Feeling Crabby
August 14th, 2008Cottaging on the west coast means has many benefits including access to fresh seafood. Lately around the campfire I’ve been hearing stories of cooked crab. The result has left me feeling crabby. Normally a fan of crab dipped in butter, I’m on a quest for the perfect crab cake.
My search will start at the French Creek Fisheries, located off the old Island highway between Parksville and Qualicum, it’s a great place to pick up fresh seafood including crabs. Hopefully they will clean the crabs for me so all I have to worry about is the meat.
Today’s crab cake recipe comes from Epicurious.com, with a few modifations.
Crab cakes
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup minced green onions
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
4 teaspoons minced fresh dill
4 teaspoons minced fresh tarragon
4 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro
1 tablespoon finely grated lemon peel
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 pound blue crabmeat or Dungeness crabmeat
2 cups panko (Japanese breadcrumbs),* divided
2 tablespoons (or more) butter
2 tablespoons (or more) grapeseed oil
Directions:
Line baking sheet with waxed paper. Whisk first 9 ingredients in large bowl. Mix in crabmeat and 1 cup panko, breaking up crabmeat slightly. Let stand 10 minutes. Place remaining panko on rimmed baking sheet, spreading slightly. Form crab mixture into eight 4-inch-diameter patties, using about scant 2/4 cup for each. Press both sides of patties into panko. Transfer patties to waxed-paper-lined baking sheet. Cover and chill at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
Melt 1 tablespoon butter with 1 tablespoon oil in each of 2 heavy large skillets over medium-high heat. Add crab cakes to skillets and cook until golden on both sides, adding more butter and oil as needed, about 5 minutes total.
I like to serve my crab cakes with an Asian sweet chili sauce (the kind used for salad rolls and spring rolls)
Stay tuned for the results.
Cheers,
Julie
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