Crabmeat Croquettes
By Frank Davis

Man, do I ever love these! You take flavored  rice, fold in crab claw meat, roll it into oval croquettes, coat each one with seasoned breading, and deep fry them until they’re crunchy and crispy!  This is one of those flavors that you just can’t get in any other state but Louisiana! Now go get some crabmeat!

Frank’s Cajun Crabmeat Croquettes

3 cups light chicken broth
2 cups long-grain rice
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/4 pound Crimini mushrooms, chopped
1/2 medium onion, finely diced
1 rib celery, finely diced
1/2 small bell pepper, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
4 teaspoons parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Frank Davis Seafood Seasoning (or comparable brand)
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
1 pound fresh Louisiana crab claw meat
3 cups all purpose flour, seasoned with
6 whole eggs
1 cup whole milk
3 cups seasoned bread crumbs (coarse grind)
4 cups peanut oil for frying

In a heavy stock pot or dutch oven, bring the broth to a boil, stir in the rice, and cook it until it is tender but still firm (about 12 to 14 minutes). When it’s ready, pour it into a colander to thoroughly drain (but do not rinse it!).

Then heat a heavy 12-inch skillet, drop in the butter, and sauté the mushrooms, onions, celery, bell pepper, and garlic until they brown slightly.  Now put the rice back into the pot you boiled it in and thoroughly fold in the sautéed seasonings, along with the salt, black pepper, green onions, parsley, seafood seasoning, Parmesan cheese, and crabmeat. To avoid breaking up the crabmeat, add it to the rice mixture after the other seasonings have been folded in. By the way, I suggest you mix the ingredients into the rice while the rice is still hot.

At this point, transfer the rice mixture to a cookie sheet so that it can cool (if you leave it in the pot it continues to cook and turns mushy—you don’t want that to happen).

When it’s cool enough to the touch, transfer the mix to a large bowl and stir in 3 well-beaten eggs.  The eggs are what bind the rice grains together to actually form the "croquette."

Next, put the seasoned flour into a large bowl, whip together the whole milk and the remaining 3 eggs to make a “wash,” and place the bread crumbs into another large bowl.  This is also the time when you should heat up your peanut oil in a deep-sided frypan to 375°F.

When you’re ready to cook, use your hands and form the mixture into small croquettes (about the size of small lemons). Then with a slight amount of pressure, flatten them out so that they are oval shaped.  Immediately dust each croquette in the flour, dip it into the egg wash, roll it in the bread crumbs, and gently drop it into the hot oil. Fried at the right temperature on both sides, it should take no longer than 2 to 3 minutes for each croquette to turn crispy, crunchy, and golden brown. When they come out of the oil, drain them on several thicknesses of absorbent paper towels.

These croquettes are best when served right away, piping hot, alongside a plate of your favorite butter-sautéed vegetables.