Recipes Breakfast & Brunch Breakfast Breads & Pastries Pastries Blue Crab Beignets 4.5 (2) 2 Reviews The beignet batter thinly coats a creamy, warm crab filling with a crispy, light crust. The batter is loose and can be tricky to shape at first; keep frying and practicing, and they'll improve with each batch.These are ideally eaten while still very hot, so make them while enjoying aperitifs in the kitchen. By Justin Devillier Justin Devillier Justin Devillier is the chef/proprietor of La Petite Grocery, Balise Tavern, and Justine in New Orleans. He won the 2016 James Beard Award for Best Chef: South, competed on Top Chef, and is the author of The New Orleans Kitchen: Classic Recipes and Modern Techniques for an Unrivaled Cuisine (2019). Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines and Jamie Feldmar Jamie Feldmar Jamie Feldmar is a Los Angeles-based food writer, editor, and cookbook author with more than 10+ experience in digital media, having served as the managing editor at Serious Eats and senior editor at Tasting Table. She has co-written five cookbooks, including the James Beard Award-winning Taste & Technique: Recipes to Elevate Your Home Cooking with chef Naomi Pomeroy. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on July 26, 2023 Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Tested by Food & Wine Test Kitchen Recipes published by Food & Wine are rigorously tested by the culinary professionals at the Dotdash Meredith Food Studios in order to empower home cooks to enjoy being in the kitchen and preparing meals they will love. Our expert culinary team tests and retests each recipe using equipment and ingredients found in home kitchens to ensure that every recipe is delicious and works for cooks at home every single time. Meet the Food & Wine Test Kitchen Save Rate PRINT Share Close Photo: Greg DuPree Total Time: 30 mins Yield: 6 to 8 Cook Mode (Keep screen awake) Ingredients 6 ounces fresh blue crabmeat, picked over (about 1 1/2 cups) 1/3 cup mascarpone cheese 1/2 small (1 ounce) shallot, finely chopped 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh chives 3/4 teaspoon kosher salt, divided, plus more 1 cup all-purpose flour (about 4 1/4 ounces) 1/3 cup cornstarch (about 1 1/2 ounces) 1 tablespoon baking powder 1 cup (8 ounces) amber lager beer Vegetable oil, for frying Directions Gently stir together crabmeat, mascarpone, shallot, chives, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a bowl until combined. Chill until ready to use. Whisk together flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Gradually whisk in beer until just blended (batter will be thick). Pour oil to a depth of at least 3 inches into a Dutch oven or large saucepan. Heat over medium-high to 375°F. Line a plate with paper towels. Roll 1 heaping tablespoon crab mixture into a loose ball; drop into batter in bowl. Spoon batter over ball to coat evenly. Lift ball from batter using spoon, trying to collect as much batter on spoon with ball as possible. Gently slide the beignet into hot oil from just above the surface. Repeat process with about 2 or 3 additional beignets, making sure not to overcrowd Dutch oven. Fry, turning occasionally, until crisp and deep golden brown, about 3 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer beignets to paper towel–lined plate; season with salt. Repeat process with remaining crab mixture and batter, letting oil return to 375°F between batches. Serve hot. Originally appeared: November 2019 Rate It Print