The scent of a certain flower can unexpectedly transport us to the past, or remind us of loved ones, or special times. The taste of foods, or even the mention of their names, has much the same power. Every time I get out the recipe that follows, I can’t help but think of my parents and how much I miss them. Mom has been gone almost 30 years, and Dad almost 20.
Their favorite restaurant was Le Bec-Fin, a renowned and highly-praised French restaurant in Philadelphia run by Chef Georges Perrier.
I went there only once, with my friend and colleague Norma, almost twenty-five year ago, when we were attending a museum conference. It was exquisite and, yes, it was expensive.
My parents didn’t go to Le Bec-Fin often, but it must have been often enough that when they asked for the recipe for the Galettes de Crabe, Chef Perrier obliged.
It’s funny. Having eaten there only the one time (the Galettes de Crabe were not on the menu) and having made this recipe countless times, I can’t really envision what Chef Perrier’s looked like.
I have tried to make mine as fancy as possible, but in the end, it looks like small crab cakes on a salad. Not exactly chain-restaurant fare, but mine are not Le Bec-Fin quality! (Note: I rummaged around today and found his original recipe, typed on a typewriter, and see that I took quite a few shortcuts over the years in terms of presentation… his instructions were clear, and, as a home cook, I chose to simplify for practicality!)
Looks aside, it definitely doesn’t taste like a standard crab-cake-on-salad recipe. The cakes are more elegant than the usual breaded variety, and the flavors inside are delicate and subtle.
The salad, by itself, is special. This is the recipe that introduced me to walnut oil. What a difference it makes, and how nice to have a nutty alternative to olive oil.
I paired these galettes with a bottle of 2105 Déesse Asrtrée from Château d’Esclans – the light, crisp wine was perfect for the seafood in this dish. You can read more about it in my monthly “Wine with Food” column in the Provence WineZine.
When I made the galettes over the weekend, it brought back many memories of my parents, the enjoyment they got from dining at Le Bec-Fin, and the enjoyment I got from recreating it for them. It certainly wasn’t an everyday place for them; it marked a special occasion.
Perhaps that is something many people miss these days: not enough dining in – at home, with homemade food, at the table, with good conversation and no cell phones or television – to make dining out seem special.
~ David
Galettes de Crabe
Minimally adapted from the recipe by Chef Georges Perrier, Le Bec-Fin
Galettes
3/4 pounds shrimp, shelled and deveined
1 large egg
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream
5 scallions, green parts only, sliced
1 teaspoon butter
8 ounces lump crabmeat, all flake removed
1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chopped parsley
Salad
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons tarragon vinegar
6 tablespoons walnut oil
salt and pepper to taste
4 cups mixed baby greens
1 tomato, seeded and chopped.
1 teaspoon snipped fresh chives
1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
mixed micro greens
mixed cherry tomatoes, halved, for serving
Process the shrimp and egg in a food processor and scrape into a large bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste, then stir in cream. Sweat the scallion greens in butter over low heat. Add scallions, crab, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and parsley to the shrimp mixture; stir well to blend. Chill for at least an hour – mixture will thicken.
Whisk together mustard, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper. Set vinaigrette aside. In a large salad bowl, mix chopped tomatoes with chives, parsley, and 2 tablespoons of vinaigrette. Add the greens and toss with the tomato mixture; divide among 4 plates. Sprinkle with some micro greens, then garnish with halved cherry tomatoes.
Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a non-stick skillet over medium high heat (I use an electric skillet set at 325°F). Set a 2 1/4-inch ring mold in the skillet and fill with 2 tablespoons of batter. Tamp down slightly and quickly remove the ring. Repeat. Cook 2-3 minutes per side, or until golden brown. I did two batches of 10 galettes and kept the first warm in the oven while I cooked the second batch. Place 5 galettes on top of each salad and drizzle with additional vinaigrette.
Serves 4.
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Karen (Back Road Journal)
November 4, 2017 at 2:22 pmThis is such an interesting recipe in the way the little cakes are prepared, David. This is something I will definitely have to try, perhaps during the holidays.
Cocoa & Lavender
November 4, 2017 at 7:45 pmIt is a very nice holiday meal, Karen. In fact, it was one of the last meals (Christmas Day) I prepared fro my father and stepmother just weeks before he passed.
Susan Oleksiw
November 4, 2017 at 2:41 pmI love this recipe, though I doubt I could do it justice. I especially like the crab cakes without a lot of breading.
Cocoa & Lavender
November 4, 2017 at 7:46 pmOf course you can do this justice, Susan! After looking at the original, I realize how much I have adapted it over the years much simpler than Georges would expect of us!
Gerlinde de Broekert
November 4, 2017 at 4:08 pmDavid, this looks wonderful. I will have to try this as soon as our local Dungeness crab is available. Have a great weekend.
Cocoa & Lavender
November 4, 2017 at 7:47 pmLucky you, Gerlinde! Our neighbor brings some Dungeness crab down from the north with her when she comes – we always benefit!
John | heneedsfood
November 4, 2017 at 8:58 pmThis is such an elegant dish, David. I actually like that you haven't used bread crumbs, which is very much the norm with many crab cake recipes. This is so much more delicate, and perfect with those greens.
As for walnut oil, very rarely use it at home and was reintroduced to it when we recently travelled through Slovenia and parts of Istria. You see so much of it there. The flavour is incredible!
Cocoa & Lavender
November 8, 2017 at 1:36 pmJohn – I have been making this for years and had never invested in the walnut oil I am so glad I have, now – it is really wonderful! It has already become a staple for me!
And, the crab cakes are almost like a mousse – the crumbs would ruin them!
Unknown
November 5, 2017 at 10:00 amlovely post. Now that I am more than a middle aged man, I find myself looking back more and more: to places, people that are no more, ecc… and food is always playing such a major part in this process +"food" is my real memory box.
walnut oil: it makes most things sings and I always have a bottle in my fridge, it used to be very expensive here, not it is cheap… one of my standard quick fixes is a simple platter of spaghetti + butter +chopped toasted walnuts +parmigiano + a generous drizzle of the oil
stefano
Cocoa & Lavender
November 8, 2017 at 1:38 pmI love the concept of food being your memory box, Stefano – that is really the perfect way to put it. So many of my best memories revolve around the table – food, friends, family together.
I should probably keep the oil in my fridge – never think of that with olive oil. Mark and I are going to make your pasta described above tomorrow night. Yum.
Frank
November 5, 2017 at 1:19 pmAlthough I do like crab cakes—I live in Maryland now, after all—these really do take the concept to an entirely different level. I've got to try this!
And where are those elegant French restaurants like Le Bec-Fin these days anyway? They seem to have disappeared almost entirely from the scene. As you say, people are cooking in less and eating out more casually, so the sense of eating out as a special occasion you look forward to before and remember fondly afterwards just doesn't seem to exist any more. Except in the memories of people like us, I guess…
Cocoa & Lavender
November 8, 2017 at 1:40 pmI always think of you in DC, Frank – although I am sure where you are is really an extension of the city.
We have one old-fashioned french restaurant left in Tucson, and it has been taken over by the younger generation. The menu us changing, the vibe is slowly getting to be hip vs. elegant. So sad. Maybe there will be a resurgence if you and I 9and others) keep the old ways alive?
Allison
November 5, 2017 at 4:01 pmThank you, David, for a beautiful recipe and a reminder to enjoy the special moments in life.
Cocoa & Lavender
November 8, 2017 at 1:41 pmThanks, Allison – it is, indeed, good to keep those special moments alive in us.
Sippity Sup
November 5, 2017 at 4:04 pmI think your presentation is incredibly elegant. Probably more beautiful than the original. Coincidentally Dungeness crab season in CA started the day before yesterday! GREG
Cocoa & Lavender
November 8, 2017 at 1:41 pmThanks, Greg. I wonder what Georges would think? Aren't you the lucky one to be getting Dungeness crab… color me green.
Eha
November 6, 2017 at 12:05 amThank you for putting your memories down and allowing us to share and remember our own. My beloved Dad left early some 40 years ago: I still 'talk' to him on quiet nights and he still tells me what to do 🙂 ! Beautiful recipe which is already down for Yule gatherings . . . absolutely love the salad . . .
Cocoa & Lavender
November 8, 2017 at 1:42 pmEha – like you, I talk to my mother in the kitchen all the time. Whenever I think of her, that is where I see her. She is with me as I make everything… I hope you enjoy the galettes – they will be lovely fro the holiday!
Unknown
November 6, 2017 at 1:10 amThis is a lovely recipe and such a nice memory of your parents. And delicious sounding too.
Cocoa & Lavender
November 8, 2017 at 1:43 pmThanks, Carol – I would be happy to make them for you when you next visit!
Valentina
November 6, 2017 at 3:05 amOh how I love fond food memories. So nice you found this original recipe that fills you with memories of your parents. I quite like your presentation! I bet they are very delicious, too.
Cocoa & Lavender
November 8, 2017 at 1:43 pmI knew this would strike a chord with you, Valentina.. You and I both talk often about how food, memory, and family are linked.
Emma - Bake Then Eat
November 6, 2017 at 3:46 pmIt’s amazig how food can stir memories in us, banana cake always makes me think of Nan. I love this dish it looks lovely and fresh.
Cocoa & Lavender
November 8, 2017 at 1:44 pmMaybe you should make a banana cake today< Emma! It would be nice for you to have "a visit" with your Nan!
Marcelle
November 7, 2017 at 1:22 amDavid, there are definitely recipes I make that take me right back to my childhood home and can take me back to places I've traveled to long ago. It's the one tangible way we've got to travel back in time. I really love seafood and this dish looks beautiful and sounds scrumptious!
Cocoa & Lavender
November 8, 2017 at 1:45 pmHo true, Marcelle – it is traveling back in time, yet it is so much a way to keep time form slipping away from us. I hope you get to make them – my young nieces and nephews love them – maybe your kids will, too!
Cheri Savory Spoon
November 8, 2017 at 4:14 pmSounds like you have some wonderful memories of your parents, certain foods remind me of mine too. Love that there is both shrimp and crab in these cakes. I bet they are delicious!
Cocoa & Lavender
November 10, 2017 at 3:05 amOh, I bet you could make a really wonderful version of these when you are in the Northwest, Cheri!
Jean | DelightfulRepast.com
November 9, 2017 at 9:55 pmDavid, I love that you keep making this recipe that reminds you of your parents. My favorite childhood memories happen to be nearly all food memories. And I love thinking of my parents and grandmothers whenever I'm cooking. Beautiful recipe, and walnut oil definitely elevates a dish.
Cocoa & Lavender
November 10, 2017 at 3:06 amJean – I can't imagine that there is a single food writer/blogger out there who doesn't tie memory to food! Glad you like the recipe – and yes, the walnut oil is amazing!
Inger @ Art of Natural Living
November 11, 2017 at 3:02 pmWell probably only a hair shy of complete perfection from the looks of it David. My recent (okay a few years back) oil discovery was macadamia nut oil which we love and is unique in that it is loaded with omega-9…
Cocoa & Lavender
November 13, 2017 at 2:23 pmThanks, Inger. I have been in an EEVO rut for too many years – all these wonderful oils to try – walnut, macadamia, avocado, argan… so many!
Andrea_TheKitchenLioness
November 15, 2017 at 9:14 amDear David, I must admit that I have never made Galettes de Crabe, Crab Cakes but I have made some with salmon, which I love. So, I know I would most definitely adore these! Fabulous post and wonderful recipe with an impeccable presentation, my friend!
Cocoa & Lavender
November 16, 2017 at 1:44 pmWe love salmon cakes, as well, Andrea! Thanks for your kind comment about the presentation!
Susan Manfull
November 29, 2017 at 9:30 pmDavid,I could have sworn I commented on this but just poking around now, I don't see that I did. This looks particularly delicious and, as you wrote to me somewhere (FB?), with the seafood market across the street, this should be easy to do!
Cocoa & Lavender
November 29, 2017 at 10:45 pmI think you made a comment on Facebook, Susan. These are truly delicious, and with a great seafood shop right across the street, you should have no problem throwing this together any day of the week!
Paula | Vintage Kitchen
December 10, 2017 at 4:46 pmThey look wonderful David, and we all know there is always a special twist if it's posted here! Love that they remind you of your parents. Food has that, it makes us feel so many things and take us back to so many places!
Cocoa & Lavender
December 11, 2017 at 3:11 pmFood is so powerful in our memories, even if it was bad. Thanks for this beautiful comment, Paula – especially when I know you eat neither of the main ingredients in these little pancakes!
Christina | Christina's Cucina
January 2, 2018 at 12:02 amAs you can tell, I'm catching up on all of your recent posts and have to tell you that I'm DYING! Just had lunch, but drooling over these past few recipes!
Would LOVE to make this! Thanks for sharing all these wonderful creations!
Cocoa & Lavender
January 11, 2018 at 2:10 pmIt was fun reading all your comments, Christina – I know how crazy things can get. I have had to work really hard to keep up!