Crab Mac & Cheese Lollipops

From: Chef Arturo Paz, Phillips Seafood, Baltimore. Yield: 12 “pops.”

Pops:

8 oz. cooked pasta shells

8 oz. cheese sauce

8 oz. Phillips Special crab meat

2 cups all-purpose flour

6 eggs, whisked

4 oz. panko bread crumbs

as needed, oil for frying (up to 2 quarts)

Sauce:

2 cups whole grain mustard

2 cups mayonnaise

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

¼ cup lemon juice

1 Tbsp. hot sauce

For lollipops: In a small sauce pot, mix pasta with cheese sauce. Cook for 5 minutes on medium heat, until mixture thickens. Turn off heat and set aside.

Fold Phillips Special crab meat into mixture. Mix carefully in order to avoid breaking up crab meat. Pour into a bowl and refrigerate until mixture firms up.

Scoop the “pops” with a 1-oz. ice cream scoop. Coat pops using a standard breading procedure. First, dredge them in flour, followed by a bath in the egg wash, then roll them in panko bread crumbs.

Heat oil in a skillet to medium. Make sure there's enough oil to cover lollipops in the pan. Place lollipop sticks in the oil, making sure the “pops” are submerged. Fry for 2 minutes or until golden brown.

For sauce: Mix all the sauce ingredients in a mixing bowl.