Uncle Phaedrus, Finder of Lost Recipes (2024)

----- Original Message ----- From: DianeTo: "phaedrus" Sent: Thursday, May 01, 2008 10:02 AMSubject: chicken croquettes> Phaed, Thanks for your wonderful website! Can't wait to cook some of > those dishes!! As a child, I remember going with my parents to eat, and > I'd always order the chicken croquettes. They were shaped almost like a > pointed mound and had a white sauce. I believe we ate these at Howard > Johnsons, but can't be sure. The outside had a bread crumb texture. The > best I ever had! Wonder if you could find it for me ?! Thanks, Diane

Hi Diane,

I can't find a Howard Johnson's clone, but see below.

Phaed

Update 2/26/14: Mark R. sent the HoJo's original recipe. See: HoJo Recipes

Chicken Croquettes With White Sauce2 1/2 c. chopped cooked chicken1 c. chicken broth1 recipe of white sauce1/4 tsp. salt1/8 tsp. pepper1/3 c. flour2 eggs, beaten1 c. bread crumbsOil Mix chicken with white sauce. Season with salt and pepper. Place in freezer about 1/2 hour to firm. When mixture is firm, allow 2 tablespoons to form each croquette. Roll in flour and then beaten egg and then in bread crumbs. Fry in oil until light brown.White Sauce:2 tbsp. butter3 tbsp. flour1/4 tsp. saltDash of cayenne pepper1 c. chicken broth1/2 c. milk Melt butter in pan; stir in flour and seasonings. Cook on low until smooth; stirring constantly, add broth and milk slowly; to maintain thickness, stir on medium heat until all milk and broth is added and sauce is thick.-----------------------Chicken Croquettes1 3/4 c. cooked chickenSalt and pepper1/4 tsp. celery salt1 tsp. minced onion1 tsp. parsleyBread crumbs1 c. white sauceOilApproximately 2 eggs, beaten White Sauce:4 tbsp. butter4 tbsp. flour1 c. milk Combine white sauce ingredients (melt butter, add flour and gradually add milk) and cook 3 minutes. Combine white sauce, chicken, celery salt, onion, parsley and salt and pepper to taste. Divide mixture into 6-8 portions and shape into croquettes. Roll in fine bread crumbs, then into egg and again in bread crumbs. Fry in hot oil, turning when browned. Yields: 4 servings. 

----- Original Message ----- From: "Lisa "To: phaedrusSent: Friday, May 02, 2008 2:52 PM> Hi,>> I am looking for a recipe for Hobee's restaurant's> blueberry coffee cake?>> Thank you,>> Lisa

Hello Lisa,

See below.

Phaed

Hobee's Coffee Cake***Cake***1 1/2 cups flour, unbleached -- sifted1 cup sugar, granulated2 teaspoons baking powder1/2 teaspoon baking soda1/4 teaspoon salt2 eggs1 cup sour cream1/2 teaspoon vanilla1/4 cup blueberries, fresh, optionalvegetable oil***Topping***5 tablespoons sugar, granulated2 tablespoons butter1/2 teaspoon cinnamon -- groundPreheat oven to 350F.In a large mixing bowl, re-sift sift flour with baking power, baking soda, salt and about 1 cup of sugar.In a separate bowl, beat together the eggs, sour cream and vanilla.Add egg mixture to flour mixture and beat until smooth.Oil a 9-inch square baking pan (you can also use an 8 inch square pan, or anything of similar surface area, if you increase the baking time by about 5 minutes).Spread the batter in the pan. If you are using fruit or nuts, scatter them over the batter and stir a little bit so that they stay in the top layer.In a small bowl, mix about 5 tbs sugar with the butter and cinnamon with a sturdy fork, until they are blended and resemble cornmeal (i. e., you should have a mixture of fine crumbs, not a smooth mixture). Sprinkle topping over batter.Bake for 20-25 minutes, until a clean toothpick inserted in the center of the cake comes out dry.Cool slightly; serve warm or at room temperature. Don't ruin it by serving it with salted butter.Notes:All ingredients and bowls should be a room temperature before you start; this is particularly true for the butter.: Time: 10-15 minutes preparation, 20-30 minutes baking. 

My family moved to the Mississippi Gulf Coast back in the late fifties, before Hurricane Katrina, before the casinos appeared, even before Hurricane Camille. I liked living on the coast. I like the ocean, I like seafood, I like salt-water fishing, and I like the smell of salt air blowing in from the sea. I can't say that I like hurricanes very much, but sometimes it seems worth putting up with them to live on a seacoast.

One of the best things about living on the Coast was the availability of fresh shrimp. It was always a real treat to be present when the shrimp boats unloaded their catch at one of the seafood places. I remember going to places where the catch was unloaded onto long conveyor belts and as it moved down the belt, workers sorted the shrimp into large, medium, small, and jumbo, and picked out the wide variety of other sea life that had gotten caught in the nets. It was a real education in marine life. You never knew what was going to come down the belt.

There are lots of ways to eat shrimp. Breaded and fried, grilled, scampi, I like 'em all. What we often did down on the Gulf Coast, though, was to boil them. You get a big pot of water boiling, throw in some Zatarain's Crab and Shrimp Boil (spices), a sliced up lemon or three, and then the shrimp. Medium to large shrimp are best for boiling. Small shrimp are not worth the trouble it takes to peel them as you eat, and jumbo shrimp are best used for other dishes. A big plate of boiled shrimp, maybe an ear of corn or a potato boiled in the same pot of spicy water with the shrimp, some saltine crackers, some co*cktail sauce, a beer (or other beverage if you prefer), and you have yourself a feast.

Gulf Coast Shrimp BoilBig Pot - big enough to hold the quantity of shrimp you're cooking & water to cover them.Water - enough to cover the shrimpMedium to Large Shrimp - 1 lb per person is okay, but more is better.1 lemon, sliced, per 5 lbs of shrimp1 packet of Zatarain's Crab, Shrimp and Crawfish Boil for each 5 pounds of shrimpCleaned ears of corn if desiredsmall potatoes, if desiredBring the pot of water to a boil with the Zatarain's, corn, potatoes, lemons, etc. -- and let that boil for about 10 minutes, or until the corn and potatoes are tender. Add the shrimp and let it boil again for three minutes. Not longer, or the shrimp will get tough. Drain & strain. You can then eat hot if you wish, but better to put the shrimp on ice while you get the other stuff ready and set the table. Have a beer or a glass of tea while the shrimp chill, then dig in. Give everyone a bowl for their shells. Spicy co*cktail sauce is great, the kind with horseradish if you like, but a little Louisiana style hot sauce is even better.Comments:Yes, this stinks up the kitchen, if not the whole house, but it's a good stink. Do it outside if you can. Saltine crackers are good with boiled shrimp, but if you're a bread person, French bread is nice. A salad is a good accompaniment, too. When you clean up, put all the shrimp shells in a garbage bag and tie it up tightly. Best to put it in a garbage can far, far away. If, by some strange twist of fate, you have any leftover shrimp, peel them and freeze them in small quantities for use in other recipes.

----- Original Message ----- From: "Kay "To: phaedrusSent: Saturday, May 03, 2008 5:15 PMSubject: Crab Meat Panned in Butter -- a Carolina Tidewater recipe -- can you help me?> Dear Uncle Phaedrus,>> I've looked a long time before asking for help, and I have reached that > stage where the places you've looked seem to keep leading back to one > another. I also tried the new links I found on your site -- great > stuff! -- until it kept leading back to things I'd found. (By the way -- > it might be temporary, but franks recipes was down when I tried it.)>> Anyway, the recipe I've been searching for is "crab meat panned in > butter." (Sometimes it's just called "crab panned in butter" and sometimes > it's called "back fin crab meat panned in butter." Sometimes crabmeat is > made a single word in the title of the dish.) I'm fairly certain that it's > a traditional recipe in the tidewater region, possibly ranging from > Georgia to Maryland, but possibly confined mostly to North Carolina.>> I live in North Carolina and first ate it in a little shack by the side of > the road. I was on the way to Nag's Head in the spring of 1972. The > restaurant's decor was plain, but the food was Lucullan. The crab was > served with slaw, hush puppies and, I think, a baked potato, but it may > have been French fries.>> I've eaten crab meat panned in butter over the years in many other> restaurants -- some fancier and some just as weathered as the first -- all> in the tidewater region of North Carolina.>> Crab Meat Panned in Butter is not a crab cake or a version of Crab > Imperial.> It seemed to consist primarily -- almost solely -- of lump crab meat and> butter, but all of my attempts to reproduce it by sautéing even the finest> freshest back fin lump crabmeat don't fill the bill.>> The dish is still served today. Links to restaurants with menus, or to > sites reviewing restaurants referring to crab shrimp and other seafood "panned > in butter" appear at the end of my email.>> I have been unable to find is a recipe for panning anything except oysters > in butter. On the other hand, menus show clearly that some people still pan > both crabmeat and shrimp in butter, and have a method they consider > "panning" as opposed to "baking," "sautéing," or "frying.">> (Worse news: oysters are sometimes "panned" by deep frying and sometimes > by sautéing! Oysters are panned by a method which, when dissected, is > sautéing.>> I've looked in cook books and on the web. You can count on it that I have > tried. (I won't bore you with the list, but it is long and includes > sources both eclectic and distinguished. This is not my first search. I've > looked several times over the years.)>> I suspect that "crab meat panned in butter" really is a regional > specialty. It's probably rather like clam chowder: nobody needs a recipe for that!> (Which is why people from Manhattan who marry people from Boston should> discuss recipes before marriage.)>> Here are the restaurant and reviewing links I mentioned:>> https://www.thisweekmag.com/RestaurantArchive/NetHouse.htm "The soft > shelled crab stuffed with crabmeat is a must if you're a crabmeat lover. > Oh, and the beautiful white back fin crabmeat or local shrimp panned > in butter are also hard to beat." The back fin crabmeat panned in butter> sounds like exactly what I'm thinking of.>> https://www.thisweekmag.com/RestaurantArchive/Driftwood.htm "The back fin> crabmeat panned in butter is delicate and fresh, using only enough butter > to accentuate the flavor. All seafood at the Driftwood is prepared at the> customer's request; fried, broiled or panned in butter, and all are served> with choice of potato, coleslaw and hush puppies.">> https://morganstavernnewbern.com/3.html Offers lump crabmeat panned in > butter as a menu item.>> What I cannot find is a recipe for panning anything in butter, let alone> back fin crabmeat, but it's clear that some people still know how to do > it.>> If it's of any help in persuading someone to part with a recipe, you may> say, (and it's true) that I lived part time in New Bern for a while and> enjoyed ordering and eating crab panned in butter while I was there. I now> live in the Piedmont, and I haven't been able to find it here. It's > clearly a tidewater thing: possibly a North Carolina tidewater thing. I'd go> down east to a restaurant and blandish, but I'm disabled. >> Disability notwithstanding, there's a market on the way home from one of > my doctors' office. Once in a while I could stop on my way home from an> appointment and buy a pound of crabmeat. I wouldn't be able to cook it > that day, but if I had a recipe for crab meat panned in butter, I'd be able to> cook it the next day, and I'd love that!>> Thanking you for any help you can give me, I am>> Very sincerely yours,>> Kay>> (Please feel very free to edit this letter to shreds. After all, if you > find a recipe, nobody else will need all of those clues. Thanks, Kay)> 

Hello Kay,

I was only able to find two recipes for "panned crab". One was in a book called "Hoppin' John's Low Country Cooking" by John Martin Taylor. However, that one is not panned in butter - it's more like a stew.

The other one is for crab panned in butter, but it has a problem. "Google Books" displays previews of books, and that's where I found this recipe. The part of the recipe shown in the preview doesn't give amounts, and they have "COPYRIGHTED IMAGE" placed strategically over the ingredient list. The book is "Crazy for Crab: Everything You Need to Know to Enjoy Fabulous Crab" by Fred Thompson. You can view it here:

"Crazy for Crab: Everything You Need to Know to Enjoy Fabulous Crab" by Fred Thompson.

You may have to purchase the book to get the complete recipe, as the recipe in its entirety does not appear to be on the Internet. You can get the book at Amazon.com.

Kay, while the term "panned in butter" may be local to the east coast - Virginia and North Carolina - crab cooked this way probably is not. It's basically just crabmeat sauteed in butter and spices, and you might find a suitable recipe by looking for "sauteed crab" or "crab sauteed in butter". The spices or flavorings vary from menu to menu and from recipe to recipe. Some are sauteed in butter and lemon juice, and some, like the one in the above book, have hot pepper sauce added.

Phaed

A reader sent this:

From: "muriel"To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.comSubject: Date: Thursday, December 11, 2008 3:55 PMhi under a seafood food recipe area I found a recipe for hot crabmeat inbutter.1 lb. Crabmeat seasoned with salt & pepper.1/8 lb butter melted with anequal amount of water in a hot frying pan.Add crabmeat and heat.Just beforeseving season with worstershire sauce to taste.This was submitted by a captl.Selden taylor ;norfolk va.Thanks for a interesting site.Muriel

Hot Shoppes Cheese RollsMargarine1 tablespoonShortening1 tablespoonSugar, granulated 1/2 cup + 1 tablespoonCheddar cheese, shredded2 cupsEggs, large 3 eachyeast, dry 2 packets (1/4 oz. each)Water, lukewarm1/2 cupFlour, all-purpose6 1/2 - 7 cupsSalt2 teaspoonsMilk1 1/3 cupsYield:Approximately 3 to 4 dozenPreparation:1) Cream margarine, shortening, sugar, and cheddar cheese until light.2) Add eggs slowly, blending well between each addition.3) Dissolve yeast in lukewarm water (Be sure that water is not too hot)4) Sift together flour and salt5) Add half of flour and half of milk to egg and cheese mixture.6) Add dissolved yeast.7) Add remainder of milk and flour to make a soft dough.8) Cover dough; let rest for ten minutes.9) Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes or until dough is smooth and elastic.10) Place dough in a lightly greased bowl large enough to hold dough when doubled in size, turning once to grease the surface.11) Cover;let rise in a warm place (90°F)until double in size (About 2 hours).12) Fold dough over from 4 sides. Let rise again until double in size.13) Divide dough into 3 equal portions. Place each portion on a lightly floured surface. Round pieces by kneading until firm and smooth. Cover and let rest for 15 minutes.14) Roll each piece of dough into a 12" X 15" elongated log about 3" in diameter.15) Cut each dough log into 12 to 14 equal portions depending on the size of roll desired. Shape into rolls as desired.16) Place rolls into 13" by 9" by 2" baking pans or muffin tins. Cover; let rise until almost doubled in size. (About 45 minutes)17) Bake in a preheated 350°F oven for approximately 15 to 18 minutes or until done.18) Brush tops with melted margarine when removed from oven.19) Keep warm until time of service.Notes:- Yeast takes 5 to 10 minutes to soften. Follow manufacturer's directions for dissolving yeast.- Generally, 1 package of yeast equals 0.6 ounces of cake compressed yeast.- A heavy duty mixer may be used for mixing the dough. Follow the directions given in the manufacturer's instruction booklet. 

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