Taste the Keys

Low Carb Key West Crab Cakes with Mustard Sauce
1 pound blue crabmeat
1 tablespoon small diced red bell pepper
1 tablespoon small diced green bell pepper
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 tablespoon heavy mayonnaise
2 eggs
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons Maryland-style crab seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
2 tablespoons canola oil
Mustard Sauce, recipe follows

In a large bowl, mix all ingredients, except oil and Mustard Sauce until blended. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. With a tablespoon, carefully spoon poker-chip size mini-cakes into the pan. (The batter will be very loose since there are no bread crumbs, but once the egg in the mix starts to cook they will hold together fine.) Cook on 1 side until firm, about 2 minutes, and then flip and cook for about 1 more minute. Cook in batches as necessary. Serve hot with mustard sauce.

Mustard Sauce:
1/4 cup heavy mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Yield: 3/4 cup

Key West Grilled Salmon
1/3 cup lime juice (about 2 limes)
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Few drops hot pepper sauce
4 salmon steaks (1 1/2 pounds total), each 3/4-inch thick
1/4 cup chopped green onion
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon water
1/4 teaspoon honey

Combine lime juice, oil, salt, celery seeds, black pepper and hot-pepper sauce in a small bowl. Place salmon in a shallow dish. Pour 1/4 cup lime juice mixture over fish; turn to coat. Refrigerate 10 minutes, turning once. Reserve remaining mixture for sauce.
Prepare a charcoal grill with hot coals, or heat a gas grill to high, or heat broiler. Position the grill rack 6 inches from coals or broiler pan 3 inches from heat.

Stir green onion, lemon juice, water and honey into reserved lime juice mixture.

Grease grill rack or rack of a shallow roasting pan. Place salmon on rack. Drizzle with half of lime juice mixture from marinade dish. Grill over hot coals on covered grill 2 minutes per side or until cooked through, or broil 4 minutes per side. Serve salmon with green onion sauce.

Key West Broiled Scallops with Spamrizo and Poke Salet Greens
1 can french-fried onion rings
4 ounces grated Gruyere
12 (4-inch) scallop shells
3 tablespoons butter
36 bay scallops
1 can Poke Salet Greens*, drained and heated or substitute canned spinach or collard greens
12 ounces spamrizo, recipe follows
*available in some markets

Preheat the broiler.
Add the onion rings and grated cheese to a food processor, and pulse until it forms a crumbly mixture. Set aside.

Clean the scallop shells, and spray them with non-stick cooking spray.

Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the butter, and let melt. Add the scallops, and saute until golden brown on 1 side, about 2 to 3 minutes. Flip the scallops with tongs or a fish spatula, and sear the other side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove pan from the heat and keep scallops warm.

Spoon enough heated Poke Salet greens into each shell to make a 1/8-inch high layer on the bottom of each shell.

Add approximately 2 tablespoons of heated spamrizo on top of the greens.

Place 3 scallops on top of the meat in each shell, and top with about 2 tablespoons of the onion/cheese mixture.

Place the shells under the broiler until the cheese mixture turns golden brown, about 2 minutes. Serve the shells hot on a bed of rock salt.

Spamrizo:
1 can SPAM(r)
2 to 3 small links cooked chorizo, or more to taste

In a meat grinder, process SPAM(r) and chorizo until just blended. Do not over-mix the meat.
A viewer, who may not be a professional cook, provided this recipe. The FN chefs have not tested this recipe and therefore, we cannot make representation as to the results.

Sauteed Shrimp with Lime and Ginger Chutney

Yield: 4 Servings

12 Large pink shrimp, peeled and de-veined

1 TB olive oil

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Lime and Ginger Chutney

For the shrimp

1. Heat the oil in a medium saute pan and saute the shrimp for 3-4 minutes over medium-high heat, or until they are pink. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Divide the shrimp among 4 plates and serve the Lime and Ginger Chutney as an accompaniment.

Lime and Ginger Chutney

1 Tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped

1 small jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped

1 medium papaya, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes

1 medium mango, peeled and diced into 1/2-inch cubes

1 small grapefruit, peeled and segmented

1 small red onion, finely chopped

1 TB cilantro, finely chopped

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Salt and pepper to taste

For the Lime and Ginger Chutney

1. Combine all the ingredients for the chutney and reserve in the refrigerator for at least one hour in advance, to allow the flavors to infuse.