Firstly, before I dive into this recipe with absolute gusto, I'd like to have a moment of silence for Lauryn's favorite bamboo spoon. Apparently the spoon didn't respect the burner's personal space, and alas...it has gone to meet the choir invisible.
I would also like to take this moment to remind you to talk to your cooking utensils and sous chefs about personal space so sad, unnecessary accidents like this don't happen. Perhaps this is a reasonable time to suggest that favorite utensils be purchased in pairs so you'll always have a spare.
On to the crab cakes! (Note the pile of crispy bits on the plates in the picture...I was feeling generous enough to share those)
I had left over lump crab meat, I had panko bread crumbs, I had mustard and mayo in the fridge, and now I have a stuffed tummy and a big smile on my face. The first round of crab meat went towards a delicious crab/sherry/cream sauce that my Mom made. Wow. I really, seriously, wanted to lick the plate after that. Okay. I did lick the plate. Then I cleaned up the mess I made from when I decided that I would make fettucine from scratch because we only had elbows and that just.wouldn't.work. I need to work on my pasta making skills. Now I'm getting distracted. Crab cakes! I knew I wanted to make something with the extra crab, not wanting to let anything so fabulous go to waste. I dug up a crab cake recipe that looked like I had at least some of the ingredients. I tweaked the recipe I found because I had half the meat necessary and not all the ingredients in my pantry. It worked despite the absentees! Also, the original recipe had about 5 hours of waiting time while things were in the fridge and the freezer, and crap on that! I was hungry! This would make a great remix of the leftovers from, perhaps, a crab boil? (If you know of any, invite me. I'll make your leftovers forget their names)
8 oz. lump crab meat
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1/4 cup red bell pepper, minced very small
1 egg yolk
1 Tbsp. stoneground mustard
2 heaping Tbsp. mayonnaise
fresh lemon juice to taste
Toast the bread crumbs in the oven at 350 until golden brown. Soften the red pepper in a skillet. In the meantime, whisk egg yolk, mayo, mustard and lemon juice. Cool the peppers, cool the bread crumbs. Mix together mayo mixture, crab, a good handful of bread crumbs, and peppers. Stick 'em in the freezer for 15 minutes or so. Start thinking about your side dish - I decided on broiled asparagus with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Pull the meat out of the freezer and form into patties - they will not hold together very well, so be careful. Roll in the left over bread crumbs. Prep another skillet with melted butter (or olive oil if you're trying to be healthier). Gingerly place the crab cakes in the pan and brown on medium-high heat. Try the two spatula method to flip these puppies over - scootching a cake onto one spatula with another. Once they are browned on both sides, serve 'em up!
I recommend this sauce for them:
heaping spoonful of mayo
half that amount of mustard
fresh lemon juice
Mix and slather.
The first bite tells you everything you'll ever need to know about your cooking skills. The intonation of the "mmm" gives everything away. Remember that for when you're a dinner guest. People who spend time making a meal pay attention to the sounds of the guests and your response could either make a new best friend (who can cook! Sweet!) or a brand new enemy. Be careful. I received an "mmm" that was deep, hearty and translated to "this is better than breathing air." Epic win!
Thanks for your shout-out to my spoon! It's gone to a better place. One where I won't use it as a security system to my keep windows from opening. *Sigh*. I have never had the desire to make crab cakes . . . before now. And now I am having to restrain myself from running to the store for crabmeat! Good job!
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