Fried Crab Puffs
Not too long ago, Debby, my very close friend in Arizona shared a book with me that she had recently read while she and her husband vacationed in Alaska called Tender at the Bone, Growing Up at the Table by Ruth Reichl.
Despite the fact that I have had so little time to read during this particularly heavy travel sports season along with twice weekly Tailgates I still began the book reading a little at a time. While succumbing to my final state of exhaustion with the Team in town last weekend after cooking a whole pig for hosting the Team Dinner at our home Friday evening, followed by a game and large Tailgate on Saturday, I finally finished the book to conclusion.
Tender at the Bone is a book I highly recommend to anyone whose life memories intimately intertwine with people and experiences surrounding food, and otherwise those who enjoy good stories within a food memoir particularly capturing the time era of the sixties and seventies.
Now my friend Deb is a native Arizonan, her ole’ Dad was even a Ranch Hand in his day. With Deb, even the simplest foods we shared together over years, like chips and salsa, to all varieties of Mexican foods, mesquite grilled steaks and cowboy beans, each and all stir the happiest of memories to me.
Deb had shared that this book made her think of me, and would be a ‘quick read’. I found my stringent time constraints providing a greater opportunity for deeper reflection on the insights within the pages. One aspect of the book recounting life experiences intertwined with food Reichl shares recipes of past, her past, placing each into their own historical pattern in the quilt patterning her own life.
While planning the Team Dinner Tender at the Bone inspired me to page through many recipes of my own past, even those of early adulthood and such is how I came upon the recipe of the fried Crab Puffs, perhaps from the Bisquick era when everyone seemed to be making everything from appetizers to main courses using Bisquick. Still, it is only fair I be clear that my actual recipe does not specifically call for Bisquick but for Biscuit Mix so whether this recipe adaptation originated from another Biscuit mix company or earlier I do not know and the research is not part of this Post, today at least.
I should also be completely honest that Crab Puffs are not my favorite. In fact, in my own intertwined food memories Crab Puffs and I have a love hate relationship.
It goes like this; I love the ease of preparing these little Hors d’ Oeuvres, I can freeze them, defrost them, line them up on cookie sheets, heat, and serve them with Mustard Dip. They look pretty on a tray.
I have also hated crab puffs not the least because I just do not care much for fried foods, and, because these easy fried balls have oftentimes overshadowed some very freshly prepared more technically involved Hors d’ Oeuvres served. In my mind, Crab Puff overshadowing is a tough dish to swallow, oh how I quiver when guests tell me it was their favorite.
Nevertheless, with holiday parties shortly on the horizon, I thought you might enjoy the easy, make-ahead Fried Crab Puffs, always a hit among guests. As many recipes in our lives fit into our own historical quilt of memories, so do these, despite sometimes having caused me a bit of tenderness at the bone but then considered it is all a part of growing up at the table.
Fried Crab Puffs
Ingredients
- 11/2 cups Biscuit Mix (Bisquick)
- 1/3 cup Grated Parmesan Cheese
- 4- 5 Scallions, white and green parts, finely chopped
- 1/2 pound fresh crab meat, picked through of any shells
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- 1/3 cup Water
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher Salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 2 teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
- Oil for Frying
- For Preparing the Mustard Dip:
- 1/2 cup Sour Cream
- 2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
- 1 teaspoon Fresh Lemon Juice
- Equipment Recommended: Deep Fryer
Instructions
- Into a large size bowl stir together the Bisquick, Parmesan Cheese, Scallions and the Crabmeat.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the egg, water, salt, pepper, Worcestershire and Tabasco then pour the mixed liquid into the Bisquick and Crab mixture folding through gently until all ingredients are well combined
- Heat oil until very hot, one tablespoon at a time drop crab puffs into the oil, rolling the puffs around using a slotted spoon until golden brown on all sides, transfer to a paper towel to absorb excess grease, serve alongside Mustard Dip garnished with some fresh parsley
- Crab puffs may be frozen in a long container between sheets of Freezer Paper, thawed in the refrigerator overnight then baked in a preheated 350 degree oven for 12-15 minutes
- Preparing the Mustard Dip: Stir together the Sour Cream, Dijon Mustard, and Fresh Lemon Juice
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