MAGNOLIA RESTAURANTS RECIPES

Steps:

• Place onions, bell pepper, tarragon and mayonnaise in a mixing bowl and combine. Gently fold in the crabmeat. Add the panko and season with salt, white pepper and cayenne pepper to taste. Let the mixture rest for 5 minutes. The panko will absorb some of the moisture and the mixture will stay together.
• Lay out a large piece of plastic wrap on a clean counter surface. Place half of the crab mixture on it and use a spatula or a spoon to form it into a tube about 1 3/4 inches in diameter. Bring the wrap up over the crab and roll the crab mixture up. Twist the ends to close. Pierce any air pockets with a toothpick or skewer. Twist the ends even tighter to compress the crab mixture. Tuck under the ends of the wrap and place the tube on a plate. Repeat with the second half of the crab cake mixture. Place the tubes in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or overnight.
• When ready to cook, Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cut the tubes of crabmeat into 1 1/4-inch-thick cakes. Gently remove the plastic wrap, leaving the cakes in nice cylinders.
• Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a heavy-bottomed frying pan (non-stick works well here) over medium-high heat until very hot, but not smoking. Gently place 4 of the crab cakes in the pan and sear for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown. Gently turn the cakes over and sear the other side until golden brown. Place them on a baking sheet and into the oven to keep warm. Wipe the pan, add the remaining olive oil and repeat this process for the other 4 crab cakes. (If you have a big enough pan, you can cook 6 or 8 of them at the same time and skip the warming oven, but the cakes need room to sear properly and be turned so be careful not to crowd the pan)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
• Wash, drain and dry the peppers. Rub the peppers with olive oil by hand, just to coat them lightly. Place the peppers on a baking pan and roast on the top shelf of the 500 degree oven for about 25 minutes, turning once or twice. The skin should be well blistered and will be blackened in some places.
• Remove the peppers from the oven. Place them in a small bowl and cover it tightly with plastic wrap. Let the peppers cool for 10 to 15 minutes. The skin will become loose and easy to peel the skin off of the peppers.
• Remove the stems, cores and seeds. Do not rinse. At this point you may use the peppers in any manner that you would use pimientos.
• Note: Thin peppers will have a shorter roasting time. Its prferrable to use fresh peppers that look very healthy and have good thick flesh.
• Chop the roasted red peppers fine.
• Combine all of the ingredients in a glass, crockery or stainless steel mixing bowl and mix well.
• Season to taste with cayenne pepper.
• Refrigerate until ready to serve.
• Note: If you prefer a spicy version, add 1 Tablespoon sauteed minced jalapeno pepper and a few dashes of hot sauce.