Sunday, November 14, 2010

Classic Crab Cakes



Classic Crab Cakes 
(from Martha Stewart's Hors d'Oeuvres Handbook)

12 oz. lump crabmeat
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (not Paleo...use it, leave it out, or sub in Coconut Aminos)
2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
2 medium jalepeño peppers, seeds and ribs removed, minced 
3 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 large shallot, minced
2 tablespoons chile-lime aioli (recipe below) or homemade mayonnaise 
Zest of 1 lemon
Olive Oil (use regular versus the EVOO for it's lighter flavor), for cooking
  1. Preheat oven to 350F. 
  2. In a medium bowl, mix together the mustard, Worcestshire, Old Bay, jalepeños, cilantro, egg, shallots, aioli, and lemon zest.  Add the crab meat. 
  3. Using a small scoop (scoop size will depend on the size crab cake you'd like) or your fingers, shape the mixture in to small balls.  Continue with the remaining crab mixture.
  4. Heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the crab cakes in the skillet and cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 1 minute.  Turn the crab cakes and cook until golden brown, about 30 seconds to 1 minute more.  Transfer the crab cakes to a paper towel to absorb the oil.  
  5. Transfer the crab cakes to a baking sheet. Bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown.  The crab cakes may be held in a warm oven for 30 minutes or cooled and reheated at serving time*.
  6. Sever warm with the Chili Lime Aïoli and cilantro garnish.
*If you are going to serve these the next day, or up to two days after preparing, stop at Step #4. Once the crab cakes are cooled, transfer them to a parchment paper-lined (layer parchment paper, crab cakes, parchment paper, crab cakes, and so on...) tupperware container in the fridge, until ready (up to two days) to heat and serve. 


Chile-Lime Aioli

1 garlic clove
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 large egg
1 large egg yolk
1 cup olive oil
Zest of 1 lime
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 orange or red habanero, seeds and ribs removed
Place the garlic, habanero, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Process until puréed.  Add the egg and egg yolk and process, scraping down the sides of the bowl to combine the ingredients thoroughly.  With the machine running, very slowly add the olive oil in a thin, steady stream; it will emulsify and thicken.  Once the oil is added and the aïoli has formed, quickly pulse in the lime zest and the juice. The aïoli may be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 day.

2 comments:

Nikki said...

I just want you to know that I love you today because crab cakes are MY FAVORITE!

jencereghino said...

Mine too! These are pretty incredible...and addicting. Thanks for the love! ;)