Happy 4th of July. And I'm willing to bet that more than a few of you are planning crab feasts to go along with the fireworks. Some purists may insist that you only need two things for a proper crab feast: crabs and beef. But to make it a true feast, I think you've got to offer more than that. And Chef Jerry Pellegrino of Schola Cooking School has set his focus on the sides. Here are a bunch of ideas to round out your crab feast.
Click on the image for the list of recipes.
Fried Green Tomatoes
Ingredients
4 large green tomatoes
2 eggs
½ cup milk
1 cup all-purpose flour
½ cup cornmeal
½ cup bread crumbs
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 quart vegetable oil for frying
Slice tomatoes 1/2 inch thick. Discard the ends.
Whisk eggs and milk together in a medium-size bowl. Scoop flour onto a plate. Mix cornmeal, bread crumbs and salt and pepper on another plate. Dip tomatoes into flour to coat. Then dip the tomatoes into milk and egg mixture. Dredge in breadcrumbs to completely coat.
In a large skillet, pour vegetable oil (enough so that there is ½ inch of oil in the pan) and heat over a medium heat. Place tomatoes into the frying pan in batches of 4 or 5, depending on the size of your skillet. Do not crowd the tomatoes, they should not touch each other. When the tomatoes are browned, flip and fry them on the other side. Drain them on paper towels.
Maryland Tomato Salad
Ingredients
6 to 8 ripe tomatoes
4 green onions, chopped – white & green parts
1 red onion, sliced into 1/8-inch-thick half-moons and separated
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and cut into ½ inch half moons
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
3 to 4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Handful fresh parsley leaves, lightly chopped
12 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
Cut the tomatoes into 4 wedges, then cut the wedges in half and add to a bowl. Add the green onions, red onion and cucumber to the tomatoes. Add the olive oil, vinegar, parsley, basil and a dash of salt and pepper to a jar. Screw on the lid and shake to combine. Pour the dressing over the tomatoes and toss. Cover and refrigerate for a couple of hours before serving.
Potato Salad
Ingredients
1 ½ lbs. red potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch - 1 inch cubes
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
4 tablespoons dried mustard
3 large hard-boiled eggs, cut into cubes
4 strips thick sliced smoked bacon cooked until crispy
2 green onions, sliced
¼ cup fresh parsley, chopped
salt & freshly ground black pepper
Gently boil the potatoes until just tender. Drain well and cool to room temperature.
Place the mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar and dried mustard in large salad bowl and whisk to combine. Add the potatoes and remaining ingredients and toss to combine.
Cover and refrigerate salad until ready to serve.
Mrs. Katherine Gittings Cold Slaw
Ingredients
1 head green cabbage, finely shredded
2 large carrots, finely shredded
¾ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons grated Spanish onion
2 tablespoons sugar, or to taste
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons celery seed
Salt and freshly ground pepper
Combine the shredded cabbage and carrots in a large bowl. Whisk together the mayonnaise, sour cream, onion, sugar, vinegar, celery seed, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl, and then add to the cabbage mixture. Mix well to combine and taste for seasoning; add more salt, pepper, or sugar if desired.
Cake Doughnuts
Ingredients
3 cups cake flour
¾ cup sugar
½ teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
Zest of ½ lemon
1 large egg
½ cup buttermilk
4 Tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
2 large egg yolks
½ teaspoon vanilla
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and the lemon zest. In a separate bowl whisk together the egg, buttermilk, butter, yolks and vanilla. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix on low speed until a dough form. Roll the dough out to ½ inch thickness between two sheets of parchment paper and refrigerate for 1 hour. Peel the top layer of paper off and cut doughnuts. Fry in oil until golden brown.
