Description
These Crab Beignets with Remoulade Dipping Sauce offer a crispy, flavorful Cajun-inspired appetizer. Light, fluffy deep-fried beignets filled with succulent lump crab meat are complemented perfectly by a tangy, creamy remoulade sauce for an irresistible seafood treat.
Ingredients
Scale
For the Crab Beignets
- 1 cup lump crab meat (picked over for shells)
- ½ cup all-purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- ¼ teaspoon paprika
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons green onions (finely chopped)
- 1 tablespoon fresh parsley (chopped)
- 1 large egg
- â…“ cup whole milk
- Vegetable oil for frying
For the Remoulade Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon finely chopped pickles or relish
- ½ teaspoon paprika
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prepare the batter: In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, garlic powder, and salt. Add the finely chopped green onions and fresh parsley to the dry mixture.
- Combine wet ingredients: In a separate bowl, beat the egg with the whole milk until well incorporated.
- Mix wet and dry ingredients: Stir the beaten egg and milk mixture into the dry ingredients just until combined to avoid overmixing.
- Fold in crab meat: Gently fold the lump crab meat into the batter, taking care not to break up the crab chunks to keep them tender and chunky.
- Heat oil: Pour about 2 inches of vegetable oil into a deep skillet or pot and heat it to 350°F (175°C), ensuring the temperature is consistent for even frying.
- Fry the beignets: Drop the batter by heaping tablespoons into the hot oil in batches. Fry, turning occasionally, until the beignets are golden brown and cooked through, about 3 to 4 minutes per batch.
- Drain excess oil: Use a slotted spoon to remove the crab beignets from the oil and place them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain excess oil.
- Make the remoulade sauce: In a small bowl, stir together mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, prepared horseradish, ketchup, hot sauce, lemon juice, minced garlic, chopped pickles or relish, paprika, and salt and pepper until well blended. Chill the sauce until ready to serve.
- Serve: Serve the warm crab beignets immediately with the chilled remoulade dipping sauce on the side for a perfect balance of crispy and creamy flavors.
Notes
- Serve these beignets hot and freshly fried for the best texture and flavor.
- You can prepare the batter up to 1 hour ahead and keep it refrigerated until frying.
- For an extra Cajun kick, add a splash of Old Bay seasoning to the batter mixture.
- Use a thermometer to maintain oil temperature for consistent frying results and to avoid greasy beignets.
- Be careful when folding in the crab meat to keep delicate lumps intact.
