Believe it or not, there are only a few great restaurants in the Hamptons that are literally on the beach, and at the top of my Hot List is Navy Beach in Montauk. The brainchild of partners Leyla Marchetto and husband Franklin Ferguson, and Frank & Kristina Davis, Navy Beach splashed on the Montauk restaurant scene in 2010.

Uber-chic owner Leyla is the new Montauk Correspondent for KDHamptons and we are so excited! The daughter of famed NY restaurateur Silvano, Leyla is always on the pulse of the exciting food, fashion, fun and fabulous nightlife scene in Montauk so KDH is thrilled to have her join our team of contributors!

Of course we went straight to Leyla to ask her what we should prepare for our Memorial Day dinner party this weekend. Her choice? The Pan Sauteed Crabcake with Avocado & Chipotle Pepper Sauce~ one of our favorite dishes at Navy Beach!

Leyla shares, “We’re really excited about the 2012 season at Navy Beach…This year’s menu has all of the signature favorites that we’ve become known for–along with some yummy new salads including: Wilted Romaine with white beans, sautéed lemons and a garlic dressing, and Roasted Beets with goat cheese, mixed greens, candied almonds and a sherry vinaigrette.

We have also added amazing new cebiches like: the Tuna Nikkei with avocado, cherry tomatoes, wakame, tobiko, red jalapeno and peruvian corn, the Local Catch Cebiche with shrimp, scallop, fluke, chicharron de calamar and crispy plantain chips, and the Lobster Cebiche with strawberries, frisée, mango, almonds and truffle-pop.” Hungry yet?

Navy Beach Executive Chef, Paul LaBue, gives KDH the inspiration for his signature dish, “I love crabmeat in the summer… This recipe is fresh and exciting for the palate because it has a combination of sweet, tart and spicy flavors. I use the shrimp mousse in place of more Mayonnaise so that the fresh light flavor of the crabmeat comes through rather than being hidden.”  Thanks Chef!!!

Pan Sauteed Crabcake with Avocado & Chipotle Pepper Sauce

Ingredients: [Makes 4 Servings]

Crabcake:
1 Lb. Jumbo Lump Crabmeat
1 Lb. Peekytoe Crabmeat
1 tsp Chives
1tsp Parsley
¼ cup Fresh Bread Crumbs
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 tsp Mayonnaise
3 Drops of Tabasco
Panko Breadcrumbs
1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Shrimp Mousse:
1 Lb. Shrimp (Shell off, cleaned and de-veined)
2 Eggs
¼ cup Cold Heavy Cream

Fennel & Apple Slaw:
1 Granny Smith Apple, julienned.
½ Red Onion, thinly sliced.
½ Bulb Fennel, thinly sliced.
Juice of 1 Lemon
½ tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to Taste

Avocado Puree:
1 Avocado, Pitted and Peeled and cut into chunks
2 tbsp Lime Juice

Chipotle Pepper Sauce:
1/2 Small Can of Chipotle Peppers
1 tbsp Mayonnaise

Preparation:

1. Being careful to make sure that the crabmeat does not have any shells in it, gently mix the crabmeat together with the rest of the ingredients in a bowl over ice to keep the mixture cool.
2. Puree the Shrimp, Eggs and Heavy Cream in a Cuisinart until smooth. Set aside.
Gently mix together with the Shrimp Mousse. Cover with plastic and set aside in the refrigerator for ½ hour.

3. Place the Apple, Onion and Fennel into a bowl. Dress the mixture with the Lemon, Olive Oil, Salt & Pepper. Set aside for plating.

4. Mash the avocado together with lime juice and set aside for plating.

5. Blend the Chipotle Peppers together with the Mayonnaise in a blender. Set aside for plating.

Cooking Instructions:

*Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees.

*Once the Crabmeat and Shrimp Mousse mixture has set, remove from the fridge and form into cylindrical cake portions.

*Spread some of the Panko Breadcrumbs onto a plate and cover the top and bottom of each crabcake lightly in the Panko Breadcrumbs just before sautéeing.

*Heat the olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Pan sauté the crabcakes for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

*Place the crabcakes onto a sheetpan and into the oven for about 7-10 minutes so that the center cooks through and warms.Place one spoonful of the Avocado Mixture in the center of each plate.
*Place the crabcake on top of the Avocado Mixture. Top with a pinch of the Apple & Fennel Slaw.

*Lightly drizzle the Chipotle Pepper Sauce on the plate. Enjoy!

Don’t feel like cooking? Head to Navy Beach!
16 Navy Road
Montauk
(631) 668-6868
www.navybeach.com