Crab Meatballs

If you like the stuffing in crab stuffed mushrooms, you've got to try this appetizer. I made my crab meatballs really small and served them with toothpicks as an appetizer. They are great plain, but I'm guessing that they would also be tasty served with seafood cocktail sauce. I haven't made this in ages, so I have no idea how much it yields.

• Ready In: 30 mins
• Serves: 10

Ingredients

• 2 1⁄2 tablespoons flour
• 1⁄8 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄8 teaspoon paprika
• 1  tablespoon  oil
• 1  cup milk
• 1⁄4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1  teaspoon fresh parsley, chopped
• 14  ounces  crab, canned (drained & flaked)
• 1 1⁄4 cups  breadcrumbs
• 1  egg, slightly beaten
• 2  tablespoons water
•  breadcrumbs (for coating)
•  oil (for frying)

Directions

1. Place flour, salt and paprika in a 1 quart saucepan. Then add oil and stir until smooth.
2. Stir in milk gradually; cook over medium heat until mixture thickens, stirring constantly.
3. Remove from heat and add Worcestershire sauce, parsley and crab. Mix thoroughly, then add bread crumbs and mix.
4. Shape crab mixture into small balls. (If you wet your hands in cold water, the mixture won't stick to your hands).
5. Place some bread crumbs in a small bowl and egg beaten with a little water in a second small bowl.
6. Roll crab balls in bread crumbs, then in the egg, then in the bread crumbs again.
7. Add a small amount of oil to a saute pan and fry crab balls over medium heat. Fry them in several batches so the pan is not crowded, shaking the pan to move them around so they get browned on all sides.
8. If making ahead, heat in a baking dish at 350 degrees for 30 minutes before serving.