CRAB CAKES

Nov. 10, 2004 -- Pat Conroy, one of America's favorite storytellers, talked about his unique cookbook on Good Morning America.

The book offers a great collection of amazing recipes and stories about his life that relate to the food.

Check out the following recipes from "The Pat Conroy Cookbook" by Pat Conroy.

Crab Cakes

• 1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over and cleaned, with all shell fragments removed

• 1 egg white, lightly beaten (until just foamy, not stiff)

• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour

• 2 tablespoons finely snipped fresh chives

• 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

• 2 teaspoons coarse or kosher salt

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 2 teaspoons peanut oil

• Lemon wedges

1. Place the cleaned crabmeat in a medium mixing bowl. Pour the egg white over crabmeat slowly, stopping occasionally to mix it through. When the crabmeat has absorbed the egg white and feels slightly sticky to the touch, sift the flour over crabmeat and sprinkle the chives, black pepper, cayenne, and 1 teaspoon of the salt evenly over the top. Lift the crabmeat from the bottom of the bowl, turning it over gently, to mix the ingredients without overhandling.

2. Separate the crabmeat into 8 equal portions and gently roll each between the flattened palms of your hands to form loose balls. Flatten slightly and transfer to a plate. Sprinkle both sides liberally with the remaining 1 teaspoon salt and refrigerate for at least 1 hour before cooking.

3. Line a baking pan with paper towels. Fry the crab cakes in two batches to ensure a crisp crust. Using a small (8-inch) heavy skillet that conducts heat well, melt half the butter and oil together until the mixture is foamy and begins to brown. Carefully place the crab cakes in the hot fat and fry until a crust forms, turning only once, about 2 minutes per side. (The fat should be sizzling hot, enabling a crisp crust to form before the crab absorbs the cooking fat. This is the Southern secret to perfect crab cakes.) A small pastry spatula (with a thin tongue) will make lifting and turning the delicate crab cakes a lot easier. Remove the crab cakes and drain in the prepared pan. Cover loosely with aluminum foil to keep warm while you make the second batch.

4. Carefully pour off the cooking fat from the first batch, wipe out the pan, and return it to the heat. Prepare the second batch of crab cakes using the remaining butter and oil.

5. Serve hot with lemon wedges. Makes 8

Shrimp Salad

• 1 pound large (21-25 count) shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise

• 2 tablespoons sour cream

• 1 tablespoon finely minced fresh tarragon

• 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon tarragon vinegar

• 1/4 cup finely diced celery

• 1/4 cup finely minced scallions

• 1 teaspoon coarse or kosher salt

• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper

1. In a medium stockpot over high heat, bring 4 quarts abundantly salted water to a rolling boil. Add the shrimp and cook until just pink, about 3 minutes. Immediately transfer to a colander and run under cool water to stop the shrimp from cooking any further (only takes several seconds; shrimp should still be slightly warm when dressed). Shake the colander to drain any excess water.

2. In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, sour cream, and tarragon. Set aside.

3. In a medium mixing bowl, toss the warm shrimp with the lemon juice and vinegar. Stir in the celery and scallions. Add the mayonnaise mixture, salt, and pepper and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve. Taste to correct seasoning. Serves 4 as a first course or sandwich filling. Serves 2 as a light lunch.

Breakfast Shrimp and Grits

• 1 cup coarse white grits

• 2 thick slices country bacon, cut into matchsticks (about 1/2 cup)

• 1 small shallot, finely minced

• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

• 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined

• 1 teaspoon strained fresh lemon juice

• Coarse or kosher salt

• 2 to 3 drops Tabasco sauce

1. Slow-cook the grits according to the package directions. (This will take about 60 minutes.) Set aside.

2. Place a medium, heavy skillet over moderate heat. When the pan is hot, add the bacon and cook until the fat is rendered and bacon is crisp, 5 to 8 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the bacon and reserve in a small bowl, keeping the pan as is, fat and all. (This can be done in advance. Do not cook the shrimp until the grits are ready and resting.)

3. In a low oven, warm four heatproof serving plates.

4. Return the skillet with the bacon fat to moderate heat. Add the shallot and cook until soft but not colored. Add butter and when it's melted, add shrimp, cooking until just pink, about 3 minutes. Add lemon juice and a pinch of salt and toss to coat.

5. Spoon about 1/2 cup steaming grits into the middle of each warm plate. Using a slotted spoon, place shrimp on top of the grits. Add reserved bacon and Tabasco to the pan juices, swirling the skillet for a few seconds to create a thin sauce. Pour over the shrimp and grits. Serves 4.

Pork and Rosemary Ragu

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

• 8 large garlic cloves, roughly chopped

• 8 sprigs fresh rosemary

• One 3 1/2- to-4-pound pork bone-in rib roast, ribs removed and tied onto a roast

• 1 red onion, roughly chopped (about 2 cups)

• One 35-ounce can whole tomatoes, preferably San Marzano

• 2 pounds pasta (preferably pappardelle), cooked

• Freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

1. In a large skillet over moderate heat, warm the olive oil. Add the garlic and rosemary and sauté until the rosemary needles sizzle and turn crisp and the garlic is golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and reserve.

2. In the same pan, sear the pork in the hot flavored oil, turning it occasionally, until all sides are nicely browned, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a large stockpot and set aside.

3. Add the onion to the flavored oil and cook, stirring occasionally, until browned (adding more oil sparingly if the pan is too dry), about 3 minutes. Crush the tomatoes with your hands and add, with their juice, stirring to scrape up any browned bits of pork stuck to the bottom of the pan. Transfer the tomato mixture to the stockpot and bring to a low boil over medium heat. Cover the pot, lower the heat, and simmer until the pork is tender enough to shred (when scraped with a fork), about 2 hours.

4. Cool the pork in the tomato sauce. (The cooled pork roast and sauce can be transferred to a storage container and refrigerated overnight. Wrap and store the garlic and rosemary separately.)

5. Remove the pork from the tomato sauce and reserve. In a food processor fitted with a metal blade, process half the tomato sauce with the fried garlic cloves and rosemary needles (discarding stalks) until somewhat smooth. Stir the puréed sauce back into the pot with the rest of the tomato sauce. The goal is a sauce with a rough, chunky character.

6. Shred the pork and strip the meat from the bones. Discard the bones. Chop the meat finely by hand, not in a food processor, and stir it into the tomato sauce. Heat and serve over pasta, passing the cheese on the side. Makes 8 cups, enough for 2 to 3 pounds pasta.

Creme Brulee

• 2 1/2 cups heavy cream

• 1 vanilla bean

• 6 egg yolks

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

• 1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 325°F.

2. Pour the heavy cream into a large saucepan and set aside. Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape the seeds from inside the pod into the cream. Add the pod.

3. Over moderate heat, bring the cream and vanilla mixture to a low boil. Remove from the heat, cover, and let the mixture steep for 15 minutes. Remove the vanilla pod.

4. In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and granulated sugar until pale yellow. Slowly whisk the egg mixture into the cream.

5. Pour into four to six shallow broiler-proof custard dishes. Set the dishes in a shallow roasting pan and pour boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the dishes.

6. Bake until the custard is set, about 30 minutes. (The tops will still look jiggly.)

7. Remove the dishes from roasting pan and cool on a rack to room temperature.

8. Preheat the broiler.

9. Press the brown sugar through a fine-mesh strainer onto the custards in an even layer. Wipe excess sugar from rims.

10. Broil about 5 inches from the heat source until the sugar liquefies, then starts to bubble and caramelize. This can take from 1 to 3 minutes. Rotate the pan to ensure even browning and be extremely careful not to burn the tops.

11. Remove the custard dishes and cool on a rack to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour before serving. Serves 4 to 6.

Excerpted from The Pat Conroy Cookbook by Pat Conroy copyright © 2004 by Pat Conroy. Excerpted by permission of Doubleday (Doubleday.com) a division of Random House, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.