Thumbs down! Way too labor intensive and my "poppers" were way too spicy - even after removing all the seeds. Perhaps a result of the jalapenos I purchased versus the recipe? At any rate, I will not make this again.
Crab-Stuffed Jalapeños
This dish is based on the crab-stuffed jalapeños found on menus throughout southeast Texas. We found that chilling the chiles after stuffing them makes them easier to coat with bread crumbs and fry.
Photo: André Baranowski
10–12 medium jalapeños
1 tbsp. canola oil, plus more for frying
1/4 lb. lump crab meat, picked through
to remove any bits of shell
3 tbsp. cream cheese, at room temperature
1 tbsp. finely chopped cilantro leaves
1 tbsp. finely chopped parsley leaves
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 1/2 tbsp. plus 3/4 cup dried bread crumbs
2 tsp. fresh lime juice
1 egg yolk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 tsp. kosher salt, plus more to taste
1. Heat oven to broil; arrange a rack 6" from heating element. In a small bowl, toss jalapeños with 1 tbsp. oil. Transfer jalapeños to a foil-lined baking sheet; broil, turning several times, until blackened, about 12 minutes. Transfer jalapeños to a bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and set aside to let steam for 15 minutes. Peel the jalapeños. Working with 1 jalapeño at a time, cut a slit down the length of the pepper. Scoop out the seeds with a small spoon (handle carefully so that they stay intact). Set jalapeños aside.
2. With a fork, vigorously mix together crab, cream cheese, cilantro, parsley, shallots, 1 1/2 tbsp. bread crumbs, lime juice, and yolk in a bowl. Stuff each jalapeño with 1 heaping tbsp. of filling; transfer to a plate and repeat with remaining jalapeños. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
3. Put remaining bread crumbs into a shallow dish. Put flour into another small dish. Whisk together milk and eggs in a bowl. Working with 1 jalapeño at a time, dredge jalapeño in flour, shaking off excess. Dip jalapeño in egg mixture, roll in bread crumbs, and transfer to a plate; set aside.
4. Pour oil to a depth of 2" into a 4-qt. saucepan over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer reads 325˚. Working in batches, add jalapeños and cook, turning occasionally, until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Drain jalapeños on paper towels; sprinkle with salt.
SERVES 4
Ratings & Reviews (5)
This sounded like it would be wonderful! However, as much as I love hot & spicy food these were way too hot.
Yummy! I love Jalapenos. This recipe is a must try, I just can't wait to buy the Jalapenos and start filing them! Anyway how about trying it with chicken as well... Thanks for the recipe. Cheers!
I like your take on these, and being a native (and lifelong) Texan, I've eaten plenty of jalapeno poppers. To the two reviewers who complained of the heat: you have to make sure that you scoop out all of the seeds as well as the ribs on the inside of the peppers, and it also helps if you rinse the peppers inside and out after you've done this. The heat of a jalapeno will vary depending on when it's picked, and the growing conditions.
I couldn't agree w/ Mcowan more, I'm from Oklahoma and raise jalapenos every year (couldn't be easier and the yield is astounding!--usually 40 to 50 nice size peppers every day from 4 plants) but, you must remove the seeds AND the ribs, those contain the "heat"for all hot peppers. I wouldn't rinse them because I don't want them to be totally tame-I like the taste of peppers when other ingredients are added, as we have w/ poppers. I've never tried crab, but sounds great to me. Have tried w/hamburger, cream cheese, thyme, salt and pepper, and chopped dill pickle--that's another nice combo. Enjoy.
Crab-Stuffed Jalapeños
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