Yield: 5-8 Servings

Ingredients:

Michael Whisenhunt, Sous Chef, Barking Frog

Crab mixture:

• 1 pound Dungeness crabmeat
• 1 Tablespoon mayonnaise
• 2 Tablespoons fresh chives, finely chopped
• ½ teaspoon white pepper, freshly ground
• 1 teaspoon salt

Beignet batter:

• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 Tablespoon baking soda
• 1 Tablespoon sugar
• 1 Tablespoon salt
• 2 liters sparkling mineral water, to thin batter
• Canola oil, for frying

Method:
For crab mixture:
Gently mix all ingredients in large bowl, being careful not to break up the lumps of crabmeat. Shape into ¾ ounce balls, place on a sheet pan and freeze until firm.

For beignets:
Whisk dry ingredients together in a medium bowl. Slowly whisk in 1 liter of sparkling water. Gradually add more sparkling water to thin batter to the right consistency, similar to pancake batter. (You can always add more water but you cannot take it back.)

Heat canola oil in deep fryer (or in a large pot filled halfway). The temperature of the oil should be around 300 to 325°F. On a smaller fryer, the temperature will need to be a bit higher.

Dip a frozen crab ball in batter to test the consistency. The batter should adhere to the crab ball, but not be too thick or too runny. Fry beignets until golden, remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. While still hot, lightly season beignets with salt and serve immediately.

Wine Pairing:
Try a lighter Grüner Veltliner such as the Nikolaihof Grüner Veltliner “Hefeabzug” 2003