Remoulade Shrimp Salad & Crab Muffins with Spicy Asian Mayonnaise

I was in a creative mood, and we had two one-pound bags of shrimp in the freezer that needed to be eaten. Plus, we had picked up a couple of containers of pasteurized lump crab meat with the thought of making crab cakes. But I didn't want crab cakes. At least not traditional ones, because it would simply be too much food with what I had in mind for the shrimp. So, after a bit of research on the Internet, and with a little bit of re-tooling the recipes for my taste and what I had available in my kitchen, I settled on these recipes for a sumptuous, light, summertime meal. Instead of crab cakes, I made mini-crab muffins, which were perfect, bite-sized little nuggets of a delicious crab cake recipe.

Now, those in a coastal region would do well to use fresh seafood. Fresh shrimp and fresh crabmeat would be preferable. But with today's modern flash-frozen seafood, it's damn hard to tell the difference. Be sure you're buying pasteurized lump crab meat in the clear, plastic containers, with a reputable brand name like Phillips.

Ingredients
For the shrimp
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp coarse grain mustard
1/4 cup nonpareils capers
4 tbsp finely chopped cornichons
1 tsp chopped anchovy or anchovy paste
1 tbsp each dried parsley and chervil
2 tbsp finely diced shallot
2 tsp sherry vinegar
1 tsp lemon pepper
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 pinch cayenne pepper
salt & pepper to taste
2 lbs cooked jumbo shrimp (sometimes labeled U-15s), shells and tails removed

Ingredients
For the salad
3-4 handfuls of any lettuces
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 egg yolk
4 tsp raspberry vinegar
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
salt to taste

Ingredients
For the crab muffins
1 lb pasteurized lump crab meat (like, Phillips)
2 cups seasoned breadcrumbs (like, Old London or Progresso)
1/2 red bell pepper, minced
3 green onion, chopped
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 large eggs
1 large egg white
10 dashes Tabasco sauce
1/2 tsp celery salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

Ingredients
For the Asian mayonnaise
1 large egg yolk
2 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp jalapeno relish or chopped fresh jalapeno
1 minced green onion
1 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp premium soy sauce
1/2 tsp dried cilantro leaves or 1 tbsp fresh
1/2 teaspoon white pepper
1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
salt & black pepper to taste

The Recipes
First, make the Asian mayonnaise:
Combine the egg yolk, lemon juice, ginger, garlic, jalapeno and green onions in a food processor and process 15 seconds. With the motor running, slowly add the vegetable oil until the mixture thickens.

Add the soy sauce, cilantro, pepper, sesame oil and salt. Pulse once or twice to blend. Refrigerate at least an hour before serving so it is well chilled and the flavors amalgamate.

Next, make the Remoulade sauce:
Mix all ingredients except the shrimp to combine. Refrigerate at least an hour before serving so it is well chilled and the flavors amalgamate.

Then, make the crab muffins:
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Generously coat a mini muffin pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix the crab, breadcrumbs, bell pepper, green onions, mayonnaise, eggs, egg white, hot sauce, celery salt and pepper in a large bowl until well combined. Divide mixture evenly among muffin cups. It is easiest to use a one-ounce sorbet or ice cream scoop for this purpose. You can add a little more crab mixture to each muffin cup, creating a mound effect to give it a true muffin shape when cooked. Because of the eggs and bread crumbsthe muffins will rise very slightly, so don't over do it. You will have more than enough for two muffin pans, which gives you 24 mini crab muffins. I just put any extra in a couple of souffle cups.

Bake until crispy and cooked through, 30 to 35 minutes. If the crab muffins are cooked thoroughly, they will easily come loose from the muffin pan.

While the muffins are cooking, make the salad:
Combine the mustard, egg yolk, vinegar and pepper in a mixing bowl and whisk briskly. Slowly add the olive oil until it emulsifies. Adjust the seasoning as desired. Add the lettuces and toss well to coat. Divide evenly onto plates.

Then, finish the dish:
Toss the shrimp in the Remoulade sauce and gently stir to coat. Place a portion of the shrimp (about 5-6) on top of the lettuces.

Spoon a dollop of the Asian mayonnaise onto your plate, and place 2-3 of the mini crab muffins on top.

Serving the two dishes together on a large serving plate is drama dining at its best!