Crab Cakes...Ina's Recipe

These Crab Cakes were very good. The recipe is easy to prepare but is a bit time consuming. The flavor is a lot like my  BANDMAN'S CRAB CAKES but that one is less time consuming. 

Crab Cakes

Show: Barefoot ContessaEpisode: Cooking with Tess

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 3/4 cup small diced red onion (1 small onion)
• 1 1/2 cups small diced celery (4 stalks)
• 1/2 cup small diced red bell pepper (1 small pepper)
• 1/2 cup small diced yellow bell pepper (1 small pepper)
• 1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained
• 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons crab boil seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 pound lump crabmeat, drained and picked to remove shells
• 1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup good mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
• For frying
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup olive oil

Directions

Place the 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons oil, onion, celery, red and yellow bell peppers, parsley, capers, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, crab boil seasoning, salt, and pepper in a large saute pan over medium-low heat and cook until the vegetables are soft, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, break the lump crabmeat into small pieces and toss with the bread crumbs, mayonnaise, mustard, and eggs. Add the cooked mixture and mix well. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Shape into bite-sized crab cakes.

Heat the butter and olive oil for frying over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add the crab cakes and fry for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until browned. Drain on paper towels; keep them warm in a 250 degree oven and serve hot.

These were on Diners, Drive In's and Dives a while back. They looked very interesting so we had to give it a whirl. I cooked the beets one day and refrigerated them until ready to use. The rest is less time consuming. I also made a Green Goddess Dressing from Allrecipes.com http://allrecipes.com/recipe/green-goddess-chive-dressing/detail.aspx because I didn't have all of the ingredients called for in this recipe. If you can find a bottle of it already made, I'm sure that's ok as well.

These were very good! I was actually surprised!!!

The full recipe is at the bottom. ENJOY!

Pan searing the beets in my very well seasoned cast iron pan.

toaster rolls, then beets, then red onion then the dressing

YUM!!!

Beet Sliders

Recipe courtesy Chuck Caplener and Jared Nuttall, co-owners of Gatsby's Diner, Sacramento, CA

Prep Time:

20 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

1 hr 5 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

16 to 18 sliders

Ingredients

• 5 quarts water
• 1/2 cup sea salt, plus a pinch
• 1 tablespoon dried dill
• 6 dried arbol chiles
• 1/4 cup coriander seeds
• 1 tablespoon caraway seeds
• 1 large carrot, coarsely chopped
• 2 stalks celery, coarsely chopped
• 1/2 large yellow onion, coarsely chopped
• 4 tablespoons seasoning sauce (recommended: Maggi)
• 6 to 8 whole beets (depending on size)
• Olive oil
• Green Goddess Dressing, recipe follows
• Sliced red onions, for serving
• 16 to 18 slider buns, toasted

Directions

In a large stock pot, combine and the water, 1/2 cup sea salt, dill, chiles, coriander, caraway, carrots, celery, onions, seasoning sauce, and beets and bring to a boil. Boil on medium heat for about 1 hour.

Remove the beets and let cool, discarding the liquid. Once cooled, remove the skin from the beets with avegetable peeler. (Remember to wear gloves, as the beets will stain your hands as well as other surfaces.) Cut the beets into 1/4 to 3/8-inch slices. Place the beet slices, a drizzle of olive oil, and a pinch of sea salt into a skillet over high heat and saute until glossy and tender, about 2 1/2 minutes on each side.

Remove the beets from the skillet and serve with shaved red onion and Green Goddess Dressing on a toasted slider bun.

This recipe was provided by professional chefs and has been scaled down from a bulk recipe provided by a restaurant. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe, in the proportions indicated, and therefore, we cannot make any representation as to the results.

Green Goddess Dressing:

• 1 bunch fresh tarragon, stemmed, finely chopped
• 1/2 bunch fresh parsley, stemmed, finely chopped
• 1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 2 cups mayonnaise
• Salt and pepper

Combine the herbs, green onions, buttermilk, lemon juice, and vinegar in a mixing bowl. Let macerate for 10 minutes. Add the sour cream and mayonnaise, and blend with an immersion blender until creamy. Season with salt and pepper.

Killer Baja Chili Rellenos Mariscos

I made this for dinner last night. It was DELICIOUS!!! It's a bit time consuming but if you have your ingredients on hand, it's a snap.

Roast the poblano peppers until blackened
Saute the onions, then add the rice and spices

Saute the shrimp and scallops

Combine the seafood and the juices with the rice mixture.

Stuff the peppers, top with cheese and bake. YUM!!!

Killer Baja Chili Rellenos Mariscos (Roasted Poblano Chiles Stuffed with Seafood and Rice)

Ingredients

• 6 large, fresh poblano chiles (sometimes called "pasilla" chiles)
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 1/2 cup long-grain white rice
• 1/2 teaspoon whole cumin seeds
• 1 cup canned chicken broth
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1/4 pound fresh medium shrimp, shelled and deveined, tails removed
• 1/4 pound fresh scallops (if using large sea scallops, quarter them)
• 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lime juice
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander seed
• 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano, crumbled
• 2 teaspoons fresh grated lime zest
• 2 medium sized fresh, red, ripe tomatoes, chopped, with juices
• 4 ounces cotija cheese (Mexican aged cow's milk cheese), crumbled (I substituted fat free cream cheese)
• 1 bunch fresh cilantro, tough stems removed, leaves chopped (reserve a few whole sprigs with leaves intact for garnish)
• Grated Monterey Jack cheese, to taste

Directions

Broil or roast the chiles over a flame until skins blister, wrap in a tea towel or put in a paper grocery bag for 10 to 15 minutes to sweat the skins loose. Remove skins and open pepper on 1 side. Remove seeds but do not remove stems. Arrange the prepared chiles in a lightly oiled 9 by 13-inch glass nonstick baking dish.

Heat oil in a 10 to 12-inch skillet until hot. Add the onion and saute until translucent (about 2 to 3 minutes). Add the rice and the cumin seeds. Toast the rice and cumin in the oil with the onions for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the chicken broth, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Bring the rice to a boil and cover tightly. Turn down the heat and simmer for about 18 minutes, or until rice is cooked, but still a little firm to the bite. Do not overcook the rice. When the rice is cooked, remove from the heat and let it cool slightly.

While the rice is cooking, melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. When the butter starts tofoam, add the shrimp and the scallops and stir or toss to coat them with the butter. Keep the heat at medium-high and saute the seafood for about 3 to 4 minutes, or until just cooked through. Remove the skillet from the heat and add the lime juice. Toss to coat. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

After the rice has cooled a bit, put it in a large mixing bowl and fluff it with a fork. Add the shrimp and scallops, with the accumulated juices. Add the ground cumin, coriander seed, oregano, lime zest, chopped tomato with their juices, cotija cheese and chopped cilantro. Toss the mixture until thoroughly combined. Gently stuff the peppers with the rice and seafood mixture. Stuff them good and full! If there is any extra, let it spill over into the baking dish. Top the chiles with the Monterey Jack cheese. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until the chiles are heated through and the cheese on top is melted. Garnish with cilantro sprigs.

This was a delicious recipe for our Thanksgiving turkey. It was easy to prepare and so well worth it! It was from a Throwdown with Bobby Flay episode where Ree Drummond aka The Pioneer Woman challenged him to a Thanksgiving throwdown! She won! I also made her Mashed potatoes. Delish!

Roasted Thanksgiving Turkey

Recipe courtesy Ree Drummond

Prep Time:

10 min

Inactive Prep Time:

20 hr 0 min

Cook Time:

5 hr 0 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

18 servings

Ingredients

• 2 gallons water
• 2 cups apple juice
• 1 1/2 cups kosher salt
• 2 cups brown sugar
• 5 cloves garlic, crushed
• 5 bay leaves
• 4 tablespoons black peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons dried rosemary
• 3 oranges, peeled, white pith removed, skin roughly chopped
• 1 (20-pound) fresh turkey
• 1 1/2 sticks softened butter
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh rosemary leaves
• 3 tablespoons chopped orange zest

Directions

Combine the water, apple juice, salt, sugar, garlic, bay leaves, peppercorns, dried rosemary, and orange peel in a large pot and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat immediately, cover, and allow mixture to come to room temperature. Cool mixture in the fridge until you're ready.

To brine the turkey, remove the turkey from wrapper, remove interior bags (set aside; refrigerate), and rinse turkey thoroughly under cool water.

Place the turkey into a plastic brining bag or a very large pot.

Pour the cooled brine mixture over the top, adding extra cold water if you need more to completely cover the turkey. Seal the bag or cover the pot and allow the turkey to brine in the refrigerator for 16 to 24 hours before roasting.

Before roasting, remove the turkey from brine and rinse thoroughly under cold water. Then soak in a sink full of fresh water for 15 to 20 minutes. Pat dry. Discard brine. (This soaking process will decrease the likelihood of too-salty gravy).

Preheat the oven 275 degrees F.

Truss the bird and place it breast side up on a rack in a large roasting pan. Cover the turkey tightly with heavy-duty foil. Make sure it's entirely covered (cover over the bottom edges of the pan). Place in the oven and roast for about 10 minutes per pound (a 20 pound turkey will roast for about 3 1/2 hours).

Remove the turkey from the oven and increase the temperature to 375 degrees F. Remove the aluminum foil and set aside. Mix the softened butter with the rosemary and orange peel and rub all over the skin of the turkey, covering every single inch of the skin. Insert a meat thermometer into the thigh, near the hip joint. Place the turkey, uncovered, back into the oven. Continue roasting the turkey, basting with butter every 30 minutes, until the thermometer registers 170 degrees F and until the juices are no longer pink.

Remove from the oven and cover with foil until you are ready to carve and serve. Reserve pan juices to make gravy.

Cook's Note: This is enough for a 20 pound fresh turkey. You can decrease the quantity for a smaller bird.

This recipe is from the 2nd place winner of the Next Food Network Star, 2010. It looks long but is actually quick to throw together. I followed it exactly EXCEPT I added some white potatoes as well as the sweet potatoes because PJ doesn't like sweet ones, and after throwing everything in the pan, I drizzled the rest of the oil mixture from the mushrooms over the potatoes. This was the most flavorful, moist chicken we ever had. You can even throw it together the night before and plop it in the oven in the afternoon. Alyssa ended up not eating here last night. When she got home I started to tell her about it being that we watch the show together and she said PJ already told her how good it was. Now how's that for a compliment. Oh, I also used a 7.5 lb oven stuffer roaster, not a 3 lb one mentioned. I cooked it according to the chicken package time.

Marinated Portobello Stuffed Whole Chicken with Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Red Onion

Recipe courtesy Tom Pizzica

Serves:

4 servings

Ingredients

• 1 (3-pound) whole fryer chicken
• 8 slices Marinated Portobello mushrooms (4 whole portobellos), recipe follows
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• Dash smoked paprika
• 2 large sweet potatoes, peeled and quartered
• 1 medium red onion, cut into 8 wedges (from root to tip)
• Olive oil, for drizzling

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Start at the cavity end of the chicken and work your finger underneath the skin. Using 2 fingers, gently separate the skin from the entire breast and then work your way to the thighs and legs.

Cook's Note: There is a little piece of skin underneath the main skin that separates the thigh meat from the breast meat, just break through this part and don't be afraid of tearing the main skin because you won't.

Take the portobello mushroom slices and lay them flat underneath the skin over the breast and thighs. Do this until all the slices of mushrooms are underneath the skin. Season the chicken with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Place the chicken in a roasting pan.

Place the sweet potatoes and red onion in a bowl. Coat lightly with olive oil, salt, and pepper, and toss. Place the potatoes and onions around the chicken and cook for about 1 hour, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, not touching the bone, reads 165 degrees F. When the chicken is done, remove it from the oven and let it rest for at least 10 minutes.

Slice and enjoy!

Marinated Portobello Mushrooms:

• 8 portobello mushroom caps
• 1 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 large shallot, minced
• Zest and juice of 2 lemons
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano
• 1/2 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 teaspoons kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Brush the mushrooms carefully with a paper towel to get rid of the excess dirt. Using a spoon, carefully scrape out the gills from the underside of the portobello cap.

Slice the mushroom in half along the perimeter (like you are butterflying it) so you have 2 thin rounds, and then place them in a large bowl.

In a saute pan add the oil and place over medium heat. When the oil is shimmering, add the garlic and the shallot and cook for no more than 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the lemon zest, lemon juice, oregano, thyme, honey, salt, and pepper and whisk vigorously.

Pour the mixture over the mushrooms and with your hands toss gently to coat, making sure there is even coverage.

Let the mushrooms stand at room temperature for at least 45 minutes.

BOMBAY SLOPPY JOE'S

Photo from Food Network

Alyssa and I saw this recipe on Aarti's Party on the Food Network. It is served with the Kale Salad (listed under SALAD to the right) and Creamy Pistachio Pops (which will be on here w/i the next week).
This recipe got RAVING reviews in the comment section of the recipe so we just had to try it. It was actually easy but I would suggest reading through the recipe first, then doing ALL of the prep work and then starting the dish. There were times that I actually turned the stove off so I could prep more ingredients. It's not hard at all though!
Let me say... this recipe was delicious. It was my introduction into Indian Cooking. The next time I make it I will double the recipe or maybe triple it! Alyssa even said that if there were any leftovers she'd like to try it mixed with a salad, kind of like a taco salad!

Sloppy Bombay Joes

Recipe courtesy Aarti Sequeira 2010

Prep Time:

35 min

Inactive Prep Time:

--

Cook Time:

1 hr 0 min

Level:

Easy

Serves:

4 to 6 servings

Ingredients

Sauce:

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 serrano chile, seeded and finely minced (save the other half for the turkey)
• 1 teaspoon garam masala
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1 (15-ounce) can tomato sauce
• 1 cup water

Turkey:

• 3 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
• Small handful shelled pistachios, about 1/4 cup
• Small handful raisins, about 1/4 cup
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 large white onion, finely diced
• 1 red bell pepper, seeds and membrane removed, finely diced
• 1/2 serrano chile, seeds intact (don't chop it up unless you like things spicy!)
• Kosher salt
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 1/2 teaspoon honey
• 1/4 cup half-and-half
• Small handful chopped fresh cilantro (soft stems included)
• 4 to 6 hamburger buns

Directions

Begin by making the sauce: Warm the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, until it shimmers. Add the ginger, garlic and serrano pepper. Saute until the ginger and garlic brown a little. Add the garam masala and paprika and saute for 30 seconds. Stir in the tomato sauce and water. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until thickened, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile for the turkey, in large skillet, warm 2 tablespoons of oil. When shimmering, add the pistachios and raisins. Cook until the raisins swell up and the pistachios toast slightly. Remove from the pan and set aside.

Return the pan to medium heat, add 1 to 2 more tablespoons of oil, and warm until shimmering. Add the cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle for about 10 seconds, or until some of the sizzling subsides. Stir in the onions and bell pepper; saute until softened and starting to brown. Add the serrano pepper. Saute for another couple of minutes, seasoning with a little salt. Stir in the turkey, breaking up the big lumps. Cook until opaque, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, your sauce should be ready. Pour the sauce into the skillet with the turkey. Stir and bring to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer until the mixture has thickened slightly, about 10 minutes.

Once the turkey is cooked and the sauce has thickened a little, remove the serrano pepper (unless you want to eat it whole, like my Dad does!). Add the honey, half-and-half, pistachios and raisins. Stir through and taste for seasoning. Before serving, garnish with fresh cilantro.

Toast the buns, fill with the turkey mixture and serve. Eat (with your hands!) and enjoy!

Five-Spice Tilapia

This was such an easy recipe and is packed with flavor!

Five-Spice Tilapia
From Eating Well

1 pound Tilapia fillets
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder, or enough to cover fish
1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon canola oil
3 scallions, thinly sliced

Sprinkle both sides of Tilapia fillets with five-spice powder. Combine soy sauce and brown sugar in a small bowl.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the Tilapia and cook until the outer edges are opaque, about 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium, turn the fish over, stir the soy sauce mixture and pour over the fish and into the pan. Bring the sauce to a boil and cook until the fish is cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly (make sure to not caramelize sugar), about 2 minutes more. Add the scallions and remove from the heat.

Serve the fish drizzled with the pan sauce.

Last night we had a delicious, healthy dinner. I made 2 recipes that were from an episode of Party Line With the Hardy Boys on the Food Network. I cooked the chicken on the charcoal grill
which added a bit of a smokey flavor. I also grilled some Portobello Mushrooms and Zucchini. YUM!

Yogurt Grilled Chicken Breast with Pineapple Roasted Red Pepper Salsa

Recipe courtesy Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh

Serves:

6 servings

Ingredients

• 1 cup yogurt
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 garlic cloves, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 lemon, zested
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 6 (6-ounce) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• Lemon slices, for garnish
• Roasted Red Pepper Pineapple Salsa, recipe follows

Directions

Mix the yogurt, olive oil, garlic, basil, oregano, lemon zest, salt and hot sauce together in a large bowl. Add the chicken and toss well to coat. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Preheat a cast iron grill pan over high heat for 4 to 5 minutes or preheat an outdoor grill. Place the chicken on the grill and cook for 4 minutes per side, until the chicken is firm to the touch.

Platter and garnish with lemon slices. Serve warm or at room temperature with salsa on the side.

Pineapple Roasted Red Pepper Salsa:

• 1 (20-ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
• 1 jarred roasted red pepper, cut into small dice
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley leaves
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• Pinch salt

Place all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl and mix well. Place in a decorative bowl and serve.

Lemon Basil Pasta Salad

Recipe courtesy Dan Smith and Steve McDonagh

Serves:

6 to 8 servings

Ingredients

• 1 pound farfalle pasta
• 4 plum tomatoes, cut into 1 inch dice
• 8 basil leaves, cut into chiffonade
• 1 lemon, juiced
• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3 teaspoons salt
• Fresh basil leaves, for garnish

Directions

Fill a large pot 3/4 of the way with water and place over high heat. Add plenty of salt and bring to a boil. Add the pasta and cook 8 to 10 minutes, until al dente. Drain the pasta and rinse under cold water to cool down.

Put the pasta in a large serving bowl and add the tomatoes, basil, lemon juice, olive oil and salt. Toss well and garnish with fresh basil leaves.

SZECHUAN CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS

Alyssa and I had this for lunch today and LOVED it!. I actually threw it together on Sunday so today was easy. The first time I made it I thought it was way too hot. This time I didn't use the szechuan sauce and just added about 1/4 cup of a low salt Chinese stir fry sauce that I had in the fridge. I'm always substituting! I also used leftover chicken so I just diced the chicken and added it to the veggies and spices. That made it real easy. So today, I just heated up some and then we rolled it in lettuce leaves like egg rolls. It was so good and also healthy.

Spicy Szechuan Chicken Lettuce Wraps
Recipe courtesy Aaron McCargo Jr.
Level:
Easy
Yield:
6 servings

Ingredients
3 boneless skinless chicken breasts
1/4 cup shredded daikon radish
2 carrots, shredded
1/4 cup bean sprouts
3 stalks (1/2 cup) scallions
1/4 cup Szechuan sauce
1 tablespoon Chinese five-spice powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil, for frying
2 tablespoons butter
1 lemon, juiced
1 head Bibb lettuce leaves

Directions
Split boneless chicken in half. If too thick, pound out to make thinner.
In a medium bowl, mix together radish, carrots, bean sprouts, and scallions. Add Szechuan sauce.
In a small bowl, mix together five-spice, cayenne, salt and pepper. Season chicken breasts lightly with rub. Cut the chicken into strips.
In a large skillet over high heat, add the grapeseed oil. Once hot, sear the chicken breasts for 4 minutes on each side. Add butter and lemon to pan and baste the chicken for another minute. Remove chicken to a platter to let cool. Once cooled, dice or shred the chicken.
Place a spoonful of the vegetable mixture and the shredded chicken onto each leaf of lettuce. Roll and serve.

WHO DAT~ POBOY!

In honor of The New Orlean's Saints playing in last night's SuperBowl, we decided to support them by having Shrimp PoBoys for dinner. They were delicious! Alyssa even commented that "these taste better than the ones we had in New Orlean's"! I don't know about that but hey, i'll take the compliment! The recipe is from Tyler Florence. It calls for Shrimp AND oysters but we passed on the oysters. We also had the Sweet Potato Matchsticks on the side. That recipe is also below. I did all of the prep work before the game. At 1/2 time, I made the shrimp and matchsticks.

Shrimp and Oyster Po' Boys
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence
Show: Tyler's UltimateEpisode: Ultimate Po Boys
Rated: 5 stars out of 5

Yield:
4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
24 medium-sized oysters, shucked
1 1/2 pounds medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
2 cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons hot sauce, plus more for sandwich
2 cups fine ground cornmeal
1 1/2 tablespoons onion powder
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons smoked paprika
Pinch cayenne
Peanut oil, for deep-frying
Kosher salt
2 soft sub or hoagie rolls
Creole Mayonnaise, recipe follows
Finely shredded iceberg lettuce
Tomato slices
Lemon wedges

Directions
In a large bowl, soak the oysters and shrimp in a mixture of buttermilk and hot sauce for 20 to 30 minutes. In a shallow dish, whisk, together the cornmeal, onion powder, garlic powder, paprika and cayenne.
In a deep-fryer or heavy-bottomed pot, heat enough oil to come halfway up the sides of the pot, to 375 degrees F.
Drain the oysters and shrimp and toss them in the seasoned cornmeal. Working in batches, fry the oysters and shrimp until golden and crispy, about 3 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Season with salt, to taste.
Split the rolls and smear with Creole mayonnaise. Line with plenty of shredded lettuce and tomato slices. Top with fried oysters and shrimp. Cut each roll into 2 to 3 pieces. Serve with hot sauce and a wedge of lemon.

Creole Mayonnaise (Remoulade): (I cut in half which was still too much!)
2 cups mayonnaise
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup roughly chopped cornichons
1 tablespoon creole mustard
2 tablespoons Louisiana hot sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 lemon, juiced
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Combine all the ingredients well in a large mixing bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
Yield: about 3 cups

Sweet Potato Matchsticks
Recipe courtesy Tyler Florence
Show: Tyler's UltimateEpisode: Ultimate Po Boys
Rated: 5 stars out of 5Rate itRead users' reviews (2)
RECIPE
COMMENTS & REVIEWS(2)
Cook Time:
15 min
Level:
Easy
Yield:
4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
Peanut or vegetable oil, for deep-frying
3 to 4 sprigs rosemary
3 to 4 sprigs fresh sage
6 sprigs fresh thyme
4 to 6 cloves garlic, separated but unpeeled
2 to 3 large sweet potatoes
Cajun Seasoning, recipe follows

Directions
Begin by putting the oil, herbs and garlic in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium heat. Bring the oil up to 365 degrees F, then remove the herbs and garlic with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. They should be nice and crackly at this stage. Reserve for garnish.
Using a mandoline, cut the sweet potatoes into matchsticks. Put in a large bowl of ice water to remove any starch. Soak for a few minutes and rinse with fresh cold water until it runs clear. Drain the matchsticks and pat dry in a kitchen towel, to remove as much water as possible. Fry in 365 degree F oil, in small batches, until crispy and golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to paper cones, resting in cups, and season with Cajun spice mix. Peel the garlic cloves and sprinkle over the matchsticks along with the fried herbs before serving.
Cajun Seasoning:
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
Pinch cayenne
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl.