Crab Cakes with Sweet Peppers& Capers

2 lg Eggs

1 c Flour

1 c Whole milk

1 t Chopped fresh thyme

1 Scallion -- minced

1 tb Chopped fresh parsley

1 d Tabasco sauce

16 oz Dungeness crab meat -- cooked

1 pn Each salt and pepper

-- or to taste 2 ts Double-acting baking powder

7 oz Butter -- clarified

1 c Beurre blanc

1/4 c Red, yellow and green bell

-peppers -- julienned, 2" long 1 tb Minced fresh chives

4 ts Capers

Making the batter: Using a small whisk, combine the flour with eggs and milk. Strain through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. Add the following ingredients: thyme, scallion, parsley and Tabasco. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Note: Batter can be made a few hours in advance up to this point. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Just before cooking the crab cakes, add crab meat and baking powder to the batter, combining gently, using a wooden spoon. To cook the crab cakes, heat 2 oz. of clarified butter in a large frying pan, at medium heat. Using a 2-oz. ladle, make a batch of three cakes. Fry gently on one side for 2 minutes, turn over and cook another 2 minutes. Keep cakes warm, while cooking the various batches. When serving crab cakes, spread 1/4 cup warm beurre blanc on each plate. Arrange 3 cakes per serving and top off with the julienned peppers and chives. Sprinkle some capers around the cakes; serve. Suggested wines: Farniente Chardonnay. Recipe by Emile Labrousse of 1001 Nob Hill Restaurant, San Francisco. Electronic format by Cathy Harned. Submitted By [email protected] (CATHY HARNED) On 02 JAN 96 124006 -0800