EcrosTechWiki | Recipes / Graham's Crab Cakes

This is an original recipe by Graham. The goal was to make tasty crab cakes with a high proportion of crab meat over filling using ingredients readily available at the grocery store. If you can buy fresh crab, so much the better, but the recipe works with cans such as Culinary Reserve. The least expensive kind (claw meat) is just fine.

½ cup	.....	Shallot (or onion), very finely chopped
½ cup	.....	Celery, very finely chopped
½ cup	.....	Green bell pepper, very finely chopped
½ teaspoon	.....	Paprika
¼ teaspoon	.....	Ground black pepper
pinch	.....	Cayenne pepper
to taste	.....	Salt
1	.....	Large egg
1 lb	.....	Lump crab meat, fresh or canned (drained)
¾ cup	.....	Fine breadcrumbs (panko is OK)
1 tablespoon	.....	Fresh coriander leaves (cilantro), chopped
½ cup	.....	Mayonnaise
2 tablespoons	.....	All-purpose flour
4 tablespoons	.....	Neutral cooking oil (olive oil is OK)

Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in a small pan and add the shallot (or onion) and celery. Cook, stirring, until the shallot is translucent. Add the green pepper and continue cooking until it softens. If you like, you can add some red bell pepper for color. Add the paprika, black pepper, cayenne and salt and stir well. Cook for a minute or two and then allow to cool. TIP: You can do this part of the recipe well before you finish it and store the result in the fridge or even freeze it for months. Make enough for multiple batches of crab cakes and divide it up!

Beat the egg in a small bowl.

In a medium bowl, fold the cooled shallot / celery / pepper mixture into the crab meat along with ½ cup of the breadcrumbs and the cilantro. Fold in the mayonnaise and finally the beaten egg. Be careful to not break up the crab meat excessively. Keep the crab mix cool, putting it in the refrigerator for ½ hour if possible before continuing.

Mix the remaining breadcrumbs with the flour on a flat surface. Take a dollop of the crab mixture and roll it in the breadcrumbs. Flatten it into a patty about 2½ inches in diameter and ¾ inches thick, making sure it is thoroughly coated. Put the patty on wax paper over a cookie sheet. Repeat until all the crab mixture has been made into patties. If you're not going to cook them immediately, keep them in the refrigerator. TIP: The patties will be fine in the refrigerator for several days, but you may need extra breadcrumbs so that they don't get sticky.

Heat the remaining oil in a non-stick frying pan. When shimmering, lower to medium heat and cook the crab cakes carefully for 3 to 4 minutes per side until browned. Remove from the pan to a warmed platter to drain and then serve promptly with a garnish of greens, a slice of lemon and a tablespoon of sauce (see below) per cake. TIP: Celery leaves make a very attractive garnish!

Makes 8 to 10 crab cakes, to serve 8 to 10 people as an hors d'œuvre or 4 to 5 as a main course.

Smoky Sauce for Crab Cakes

¼ cup	.....	Mayonnaise
1 teaspoon	.....	Smoked paprika (Safinter brand recommended)
¼ teaspoon	.....	Garlic powder
⅛ teaspoon	.....	Cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon	.....	Fresh coriander leaves (cilantro), finely chopped (optional)

Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl and leave for the flavors to mature for at least ½ hour. Add more paprika if desired to get the right smokiness. Serve about 1 tbsp per crab cake, to one side, or in a small dish for all to share.