by ChefJune
View
my 77 recipes »
A&M's Testing Notes:
Expand CollapseChefJune's Notes:
Expand8 ounces cooked lump crab meat Ask a question about this ingredient
1 cup organic unbleached flour Ask a question about this ingredient
1 teaspoon baking powder (I only use Rumfords) Ask a question about this ingredient
1 teaspoon garlic, finely chopped Ask a question about this ingredient
1 pimiento, chopped Ask a question about this ingredient
3 scallions, finely chopped Ask a question about this ingredient
4 drops Cholula Hot Sauce Ask a question about this ingredient
Vegetable oil for frying (canola or peanut work well) Ask a question about this ingredient
Lemon wedges, for serving Ask a question about this ingredient
Pick over the crab meat to remove any traces of shell. In a bowl, mix all the ingredients except the oil and lemon wedges with 1 cup of water. Cover the bowl with a damp towel and set aside for 30 minutes.
Ask a question about this stepHeat a couple of inches of oil in a deep heavy pot to 325 degrees F. Drop the batter by tablespoonfuls into the oil and fry until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Be sure not to crowd the beignets in the hot oil, or they won’t fry evenly. Drain and serve hot with a lemon wedge and the aioli.
Ask a question about this stepTeacher’s Tip: It’s important to have your oil at the right temperature. Too hot, and your beignets will burn – too cold, and the beignets will absorb the oil and become greasy and unpleasant.
Ask a question about this stepWine Tip: A sparkling wine would be just right with these crispy morsels, or a well chilled Alsatian Riesling.
Ask a question about this step1 tablespoon fine, dry, unflavored breadcrumbs Ask a question about this ingredient
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar Ask a question about this ingredient
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped Ask a question about this ingredient
3 large egg yolks Ask a question about this ingredient
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt Ask a question about this ingredient
1/8 teaspoon white pepper Ask a question about this ingredient
1 cup extra-virgin olive oil Ask a question about this ingredient
Soak the breadcrumbs in the vinegar for 5 minutes, then squeeze the crumbs dry in the corner of a towel.
Ask a question about this stepIn a food processor fitted with the metal blade, chop the garlic, then add the crumbs and combine with the garlic to make a smooth paste. Add egg yolks, salt and white pepper and combine. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. Now, with the motor running, add the olive oil in a slow, steady stream. When all the oil is in, you have aïoli.
Ask a question about this stepWell, the beignets were wonderful, however the aioli was a disaster. Six cloves of garlic! You have to be kidding. The final result was more of a paste than a dipping sauce. I made it according to the exact recipe and had to throw it out. The garlic was so strong, it was all I tasted. I made a second batch with some adjustments: used only two cloves of garlic upped the wine vinegar another half tsp. and also added juice of one lemon. That seemed to balance it out more. Only used 1/2 cup of oil and that was enough. Sorry to be so direct and I am aware of other aioli recipes that are very similar but I guess I will stick to my own next time. Again the beignets themselves were devine.
I've never really thought of aioli as a "dipping" sauce, but something a little thicker. And if you didn't like the amount of garlic, my thoughts are that perhaps you smashed it rather than chopped it--it makes a huge difference. Or maybe you just don't like garlic as much as some other people...personally, six cloves of garlic to a cup of oil sounds about right, and no kidding. But good that you have a recipe of your own that you like. You can stick to that one.
knitnbead: did you take the green sprout out of the garlic cloves before you chopped it? I realize I didn't specify to do that (mostly because some folks LOVE the strong garlic taste), but I always de-germ the garlic. It keeps it from being overpowering, I think.
To answer those of you who are worried about no eggs... the batter holds the beignets together.
Is the recipe correct? No eggs or any binder to hold them together?
These are on the agenda for an hors d'oeuvres class tomorrow night. Crab, beignets, garlic, what's not to love?
Made these last night as our starter. Delicious! The aioli was devine.
Tried the aioli w/o the beignets for a Grand Aioli. Guests loved it. So did we!
Thanks, creamtea. I know a few folks who like to eat it with a spoon.
Definitely on the list to try! Love crab and a fan of Chef June's from the Wine Library.
Ida and Mike
These look and sound amazing! I'm looking forward to trying them.
These sound like they would be heaven in every bite. Wow! Congrats on being a finalist.
Congrats ChefJune, I'm thrilled to be a finalist with you. These beignets look and sound divine -- can't wait to try them!
I always like it when tradition is represented in the contest finalists. My favorite cookbook, The Auberge of the Flowering Hearth, has an aïoli recipe that's similar to ChefJune's in its use of bread and vinegar. It includes a great story, where Mme. Ricard, who taught author Roy Andries de Groot how to make the aïoli, tastes one at the auberge, which is not in Provence but in the Chartreuse. Not only did it have insufficient garlic, it included lemon juice:
"Mme. Ricard cried out, 'This isn't an aïoli! This is a Parisian mayonnaise! ... What did [she] think she was making? A lemonade?'"
too funny--now i have another cookbook to find...sigh...work, work, work.
The Auberge of the Flowering Hearth is one of my all-time books not only to cook from, but even more to read. DeGroot was so descriptive.
Absolutely beautiful - congrats on the finalist nod!
Lovely! Making this very soon!
Congratulations, ChefJune! These sound amazing.
Congrats, Chef June, on being a finalist. Your traditional Provençal technique really works well!
Congrats! These sound ridiculously good!
Yum mm mm.
congrats on your Editor's Pick! I knew this would be a finalist! good luck.
I'm serious when I say you need to have someone else to do the frying. The first time I tried doing it myself for a party, I never saw the living room! Spent the whole evening in the kitchen frying beignets.
Kristen is the Senior Editor of food52.
photo 1 of 21
Breadcrumbs (we used panko), egg yolk, pimiento, white pepper, garlic, olive oil, scallions, lump crabmeat, baking powder, and flour.
photo 2 of 21
Batter-to-be.
photo 3 of 21
Use the freshest lump crabmeat you can find (although frozen would work too).
photo 4 of 21
It should come together and look like pancake batter.
photo 5 of 21
¡Ole! Amanda plays matador, then follows directions and covers the batter with a damp towel to rest for 30 minutes.
photo 6 of 21
ChefJune pulls a trick from the Provençal playbook, softening her breadcrumbs for the aioli with white wine vinegar.
photo 7 of 21
Lots of egg yolk and garlic in here -- this cook isn't messing around.
photo 8 of 21
Right this way, soggy breadcrumbs.
photo 9 of 21
Save those whites for meringues, tomorrow's pancake batter, egg washes for pie crusts, a face mask ... whathaveyou.
photo 10 of 21
3's a crowd.
photo 11 of 21
We're fine with letting the food processor do the work, but feel free to use a mortar and pestle or whisk to emulsify the aioli.
photo 12 of 21
Hello in there -- are you aioli yet?
photo 13 of 21
Yes!
photo 14 of 21
A vital garnish waits in its holster.
photo 15 of 21
Sliding spoonfuls of batter into the 325 degree oil (we used canola).
photo 16 of 21
Bubble, bubble. Don't crowd the pot or the oil will get too cool to fry properly.
photo 17 of 21
It's oddly thrilling to watch these little guys puff in the hot oil.
photo 18 of 21
Beignets, you best behave.
photo 19 of 21
A model beignet.
photo 20 of 21
Give them a brief drain and cool-down on paper towels. These buggers are hot!
photo 21 of 21
Spritz, dip, repeat.
I thought these were great texturally, but the second time I made them, I salted the lump crab meat just a bit before creating the beignets, which really brought out a strong crab flavor.