Blog reader Bonnie Rabert wrote to thank me for posting a steady stream of recipes during the recent lockdown.  They inspired her to sort through the favorites she compiled during career as a food stylist in Chicago.  I asked if she would send me a few to share with my readers, and she did.

Among Bonnie’s “rediscovered” recipes was one that teased my memory.  It was a Crab Cakes with Jalapeño Crema from chef Jackie Shen, a name from the past that I couldn’t quite place. Thanks to Google, I did not have to agonize very long.

Jackie Shen came to the States from Hong Kong to study at the age of eighteen and rose to celebrity status on the Chicago food scene in the 90’s.  Her namesake restaurant in Lincoln Park introduced the city to French/Asian fusion cuisine.  Her best known creation, however, was a dessert, the chocolate bag, made by painting the inside of a popcorn bag with dark chocolate.  The bag was filled with white chocolate mousse and garnished with fresh berries.  When asked, Jackie claimed the idea came to her after watching a Julia Child program.

Jackie’s crab cakes and their crema turned out to be as delicious a combination as I’d hoped.  I used half lump crabmeat and half backfin to keep costs down.  The results were just as successful when I substituted a pound of canned wild salmon for crab My modifications to the recipe were minor.  I dissolved the dry mustard in a tablespoon of water before adding it to allow its flavor to develop.  I also replaced breadcrumbs with Panko.  By the way, the jalapeño crema makes an excellent base for salad dressing and a condiment spread on sandwiches.  That is, if there is any left over.

In 2012 Jackie ‘retired’ to New Buffalo, MI where she has opened Jackie’s Cafe for breakfast and lunch.  Thanks to Bonnie, I’ve rediscovered Jackie and am curious to know how her new career running a place where the locals can gather.  She’s one of those remarkable cooks whose cuisine makes you want to move next door.   Anyone up for a field trip to New Buffalo? 

CHEF JACKIE SHEN'S CRAB CAKES

2 eggs, beaten

¾ cup mayonnaise

½ teaspoon finely chopped garlic

½ teaspoon dry mustard

½ teaspoon cayenne

1 pound lump crabmeat, drained, sprinkled with lemon juice and broken into small pieces

¼ cup finely diced red pepper

¼ cup finely diced yellow pepper

2 green onions, white and light green, finely chopped

¾ to 1 cup dry bread crumbs 

Mix eggs and mayonnaise together in a bowl; add garlic, mustard and cayenne.  Add crabmeat, peppers and green onion.  Add ¾ cup dry bread crumbs to crab mixture.  If too moist, add more bread crumbs. Use a #40 scoop to portion mixture into a ring to shape.  Cover and refrigerate.  To cook, brown in a little olive oil over medium heat, turning to brown on both sides.  Finish in a 350 degree oven for 5 to 10 minutes.  Makes 12. 

Source: Chef Jackie Shen. First prepared in 1996

JALAPENO CREMA

1 small clove garlic, peeled, halved and any core removed

1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded, coarsely chopped

¼ cup fresh parsley leaves

½ cup fresh cilantro leaves

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons white vinegar

½ teaspoon salt

¼ cup sour cream

2 tablespoons mayonnaise 

In a blender, with motor running, drop garlic through opening in lid to chop finely. Repeat with the jalapeno.  Add parsley, cilantro, oil, vinegar and salt.  Cover and blend until smooth. In a bowl, combine sour cream and mayonnaise.  Whisk in jalapeno mixture until fully incorporated. Cover and chill to blend flavors. Makes 1 cup.

One of my favorite vegetable families is invisible to anyone taking a casual stroll in the garden.  Members grow enlarged, underground roots that gather a wealth of nutrients from the soil and turn amazing colors.  I eagerly reach for maroon carrots, yellow beets and purple potatoes when they appear in the market.  My most recent fetish has been for the little round ball the size of a shooter marble dressed in Easter egg colors.  The radish bears the Greek name for the entire family, radix.

Radishes are a nutritional powerhouse largely overlooked in American cooking.  Red radishes appear in a crudités basket at the cocktail hour where their signature hot, mustard flavor and crunchy texture provide a refreshing break between sips.   Even in an unpretentious role as a canapé, its black cousin  can inspire awe when served on a thickly buttered slice of country bread with a sprinkle of truffle salt.  But I digress.

Meanwhile above ground, radish greens offer a rich array of antioxidants as well as Vitamin C and Calcium.  Rather than throw them out, the French turn this humble green into substantial soup enriched with chicken stock, potatoes and cream.  In summer I prefer to cultivate the mild mustard taste of radish greens wilted with sauteed red onion and green pepper from the garden.

A  recipe for stewed radishes as a stand-alone vegetable is a rare find, but Jacques Pepin offers a quick technique that preserves the radish’s agreeable crunch and color while it reduces its heat.  This recipe takes less than five minutes cook, and combines steaming with stewing to produce a perfect al dente texture.

Not every bunch of supermarket bunch of radishes meets the freshness test for this recipe.  They may be a produce staple, but they are surprisingly sensitive to handling.  Avoid roots that have developed cracks and greens that show signs of wilting. Separate roots from greens once you get them home.  The greens in particular require rinsing in several changes of cold water to remove dirt or grit hiding among the stems.  I spin and towel them dry and prepare them in the next two days before the leaves lose their bright, green color and firmness.

Stewed 'Easter Egg' radishes (or red ones) and their greens make an attractive and unexpected side dish with grilled meat or fish.  In my next blog, this radish stew will garnish Crab Cakes served with a Jalapeño Cream Sauce.  Stay tuned.

STEWED ‘EASTER EGG’ RADISHES WITH POACHED EGGS

Ingredients for 4 servings:

2 bunches ‘Easter Egg’ or Red radishes
1 tablespoon walnut, other nut oil or olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
1 tablespoon water
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/3 cup diced red onion
1/3 cup diced green pepper
Greens from 2 bunches radishes, cut into 1” long strips
2 tablespoon vegetable broth or water
Salt and ground pepper, to taste
8 large eggs
Smoked Spanish paprika (optional)

Radishes:  Trim off stem ends and tails from the radishes and slice slice them 3/4” thick.  Bring oil, butter and water to a simmer with salt in a large skillet.  Stir in the radish slices, cover the pan and cook for 2 minutes.  Uncover and continue cooking until the moisture has evaporated, another 3 minutes or so.  The radishes should be just tender.  Use a flat sieve to remove the radishes into a bowl and set aside.

Greens:  Melt the remaining tablespoon of butter in the skillet.  Sauté the onion and pepper pieces over medium heat until the onions soften.  Add in the radish green slices, broth or water and cover the pan for 2-3 minutes to wilt them.  Uncover the skillet and stir in the sliced radishes.  Cook another minute to evaporate any remaining liquid.  Season with salt and pepper.  Distribute the radishes on 4 plates.

Eggs:  While radishes are cooking, bring a quart of water to a boil.  Rinse out the skillet and pour in enough water to come 2” up the side of the pan.   Break each egg into a small strainer over a bowl and let the loose albumen drain out.  Turn out each strained egg into the simmering water, and cook until the egg yolks are just set, about 3 minutes.  Lift out each egg with the flat sieve, and distribute two to a plate on the radishes.  Season with salt, pepper and optional paprika.  Serve immediately with sliced baguette or English muffins.