King of the Krab Kakes!

Here's a recipe for Great Crab Cakes!







In my Christmas Epilog post I mentioned some really good crab cakes! Well, I don't want to just enjoy them alone so after attempts at bribery, intimidation, and a whole lot of begging - (the begging finally worked) I was able to secure the recipe from the chef for these absolutely, scrumptious crab cakes. As I've mentioned before, I've spent some time on the East coast - You know? "Maryland is for Crabs" and "Virginia is for Lovers"? So I've enjoyed many a crab cake. But these guys offered something special. I do believe it was the addition of the mint that I found so appealing.








This was (at least) my second helping. (Who was counting?) Excuse the presentation. It looked a lot better on the first serving.





Here's the Recipe:


1 shake of seasoned pepper

1/4 cup of yellow or white corn kernels

1 pound of lump crab meat, preferably blue crab. Be sure to pick fro bits of shell.

1 small shallot, finely chopped

1 tablespoon finely snipped chives

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint (about 16 small leaves)

1 /2 teaspoon fine sea salt or more to taste

3 tablespoons of store bought Mayonnaise

1 1/2 teaspoons olive oil

1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter

wedges of lemon and extra-virgin olive oil, for serving

1 bottle of Silver Palate Apricot mustard sauce

garnish as desired



This is what you do:



Bring some lightly salted water to a boil and then blanch the corn for 8 minutes. Drain the corn and then chop coarsely.



Press and drain the crab meat gently to remove as much moisture as possible without breaking it up too much. You'll want the nice big chunks in your cakes. In a bowl, combine the crab, corn, shallot, chives, mint, pepper, and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Toss together thoroughly and add just enough mayonnaise to bind the mixture together, but not so much that it's soupy. Form the crab mixture into little cakes about 2 inches around and 1/2 inch think, compacting them firmly between your hands. Place on a platter, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for 2 to 3 hours.



Place a nonstick pan over medium heat, and add the oil and butter. When the foam has subsided, add the crab cakes and saute until golden brown on each side, about 2 1/2 minutes per side. Plan at least 2 cakes per person for an appetizer. Serve with the apricot mustard sauce or alternative sauce of your choice.



Tips: These cakes would also be great with a spicy or tangy sauce like a mixture of ketchup, mayo and hot sauce.



You could enjoy this dish with a light white wine of your choice. I found a glass of 7 Deadly Zins, quite complimentary.





Here's another look:

I'd love to give credit to the source of this recipe but it appears that it may have come from several places. The Chef, who has asked to remain anonymous, referred me to a book: Cuisine Naturelle - French classics redefined. This book will no doubt enhance your eating experience and has a similar recipe. You can get a copy from Amazon by following this link: Click Here