{All Around Latin America} Crab Cake w/Papaya Mango Soup in Celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month

I’m really excited about today’s guest, Marnely Rodriguez-Murray, chef and blogger from Cooking With Books. Marnely, a Dominican, and I *met* a few years ago on Twitter and have bonded ever since! I appreciate her love of designing pastries and obsession with cookbooks and she loves chatting about my fashion (and flans). Our conversation are always fun and delicious; even at 2 am over virtual cafecito! A classically trained pastry chef working in a chic country club in Martha’s Vineyard, Marnely brings us a sophisticated  dish she and her chef have created for our {All Around America} series in celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month. If you’re into seafood (I mean, what else to eat at Martha’s Vineyard?!), I’d sacrifice some of my shoes and  say this is a knock out! Avocado and mango together? Yes, please! 

Let’s welcome Marnely on Flanboyant Eats! This is her first time here. And, welcome Cooking With Books readers. I’m glad you’re here. B-

By Marnely Rodriguez-Murray

When Bren asked me to share a Latin-inspired dish for Hispanic Heritage Month here on Flanboyant Eats, my mind fluttered. I wondered — when was the last time I actually cooked anything fully Latin?! Heck, I haven’t had mangu in over a year and my dreams revolve around una batida de lechoza on a hot day. I know, shame on me. I’m a bad Dominican that married a gringo and hasn’t really instructed him in the flavors of the island. But soon enough we’ll be headed to my home island and he’ll have more than his share of mangu, arroz con habichuelas, and flan!

Which brings me to this crab cake (part of our latest wine dinner), created by my Executive Chef  Mark Chaput at Vineyard Golf Club and brainstormed by us all while tasting the wines for this wine dinner. We started by thinking about the crab cake as a base for the course;  the wine was from California, so I mentioned the words “melting pot” and we all started throwing ideas together. The result is the combination of hot and cold, sweet and savory. The cold pureed soup and the hot crab cake pair perfectly, balancing the sweet crab meat flavor with the natural sweetness of the tropical fruits. Add a dollop of this simple avocado salsa and fry up a slice of green platano for added crunch.

Is this dish Latin? Not to its core, but it certainly is inspired by the flavors of Latin America and the islands. And that’s what food is all about: finding what unites us and creating an entirely different but still connected idea!  Be sure to add the crunch of the plantain chip, the unofficial fruit of the Dominican Republic [and all other Latin countries]!

CHECK BACK TOMORROW  FOR A NEW FEATURED BLOGGER AND RECIPE  INSPIRED BY LATIN AMERICA! 

 *This is part of an annual Hispanic Heritage Month food series, now in its 2nd year. Catch up on this years and previous delicious features: 

{ALL AROUND LATIN AMERICA} FOOD SERIES

How do you celebrate this culturally inspiring month?

Eat well, love unapologetically, pray with true intention, and take care of yourself.

Follow the sexy & delicious fun on

TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | GOOGLE+ |YOUTUBE

Don't forget to check out my debut cookbook!

Enjoy

Crab Cake with Papaya Mango Soup served with Avocado Salsa & Plantain Chip

Recipe reprinted with permission from Chef Mark Chaput of Vineyard Golf Club, Martha’s Vineyard, MA

Ingredients:

• 1/4 medium red onion, diced
• 1/4 red pepper, diced
• 6 tablespoons minced cilantro
• 1 large egg
• 1  lemon, zested and juiced
• 1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat
• 1 teaspoon   Tabasco
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 2 pinches  Old Bay seasoning
• 1/3 cup Hellman’s mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup  Panko breadcrumbs

Method:

1. In a medium bowl, combine all of the ingredients, making sure to not break up the lump crab meat.
2. Shape into a ring mold or with hands into small cakes, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
3. Coat in more panko and over medium high heat in a sauté pan with oil, sear on both sides and finish cooking in a 350 degree oven for about 10 minutes.
4. Serve hot over cold Papaya Mango Soup (recipe below) and top with Avocado Salsa and Plantain Chip.

Papaya-Mango Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 large papaya, peeled and diced
• 1 large mango, peeled and diced
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 cup orange juice

 Method:

1. In a blender, combine papaya, mango, lime and orange juice.
2. Blend until smooth. Reserve in fridge until ready to serve.

Avocado Salsa

Ingredients:

• 1 large avocado, peeled and diced
• 1/4 small red onion, diced
• Few springs cilantro, diced
• Juice of half lime

Method:

1. Combine all ingredients and serve as topping to crab cake.