Maryland Crab and Asparagus Club Pockets
Ingredients:
1 lb. Lump crabmeat, cleaned and drained
1 (.25 ounce) pkg. active dry yeast
1/4 c. warm water
1 c. milk
3 eggs
1/2 c. vegetable oil
2 Tbsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. salt
4-5 c. all purpose flour
3/4 lb. peppered bacon
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 lb. asparagus, chopped into 1 inch pieces
4 cloves fresh garlic, minced
6.5 oz. jar artichokes, chopped into 1 inch pieces
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 Tbsp. fresh dill, chopped
10 slices Pepper jack cheese, cut into 2 pieces each
1 egg for egg wash
Directions:
Dissolve the yeast in the 1/4 cup of warm water. In a medium saucepan over low heat, warm the milk and gently whisk in the eggs, oil, sugar and salt. Remove from heat.
Place 2 cups of flour in a large mixing bowl and gradually stir in the milk mixture. Then add the yeast solution alternately with 2 more cups of flour, stirring after each addition. Mix well.
Knead until the dough forms a ball and does not stick to the bowl. You may need to add more flour as you knead the dough. Cover the bowl with a clean cloth. Set in a warm location and allow to rise until doubled in volume (about 30 minutes).
Fry bacon and set aside for cooling. Once cool chop into 1 inch pieces.
Lightly saute? crab meat in some of the bacon grease and set aside (just a few minutes). Saute? onion, shallot, asparagus and crushed garlic until asparagus are soft. Add artichokes, salt, pepper and dill to mixture.
In a large bowl, mix vegetable with crab meat and chopped bacon. Set filling aside for cooling and assembly.
Preheat oven to 375?F.
Remove dough from bowl and place on a lightly floured surface. Pinch off pieces approximately the size of golf balls. Roll the pieces into disks about 4-5 inches in diameter.
Fill center of each disk with two pepper jack cheese squares and two heaping Tbsp. of the meat filling.
Fold disks over the mixture and firmly pinch edges to seal. Place pockets on cookie sheet with seam side down. Brush each sandwich pocket with a little egg. Cook 15-17 minutes until golden brown on top.
