Grilled Vegetables Salad With Crab Cakes And Saffron Aioli Recipes

CRAB CAKES WITH CREOLE MUSTARD AIOLI AND GRILLED CORN, RED ONION & RED PEPPER SALAD

Steps:

• For the crab cakes: To a large bowl, add the mayonnaise, Creole mustard, Worcestershire sauce, seafood seasoning, egg, lemon zest and juice and chives. Mix thoroughly to combine. Add the saltine cracker crumbs. Add the crabmeat. Gently fold the crab into the mixture, being careful not to break up the meat too much.
• Form the mixture into four equal-sized crab cakes. Preheat a large saute pan over medium-high heat with some canola oil until it shimmers. Gently place the crab cakes into the pan and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip, and cook until golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
• For the salad: Preheat a grill pan over high heat. Place the corn and onions onto the grill pan and grill until charred, 5 to 6 minutes. Flip, then cook until charred and the onions are softened, another 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the corn kernels from the cobs and dice the grilled onions. Set aside.
• Place the red bell pepper onto an open flame on your stovetop. Cook, flipping occasionally, until completely black and charred, about 5 minutes. (If you don't have a gas stovetop, you can broil the pepper in the oven on high, turning occasionally, until charred.) Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam until the skin pulls away, about 10 minutes. Remove the skin from the bell pepper and rinse under water to ensure all of the black char is removed. Remove the stem, ribs and seeds from the roasted pepper and dice.
• To a large bowl, add the corn kernels, onions, roasted peppers, cilantro, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes and kosher salt to taste. Toss to combine. In a separate bowl, add the arugula, lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil and kosher salt to taste. Toss to combine.
• For the aioli: To a bowl, add the mayonnaise, Creole mustard, cornichons, cornichon juice, shallots and kosher salt to taste. Mix to combine.
• To serve, place the arugula onto each plate and nestle some of the corn, red onion and red pepper salad next to it. Top with a crab cake and drizzle some of the aioli around the crab cake. Enjoy!

STEAMED CLAMS WITH CHORIZO, CITRUS AND SAFFRON AIOLI

Steps:

• Heat olive oil. Add the garlic cloves and let infuse the oil. Slice chorizo into 1/2-inch coins. Add chorizo into pan and render. Add clams. Pour wine over clams. Cover pan and let clams steam, about 5 minutes, or until all the clams have opened. Once cooked through, discard any clams that have not opened. Finish by squeezing half an orange over clams. Remove clams and chorizo using slotted spoon into large bowl. With the remaining broth, whisk in Saffron Aioli. Pour mixture over clams and chorizo. Sprinkle with parsley.
• Steep saffron in hot water. In a blender, add garlic, egg yolks, almonds, salt, orange juice, saffron and blend. While blending, drizzle in the olive oil and emulsify. Thin with a little water, if desired.

ROASTED SWEET POTATO WEDGES WITH SAFFRON AIOLI

Steps:

• To make the aioli: Lightly sprinkle the garlic with a pinch of the salt and smash it into a paste with the side of a cook's knife. Set aside.
• Pour about 2 inches of water into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
• In a medium, heatproof bowl, whisk together the remaining salt, egg yolk, vinegar, water, lemon juice, and saffron until light and frothy. Place the bowl over the simmering water and whisk constantly until the yolk mixture is just warmer than room temperature, about 20 seconds. Remove from the heat and whisk in the garlic paste.
• While whisking constantly, gradually drizzle in the olive oil until a smooth and slightly thick sauce is formed. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use.
• Meanwhile, make the sweet potatoes: Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees F.
• Put a baking sheet on the center rack and preheat for 10 minutes.
• Quarter the sweet potatoes and leave the skins on. In a large bowl, toss the wedges with the olive oil. Carefully remove the hot baking sheet from the oven and place the wedges evenly spaced on the pan, cut-side down. Bake until the bottoms of the potatoes are lightly browned, about 15 minutes.
• Carefully remove the hot baking sheet from the oven. Turn the wedges so the other cut side comes in contact with the hot baking sheet. Continue to bake the sweet potatoes until both sides are browned and tender, about 15 minutes more.
• To serve, arrange the sweet potatoes on a platter, and season with salt, to taste. Drizzle the potatoes with some of the aioli. Serve warm.
• Cook's Note: We recommend golden olive oil for its smooth finish and low acidity. The golden color comes from olive pressed at the peak of ripeness. These oils are made on California, southern France, and Sicily.
• Copyright 2001 Television Food Network, GP. All rights reserved
• *RAW EGG WARNING
• Food Network Kitchens suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs due to the slight risk of Salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly-refrigerated, clean, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.

GRILLED VEGETABLES SALAD WITH CRAB CAKES AND SAFFRON AIOLI

Steps:

• Saute the peppers and garlic in olive oil. Set aside to cool.
• In a big bowl, combine the crabmeat, 3 tablespoons of the mayonnaise, herbs, bread crumbs, and the cooled Sauteed mixture. Mix well. If it seems dry, add more mayonnaise. Cover and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
• Make balls from crab mix into 8 equal portions. Pat each into a disk. Chill again until ready to cook.
• Preheat grill for 20 minutes before you need to cook vegetables. Prep all the vegetables then toss in olive oil, salt, and pepper in separate bowls. Grill them over medium high heat until they are tender but not mushy, about 10 to 15 minutes, depending on the heat of the grill. As they come off grill, toss them in a bit more olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Serve warm or at room temperature.
• Fry the crab cakes over medium high heat in olive oil until golden brown. Serve with the grilled vegetables and Saffron Aioli.
• Use garlic that is fresh and firm. If garlic has sprouted, split the cloves and remove green germ. In food processor, puree garlic until chopped fine. Season with salt and pepper and add the saffron and egg yolks. With motor running slowly, add the olive oil in a thin steady stream. When it is done, it should be like a thick mayonnaise. Add lemon juice and cayenne and taste for seasoning.
• Alternatively, you can make the aioli in a mortar and pestle, which is the traditional way.
• Yield: 2 cups

BAKED YAMS WITH SAFFRON AIOLI

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Prick each yam with a fork in a few spots and arrange on a baking sheet. Bake until soft, about 45 minutes.
• Meanwhile, heat the olive oil, grapeseed oil, whole garlic cloves and saffron in a small saucepan over medium-low heat until the garlic is soft, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool completely. Remove the cooked garlic with a slotted spoon and transfer to a cutting board (reserve the infused oil). Using the flat side of a chef's knife, mash the garlic with a pinch of salt until smooth; set aside.
• Make the aioli: Put the egg yolks, lemon juice, 1 tablespoon water and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a medium heatproof bowl. Bring a few inches of water to a bare simmer in a medium saucepan, then turn off the heat. Set the bowl with the egg yolks over the saucepan (do not let the bowl touch the water); whisk just until the egg mixture thickens slightly, 30 seconds to 1 minute, then remove the bowl from the saucepan. Using a hand mixer or a whisk, gradually beat in the saffron-infused oil in a slow, steady stream until the aioli is thick and creamy. (If it gets too thick, beat in 1 to 2 teaspoons water.) Mix in the mashed cooked garlic, grated fresh garlic and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cover and refrigerate.
• Remove the yams from the oven and let cool slightly. Split open and fluff the insides with a fork. Thin the aioli with water, if desired, and spoon onto the yams. Sprinkle with parsley.

SAFFRON ALIOLI

Steps:

• Put saffron threads in a small cup, then add hot water and let stand 5 minutes.
• Purée saffron mixture with remaining ingredients in a mini food processor or a blender until smooth.