Tony-nominated actor Daniel Breaker loves cooking and cuisine as much as he loves the theatre. Breaker, known for roles in Book of Mormon, Shrek The Musical and Passing Strange, shares his recipe for one of his favorite home-cooked dishes.
Read more about Breaker’s kitchen forays.
Dungeness Crab Croquettes in Singapore Sauce
2 tablespoons of butter
1 1/2 cups leeks, sliced, white and light green parts only (Toss the dark green parts in the freezer to use for stock.)
1 small red bell pepper, diced
2 celery ribs, diced, plus 1/4 cup of celery leaves, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 pound Dungeness crab meat (or the freshest crab meat you can find)
1 tablespoon of smoked paprika
1 teaspoon of garlic powder
1 teaspoon of Old bay seasoning
A few grinds of pepper
1/2 teaspoon of Herbs de Provence
2 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon (or more) of Siracha
Juice from half of a lemon
1-2 eggs
1/3 cup of mayo
Sea salt, to taste
Approximately 2 cups of panko breadcrumbs
Peanut oil, for frying
In a medium frying pan, heat butter until it’s melted. Sauté leeks, red bell pepper and celery ribs for five to eight minutes until translucent. Make sure not to brown them. Add garlic and celery leaves, sauté further for one to two minutes. Set aside to cool slightly.
In a medium sized mixing bowl, pick through crab meat for any stray shells. Season crab with smoked paprika, garlic powder, Old Bay seasoning and a few grinds of pepper. Stir in sautéed vegetables until incorporated. Add Herbs de Provence, Worcestershire sauce, Siracha, fresh lemon juice and mix to combine. Fold in eggs, mayo, and 1/4 cup panko. Add sea salt and adjust seasoning if desired. Chill in refrigerator for at least four hours, up to 18 hours.
Once chilled, mold crab mixture into ping-pong sized balls. Spread remaining panko onto a cookie sheet. Roll crab in panko, pressing into your hand to make sure breadcrumbs adhere. Chill crab another 30 minutes.
In a wok or Dutch oven, pour peanut oil to a depth of 1 to 2 inches. Over medium high heat, bring oil temperature to 350 degrees. Fry crab croquettes until golden brown, for about 5 to 7 minutes. Drain on paper towels and serve them immediately.
See more of Breaker's favorite dishes:
“Those are Kumamoto oysters, which come from the West Coast. They’re very briny and sweet with a little bit of a cucumber note. The sparkling rose gelée … I was just trying to make an elegant version of a Jell-O shot. The oyster sauce is red wine vinegar, shallots, salt, pepper and some citrus. [The green] is a sea bean, a tasty type of seaweed—very salty like a haricot vert.”
“That’s a raw shucked scallop and on top of that is—because I couldn’t afford caviar—those are actually balsamic pearls. The garlic chips are pieces of garlic that have been shaved thin and fried, and then cilantro stems because I didn’t want something as light as the leaves; I wanted something with a little more bite to it.
“It’s sea urchin bucatini [and] a while truffle and parsnip crumble.”
“The collar of the Hamachi fish, and under it are five different radishes and Asian pears with an anchovy vinaigrette—to bring the whole thing together. The seafood is brined. A quick little brine on any seafood takes away the last of the fishy impurity and polishes of the texture of the fish.”
“I still make a duck confit cassoulet, which is pork, beans and duck confit. This is the same idea, but just pulled a little more towards the Mediterranean.”
“That’s Cara Cara orange, which is a very soft, sweet orange—not heavy citrus. There’s Easter egg radish, and I made some chive oil.”
“I sliced a piece of pork belly. I crisped up the skin. I had some fava beans in the pantry. This plays really well together because the brandied cherries are so sweet. The fried Brussel sprouts are just sort of bitter and crispy and burnt, which brings the whole dish into a comfort foodie type meal.”
“I need a name for it. It is coconut cream, just the top of the can of coconut milk, rum that friend got me from Jamaica, allspice dram, which was another gift, lime, simple syrup, mole bitters and orange bitters. It’s surprisingly light and drinkable.”
“So much like beef carpaccio, but really good beets, thinly sliced, covered with pomegranate seeds [and] a little olive oil. That is a celebration of a Thomas Keller dish … so not my dish, but boy oy boy, a damn good dish.”
“I love gnocchi, and I wanted to figure out a way to make a sweet potato gnocchi. A lot of people that make sweet potato gnocchi, they put in regular potatoes to bring it together. I’m on the path to make a truly, strictly sweet potato gnocchi. Each bit is like, ‘That’s Thanksgiving.’”
“That thing’s in the over for hours, so that middle is nice and so rosy on the inside and a nice, sweet crust on the outside. That’s become a bit of a family tradition.”
