Open Face Crab Burgers & Red Pepper Dressing

The end of LOST last week unfortunately also spells the end to hosting my regular Tuesday night viewing and food parties.  It’s been a great way for me to keep the new recipes coming through the kitchen during the work week, and a chance to share the finished meals with people other than only MG.  Not that MG would ever complain about being the sole recipient of my food, but it’s nice to get a little buzz going outside of the boyfriend realm.

(If you are one of those people who is planning to start watching LOST on DVD now that its full run is complete, do NOT read the next paragraph.  Just hop over it.)

Unlike many of the LOSTies out there, I had no problem with the show’s ultimately unanswered questions and unresolved issues.  The final episode was wholly satisfying and gave me a genuine feeling of closure.  It was worth the six seasons of commitment, so please feel free to not leave comments asking how Libby ended up in Hurley’s mental hospital, what Walt’s powers were, and how the smoke monster couldn’t leave the island and yet characters saw visions of their dead loved ones in the “real world.”  I have no interest in defending how I feel about the show or allowing someone to try and argue me out of it, and seeing that it’s still a pretty touchy subject with many fans, that’s probably the smartest road to take anyway.


The best part of the show for me was spending time with my mini-community of LOST buddies… eating, drinking, exchanging past story details that might have been forgotten and executing a communal gasp at a particularly mind-fucking cliffhanger.

Even more fun than that was grabbing MG by the shirt collars at an act break, throwing him around the couch and shrieking, “HOLY SHIT! WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON??????” What, I’m suppose to do that with Glee now? I don’t think it’s going to work.

The final LOST dinner party at my place was for the penultimate episode.  LOSTies and co-workers Travis, Laura and Ashley joined me and MG for a night of smoke monsters, frozen time-altering wheels, and open-faced crab burgers with homemade red pepper sauce followed by angel food cake topped with strawberry sauce and whipped cream, which in turn was followed by (in MG’s case only) a bowl of rocky road ice cream.  Recipes and MG’s “this little piggy can’t be stopped” photo are after the jump.

Open-Face Crab Burgers with Red Pepper Dressing from Epicurious

Dressing
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 green onions, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons minced drained roasted red pepper from jar
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 tablespoon hot chili sauce
1/4 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel

Crab burgers
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 large egg
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon ketchup
1 teaspoon finely grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon hot chili sauce
1/2 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
2 tablespoons minced drained roasted red pepper from jar
1 green onion, thinly sliced
1 pound fresh lump crabmeat, picked over
1 3/4 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs) divided
3 3-to 4-inch ciabatta rolls, halved horizontally
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter plus more for rolls
2 tablespoons grapeseed oil or vegetable oil
6 crisp heart of romaine lettuce leaves, trimmed to 6-inch length

For dressing: Mix all ingredients in small bowl. Season dressing with salt and pepper.

For crab burgers: Whisk first 7 ingredients in large bowl. Mix in red pepper and green onion. Gently mix in crab and 3/4 cup panko. Sprinkle 1 cup panko on rimmed baking sheet. Using 1/4 cupful for each burger, shape crab mixture into twelve 3-inch patties. Press into crumbs on sheet to coat both sides; keep crab burgers on sheet. Cover with plastic wrap. Chill at least 1 hour.

Preheat broiler. Spread cut sides of rolls with butter. Broil rolls, buttered side up, until golden, about 2 minutes; cover.

Melt 2 tablespoons butter with oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, add burgers to skillet. Sauté until brown, about 5 minutes per side.
Arrange 1 roll half, cut side up, on each plate. Top each with lettuce leaf, then 2 crab burgers. Spoon dressing over.

Ashley getting the first plate.

Laura snags the mosty comfy seat in the house.

Though the cake and the face may appear as angelic, do not be fooled

No, dinner and this was not enough for MG.

Travis understands more about the glowing cave of eternal life than you do.

Oinky Oinky

Tags: ciabatta, crab, crab cakes, LOST, onion, panko