Cajun Crab Corn Cakes with Pickled Okra Maque Choux

Ingredients

For the Cajun Crab Corn Cake:
2 packages of Martha White® Sweet Yellow Cornbread and Muffin Mix
4 large eggs
3 ½ cups buttermilk
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 jumbo lump crab meat
1 sweet potato, roasted, peeled, and mashed
Orange zest
Lemon zest
2 teaspoons creole mustard
2 teaspoons Cajun seasoning
3 Green onions (green tops diced)
¼ cup chopped cilantro

For the Maque Choux:
1 small red onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
3 cups, frozen shoepeg corn, thawed
2 plum tomatoes, seeded, and chopped
¼ pound smoked andouille sausage, diced
¼ cup chopped green onion tops
¼ teaspoon black pepper
1 to 2 tablespoons olive oil
1 jar pickled okra (4-5 chopped, depending on preference)

For the Bloody Mary Drizzle (non-alcoholic):
½ cup Bloody Mary mix
¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon prepared horseradish
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon hot sauce
¾ teaspoon celery salt
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 400° F. In a 12-inch Lodge® cast iron skillet, heat ¼ cup of vegetable oil while preparing batter. In a large bowl, combine cornbread mix, eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, orange zest, lemon zest, creole mustard, Cajun seasoning, and onions. Mix well. Gently fold in crab meat, careful not to overmix. Add cilantro and pour into skillet. Place skillet in oven and bake for 30-35 minutes until golden brown. Complete steps 2 and 3 while cornbread is baking.

2. Gently toss all Maque Choux ingredients in a bowl until combined and chill until ready to use.

3. Combine all Bloody Mary Ingredients and chill until ready to use.

4. Remove cornbread from oven. All to cool. Slice into triangles. Place a slice onto a serving plate. Spoon a generous portion of the Maque Choux on top and finish with the Bloody Mary Drizzle. Enjoy!

Serves 8