Bayou Seafood Hors D’oeuvres Recipe
🕒 Total Time: 35 minutes
🥢 Servings: 12 hors d’oeuvres
Description:
Indulge in the flavors of the Bayou with these delectable seafood hors d’oeuvres. Perfect for parties or gatherings, these crispy bites are sure to be a hit among your guests. Bursting with crab goodness and a hint of spices, they’re quick to prepare and even quicker to disappear!
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 cups crab meat
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup bread crumbs
- 2 tablespoons dried parsley flakes
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 red pepper (optional, for added heat)
- Oil for frying
Instructions:
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Rehydrate Onion: In a medium bowl, mix chopped onion and water. Allow it to stand for about 10 minutes to rehydrate the onion, infusing it with moisture and flavor.
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Combine Ingredients: To the rehydrated onions, add crab meat, eggs, bread crumbs, parsley flakes, dry mustard, black pepper, and optionally, diced red pepper for extra heat. Mix the ingredients thoroughly until well combined, ensuring the flavors meld together harmoniously.
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Shape into Balls: Take the mixture and shape it into 1-inch balls, making approximately 4 dozen in total. Rolling them evenly ensures they cook uniformly and attain a golden crispiness on the outside.
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Heat Oil: In a pan, heat about 2 inches of oil to 375°F (190°C). It’s essential to maintain the right temperature for frying, ensuring the hors d’oeuvres cook evenly and develop a crispy exterior without becoming greasy.
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Fry the Balls: Carefully place a few balls at a time into the hot oil, ensuring not to overcrowd the pan. Fry them until they turn a beautiful golden brown, which typically takes about 1 minute per batch. The aroma of the seafood mingling with the spices will tantalize your senses!
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Drain and Serve: Using a slotted spoon, remove the fried balls from the oil and transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels. This helps drain excess oil, leaving behind perfectly crispy hors d’oeuvres ready to be enjoyed.
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Enjoy: Serve the Bayou Seafood Hors D’oeuvres immediately while they’re still hot and crispy. Alternatively, you can keep them warm in a single layer on a shallow baking pan, covered with foil, in a preheated 250°F (120°C) oven for up to 30 minutes. This ensures they remain irresistibly delicious for your guests to enjoy at their leisure.
These Bayou Seafood Hors D’oeuvres are a delightful fusion of flavors, perfect for any occasion where you want to impress with a taste of the Louisiana bayou. With their crunchy exterior and succulent crab filling, they’re bound to disappear from the serving platter in no time!
