After my blog about our 45th anniversary, recipes were requested. Marty has written out his recipe for crab cakes. I have added my avocado salsa. We do not like a lot of flavors competing with the crab. We also don’t like lots of bread products as binder. It is all about the crab. So his crab cakes are light on seasonings and the salsa is not real hot, just a little bite.
The crab you use depends on where you live. We buy live Dungeness crab, steam it, and pick it ourselves. If you can’t buy fresh crab, buy the best canned crab you can find. Then soak the canned crab in milk as you prepare the binder, and that takes the fishy canned flavor away. Squeeze out the milk in cheesecloth and then prepare the crab cakes.
Marty’s Crab Cakes
We use a pulverized mixture of shrimp to be the binder for the crab cakes enhancing the crab flavors and still hold the crabmeat together. Serves 2 for a main course, serves 4 as an appetizer or salad course. We serve different sauces to accompany the crab cakes.
1 lb Crabmeat picked over for shells
1 ½ C Panko Bread Crumbs
Salt and Pepper
2 Celery ribs
½ C onion chopped
1 garlic clove peeled and smashed
1 T unsalted butter
4 oz Uncooked shrimp peeled, deveined and tails removed
¼ C Heavy Cream
2 t Dijon Mustard
½ t hot pepper sauce
1 t lemon juice
1 t Old Bay Seasoning
4 t Vegetable oil
1. Place ¾ C panko in a plastic zip lock bag and use rolling pan to crush panko. Place panko in skillet and add remaining ¾ C panko. Toast over medium high heat until toasted, about 5 minutes. Place toasted panko in a shallow dish and season with salt and pepper. Wipe out skillet.
2. Place celery, onion and garlic in food processor and process with blade until crushed, about 5–8 pulses. Transfer vegetables to a bowl to cool and rinse out processor and blade and reserve. Add butter to empty skillet and add vegetables over medium heat. Add ½ t salt and 1/8 t pepper, cook stirring frequently until vegetables are softened and moisture has evaporated, about 5 minutes. Return vegetables to bowl and cool; wipe out skillet.
3. Pulse shrimp in food processor 8-12 times until finely ground, scraping down bowl as needed. Add cream and pulse to combine, 2 – 4 times. Transfer shrimp puree to bowl with cooled vegetables. Add mustard, pepper sauce, lemon juice and Old Bay Seasoning; stir until combined. Add crab and fold gently until combined being careful to not break up the crab. Divide mixture into 4 balls and press to ½ inch patties. We use a cut out can of bamboo shoots to be the form for the cakes. Place cakes on a rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Cover tightly and refrigerate 30 minutes to cool and firm.
4. Coat each cake with panko, firmly pressing to adhere the panko. Heat 1 T vegetable oil in skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Place the 4 cakes in skillet and cook without moving them until golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Using 2 spatulas, carefully flip the cakes, add 1 T oil, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue to cook until second side is golden brown, 4-6 minutes. Transfer cakes to platter. Serve immediately.
Sauce
Avocado Salsa
2 small ripe avocados, or 1 medium
1 ripe tomato (5 ounces), peeled, halved, seeded, and coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 teaspoon finely minced jalapeno pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives
FOR THE SALSA: While the crab cakes are cooking, peel and pit the avocado and coarsely chop it. (I added about 1 teaspoon of lemon juice to prevent browning)
You can prepare the rest of the ingredients before the avocado. Combine the avocado and tomato in a bowl. Add the vinegar, oil, pepper, salt, and water, and jalapeno tossing gently to mix.
To serve, spoon the avocado mixture onto individual plates and sprinkle with the chives. Place the crab cakes on top and serve.
Serves 2 as entrée, 4 for salad or appetizer
