Sushi rolls win trip to Pillsbury bake-off contest
Sue Studz has been keeping an eye on the Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest since her childhood, when her mother followed its recipes. The part-time Fenwick Island resident and Baltimore native gave the challenge a shot for only the second time this year and is on her way to the finals in Orlando.
Inspired by her love of crab meat and the look of a California roll, the winning recipe for sushi-style crescent crab rolls came together, Studz said, when she realized she could mimic the look of the sushi roll with canned crab meat and Pillsbury crescent rolls, along with sesame seeds from sponsoring companies such as McCormick.
“It’s baked and warm, with a nice flavor. I make a crab salad that is sort of a tasty filling. It is not hard to make; it’s a lot easier than sushi,” she said, chuckling. “All my friends think I will at least win my category, and people seem to like them.”
Gearing up for the bake-off in Orlando, Studz said she will offer a cooking demonstration from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Saturday, March 17, at Giant grocery store in Rehoboth Beach.
Studz said she's learned a log about cooking from Osher Institute of Lifelong Learning in Lewes, which she credits with helping her to stay active and engaged through her retirement in Delaware.
“I’ve taken cooking classes through Osher, and they’ve been so supportive,” she said. “They offer a lot for adults over 50. I’ve always been creative. You don’t want to retire and just stop doing the things that you enjoy.”
A lifetime cookbook collector, Studz said her recipe for sushi-style crescent crab rolls was aided by techniques she learned in Osher's cooking classes.
“Right now I’m taking a class called Seafood Savvy, and I already got a tip for my cooking,” Studz said. “A seafood technologist told me if my crab meat comes from the Far East, I won’t have to pick it over for shells because labor is so cheap there. They take the time to pick it over more carefully."
Perfecting the recipe at her home in Fenwick Island, Studz said it wasn’t hard to find taste testers among her friends on the shore.
Reviews on the Pillsbury website call the sushi rolls the most delicious appetizer, and reviewers reported they were a hit at cocktail parties.
With 100 finalists from 34 states and entries in four categories, Studtz is one of two competitors from Baltimore. She said contestants had to follow strict qualifications to enter the competition, but with myriad products available from Pillsbury and other sponsoring companies, the competition allows for plenty of room for creativity.
The crescent rolls were a versatile favorite, she said.
“Out of 100 recipes, 24 used the crescent rolls,” Studz said. “Pillsbury sells a lot of crescent rolls - I know they’ve sold a lot to me - and Pillsbury has good products. Some of their recipes are just superb; they are really done well.”
The 45th annual Pillsbury Bake-Off Contest is slated for Monday, March 26, in Orlando, Fla., with Martha Stewart as host. She will announce winners on her show for the first time March 27.
Sushi-Style Crescent Crab Rolls
3/4 c plus 2 T panko bread crumbs
1/4 c mayonnaise
1/4 c finely chopped sweet onion
1 T Dijon mustard
1 T fresh lemon juice
1 t Worcestershire sauce
2 T finely chopped fresh Italian (flat-leaf) parsley
1 can (6.5 oz) special white lump crab meat, drained, rinsed
1 can Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
3 T butter, melted
1/4 c finely chopped red bell pepper
1 T sesame seeds
1 T black sesame seeds
In small bowl, combine 1/4 c bread crumbs, mayonnaise, onion, Dijon, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and parsley; mix well. Stir in crab meat.
Unroll crescent dough; separate into 4 rectangles. Firmly press perforations to seal. Brush rectangles with melted butter; sprinkle each with 1 1/2 t bread crumbs. To make each roll, spoon 1/4 c crab mixture on 1 short end of each rectangle, spreading mixture onto 1/3 of rectangle. Starting with crab-filled side, roll up, just covering crab. Spoon 1 T red pepper next to edge of crab mixture. Roll up completely; press seam to seal. (Refrigerate remaining crab mixture.) In shallow dish, stir together 1/4 c bread crumbs, sesame seeds and black sesame seeds. Brush outsides of rolls with melted butter; roll in sesame seed mixture. Wrap each roll in plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour.
Heat oven to 375°F. Using serrated knife, cut each roll into 6 slices. Press cut side of each slice into remaining 1/4 c bread crumbs. Place each slice, crumb side down, in each of 24 ungreased regular-size muffin cups. Spoon 1/4 t reserved crab mixture onto each slice; drizzle with remaining butter.
Bake 12-17 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in pan on cooling rack 5 minutes.
Transfer appetizers to serving platter. If desired, garnish platter with chopped red pepper and parsley. Serve warm.
