Louisiana Crawfish Cake With Buttered Popcorn Purée, Green Tomato Jam

Chef Anthony Spizale, Rib Room at the Royal Orleans/Chef George Long

Silver medal winning recipe at the 2010 New Orleans Wine and Food Experience culinary competition.
Cook/Prep Time: 3 HoursServings: 1 to 2

Ingredients

Crawfish Cakes

1 lb. Jumbo Lump Crabmeat
10 ea. Crawfish tails
4 tsp. Fresh Parsley, chopped
4 tsp. Fresh Tarragon, chopped
4 tsp. Fresh Cut Chives
½ cup Shallots small diced
½ tsp. Chopped garlic
16 oz. Whipping Cream
2 cup Fine Bread Crumbs
Fresh Black pepper and salt to taste

Buttered Popcorn Purée

½ cup 2% milk
½ heavy whipping cream
1/3 cup popcorn kernels
4 oz parmesan rind
1 # un-salted butter
1 1/2 tsp salt

Green Tomato Jam

6 large Green Tomatoes (peeled and de-seeded)
1 each Shallot (sliced thin)
1 Jalapeno Pepper (small diced)
2 oz Garlic (chopped)
1 oz Olive Oil
6 oz cane Vinegar
2 oz Cinnamon
½ box light brown sugar
1 tbsp. Cayenne pepper
6 oz Honey

Directions

Crawfish Cakes

Place Shrimp in food processor and process on high speed for 1 minute, slowly and whipping cream.
Remove Shrimp Mouseline from processor and place in a stainless mixing bowl. Add Crawfish and Fresh Herbs shallots and garlic, season with salt and pepper and toss lightly together till well mixed. Add some fine Bread Crumbs and mix again lightly. Patty the crawfish cake in 5 oz. portions and place in refrigerator to chill for 2 hours.
Remove and dredge each one lightly on both sides with the remaining bread crumbs.
In a silver stone pan place 4 oz clarified butter and heat over medium high heat, sauté crab cakes till golden brown on one side turn and place pan in 350 degree oven for 5 minutes.

Buttered Popcorn Purée

Use the kernels to make popcorn, and discard any kernels that do not pop. Bring milk, cream, and parmesan rind to a simmer over medium heat.  Remove from heat, stir in popcorn, cover, and let sit for 20 minutes.
Remove rind, puree popcorn using blender, strain back into saucepan, and return heat to medium.  When hot, add butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking constantly, until thick. Add salt to taste.

Green Tomato Jam

Sweat shallots, jalapeno and garlic in olive oil. Add vinegar and cinnamon and reduce by 2/3rd. Add chopped tomato brown sugar, and cayenne. Bring to a rapid simmer.
Reduce heat and continue to simmer for about one hour until desired consistency is achieved. Finish with honey.

Chef's Note: To serve with add a 2 oz ladle of the popcorn purée in the center of a warm plate. Place the crawfish cake in the middle of the sauce, make a small quenelle of the tomato jam place on the crawfish cake. Garnish with popcorn shoots and flowers. 

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