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It probably has something to do with Corporate Executive Chef Brigitte O. Bledsoe's inventive yet homey menu. Whether you prefer a sweet or savory start to your day, Miss Shirley serves up treats such as Coconut Cream-Stuffed French Toast, a Cuban Huevos Sandwich, and this Crab Cake and Fried Green Tomato Eggs Benedict, a classic Maryland dish.
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Miss Shirley's
1 Park Place, Annapolis
410-268-5171
Missshirleyscafe.com
How did you come to work at Miss Shirley's?
I started with the opening of the original Miss Shirley's Cold Spring location in 2005, when I saw an ad listing for the “Best Breakfast Chef in the World.” I couldn't resist responding, and since I was on crutches at the time, Eddie (Dopkin) came to my house and I cooked a test-run for him in my own kitchen. I made him my Crab Benedict and Coconut Cream Stuffed French Toast and other dishes that are still on the menu as House Specialties. Now I've been there for 7.5 years and am still taking on the challenge of designing menus and creating new eakfast dishes.
How often do you add new dishes to the menu?
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We change the menu twice a year, which gives us the opportunity to use fresh, seasonal ingredients. We feature a different new Soup of the Day, Pancake of the Month, and Stuffed French Toast of the Month at each Miss Shirley's location.
What's your favorite local ingredient?
I love all local seafood. Fresh crab meat, oysters, flounder and more. I also love the produce stands that are out in the summer along the Eastern Shore, with Maryland tomatoes and silver queen corn. I love the fresh flavors of the Chesapeake region.
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What makes this dish special to you?
I love the Crab Cake and Fried Green Tomato Eggs Benedict because it's an unexpected eakfast that blends Southern flavors and Maryland ingredients in one fantastic dish; it represents exactly what Miss Shirley's is about.
How difficult is this dish to prepare at home?
Preparing all of the separate parts might seem a bit intimidating, because you have the fried green tomatoes, crab cakes, Hollandaise Sauce, Corn Relish and the poached eggs all coming together in one dish. I would say on a scale of 1-10, this would be about an 8 for the home.
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Recipe
CRAB CAKE & FRIED GREEN TOMATO EGGS BENEDICT
Crab Cake
Ingredients for Crab Cake Mix:
1 egg
1 cup mayo
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon Old Bay
Pinch of kosher salt
Dash of Tabasco
Ingredients for Crab Cakes:
1/2 to 3/4 cup crabcake mix
1/4 cup cracker meal
1 Tablespoon parsley
1 pound jumbo lump crab meat
1/4 cup roasted red peppers
Dice roasted red peppers. Place crabmeat, red peppers, parsley, and crab cake mix in a bowl, and mix gently. Add cracker meal and gently mix until just combined. Portion into 3-ounce balls.
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Fried Green Tomatoes
4 Green tomatoes
2 1/2 teaspoon honey
Breading mix (1 cup flour, 1 cup cornmeal, 1 cup
sugar, 1 tablespoon Cajun spice)
1/2 cup of buttermilk
Slice green tomatoes about a quarter-inch thick. Mix honey and butter milk together and pour over green tomatoes and gently toss to coat. In small batches, add green tomatoes to eading to coat.
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Corn and Tomato Relish
2 Corn on the cob
1/2 ea. red bell pepper
1/4 ea. red onion
1 teaspoon fresh chives
1 teaspoon jalapeno peppers, diced
1/8 teaspoon lemon juice
1 clove garlic
1/8 cup diced tomatoes
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon blended oil
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon salt
Husk corn, coat in oil, salt and pepper. Roast in oven for approximately 15 minutes at 425 degrees. Let corn cool and cut kernels from cob
Small dice red bell pepper, red onion, and jalapeno. Sauté red bell peppers and red onions. Remove seeds from jalapenos. Chop garlic and chives, and then dump all ingredients in a bowl and mix together.
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Crab Cake and Fried Green Tomato Eggs Benedict
2 eggs
1 crabcake (halved)
1 ounce diced tomatoes
4 asparagus spears
4 fried green tomatoes
1 teaspoon fresh chives
2 fluid ounces fresh Hollandaise Sauce
Mache salad greens
Corn and tomato relish
Place four fried green tomatoes at the four corners of the plate. In center of plate, place scoop of corn relish and lay asparagus around relish. Place one each crab cake on two green tomatoes, opposite each other on the plate. Poach 2 eggs and place each on top of crab cake half. Ladle each egg with hollandaise and sprinkle the top with chives. Garnish the center of plate with mache. Sprinkle with Old Bay and serve.
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