Joe's Crab Shack (warning: the link is decidedly UN-appetizing). Not a place any vegan in their right mind would head to. Although my husband, poor dear, had a business meeting at just this place a month or so ago. He ate leafy greens and talked a lot to mask the emptiness in his stomach. Joe's hasn't heard of the restaurant rule that states that given a group of people, the vegan chooses the restaurant. That is, unless it is a business meeting and the boss chooses the joint so he can write it off as a business expense.
While crabs are about as easy to make vegan as eggs are, given that they are the entire animal on a plate (truly, how horrifying that is!), crab cakes are absolutely doable. Joe's signature dish is a huge crab cake, either served as an appetizer, dinner plate or a sandwich. Either way, they are served with a Sriracha Remoulade. Any good vegan will pounce on the word "Sriracha" and beg the question why it is being muddied by being served with animal parts.
Let's change that.
This Crabby-Cake is made with a seaweed (don't leave!) infused shredded tofu. Shredding the tofu allows the marinade to permeate the tofu more effectively, thus giving it a hint of sea-flavor - in a really good way. It is formed into a cake, breaded and sauteed.
They serve their sandwich on a brioche bun, so if you want to go authentic, you can have it all by making the brioche recipe in Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day! (and return later this week to check out this leg of the blog tour).
The cake does fall a part a bit while being eaten as a sandwich, but my hubby, a pre-vegan Joe's customer, informs me that even ones made with crab fall apart; it's just the way it goes. Grab a napkin and dig in, because this really is good enough to put up with a little mess. Even my youngest, who hates with a passion messy food, has resigned herself to the fact that one tends to equal the other.
Make sure to enter the cookbook giveaway for Vegan Sandwiches Save the Day!
Cost Breakdown:
tofu: $2
seaweed, vegenaise, spices: $2
mustard, breadcrumbs: $.75
buns, lettuce, tomato: $4
sauce: $.75
fries: $3
Total to make 4 sandwiches:
$12.50
Their Cost per Order, with fries: $11.00
Make Over Cost per sandwich and fries: $3.15
Pin it!
Okay, you had me at sriracha remoulade.
ReplyDeleteI am really loving your makeovers! It is amazing how you can take something as gross as a crabcake and make it into something that sounds and looks good to eat.
I know what you mean! as soon as I saw that, I knew this make over was going to work. Sriracha + vegan = happy :)
DeleteGlad you are liking the theme! I always have fun with it, too.
I confess I've never had a crab cake, but breaded and sauteed tofu anything is superyumful, especially in a sandwich...and ohgoodgolly in brioche!
ReplyDeleteMy dad used to make brioche when I was a kid and I'd stand by and watch him put it together and smell it as it baked and dive right in as soon as he cut a fresh new loaf. I do miss it so a vegan version would rock! I must find this book! :)
You must return later this week, then, beacuse I am giving one away. Thanks for the comments!
DeleteA give away! yay. I'll be back with intentions of winning.
ReplyDeleteI love vegan crab cakes, I've never made them like you have I've made them with hearts of palm and they were delcious. Your stuff always looks fantastic to me.
Thanks, GiGi!
DeleteClicked over to your site from another, and I am already a fan! I was never a crab fan, despite growing up in RI....but you might change my mind. Thanks for a great blog and I'll be back!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Doemora. See you soon.
DeleteI've being seeing more Joe's Crab Shack commercials since you posted your makeover. Or maybe, I had just been tuning them out. I'm anxious to try this recipe.
ReplyDeleteIsn't that weird? It tends to be the case when you are being more mindful of something. Sorry to have made you more aware of those nasty ads.
DeleteOoh hurray! I actually never meant to go vegan - I'd stopped eating all land animals and most sea animals and eggs and dairy, but I loved crab and I figured I ate it once a year at most so no big deal, but when I quit everything else crab became gross to me. Needless to say I am all about crab substitutes!
ReplyDeleteEveryone has their own special path... great job finding yours. Here here for crab subs!
ReplyDelete