I couldn't resist making this recipe!! In one of my other recipes, Avocado Mango Salsa, I give you a few different ideas for dishes to pair with the salsa. I suggested fritattas, grilled chicken and shrimp. Now, since I have plenty of that amazing salsa left over (and we all love to use our leftovers) I am making.... CRAB CAKES!!!!
I just love..love..love crab cakes; with this salsa on top...amazing!! I am not alone in this. My son-in-law, Ryan, loves crab cakes, also. Since he is the daddy to my beautiful grandchildren, we like to keep him happy once in awhile. In my family we all get request nights. Besides short ribs, this is usually his pick. When I was done making them today I brought them over to their house for dinner. They were all very happy. Even my grandson, Ryan, and granddaughter, Hattie, loved them. It is so great when you see kids trying and enjoying different foods. I love feeding them and introducing them to different flavors. I know that may sound silly, but it makes me very happy. In fact, my daughter Chelsea always tells the story of how I cried the first day she ate an onion...I know right??? It was awesome!!
This recipe will make about 12 large crab cakes. If your don't want to make that many, you can just cut the ingredient in half. In our house....never!! They are great leftover on a sandwich the next day, topped with some fresh arugula...thin sliced tomato on a toasted roll!! Let's get cooking...I'm just making myself hungry.
CRAB CAKES 2 - 1LB CANS OF LUMP CRABMEAT 1 RED PEPPER 1 YELLOW PEPPER 1 SMALL BUNCH OF SCALLIONS 20 CRACKERS (SALTINES, RITZ..WHICHEVER YOU PREFER) 1 TSP PAPRIKA 1 TBLSP FRESH DILL CHOPPED 1 LEMON JUICED 2 TBLSP WORCESTERSHIRE SAUCE 2 TBLSP BROWN MUSTARD 1 CUP MAYONNAISE 2 EGGS SALT AND PEPPER
YOU WILL ALSO NEED FOR BREADING AND FRYING FLOUR EGGS PANKO CRUMBS OLIVE OIL Start off with putting the two cans of crab meat in a large mixing bowl. I like to use the jumbo lump crab meat but you can certainly use the regular lump also. It is just as delicious and a little more reasonable in price.
Next, dice up and add the red and the yellow peppers as well as the scallions. I love using both colored peppers. The red, the yellow and the green from the scallions.....beautiful!!
Crush the crackers. Just crush them right in your hand. That is perfect and throw them in the bowl.
Now...some spice!! Add paprika, chopped fresh dill, juice of one lemon, salt & pepper, worcestershire sauce and mustard. Mix it all very gently so you don't break up the lumps of crab.
Lastly, add the mayonnaise and the eggs. Again, mix gently so you don't break up those lumps.
There you go, you are almost there. How easy was that so far??? At this point you may need a break....errands?... kids?... maybe a glass of wine? Go for it. You can mix this up real quick in the morning, cover it with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge until you are ready to come back and fry them up!!!
Now, you are ready and hopefully hungry!! Set up a three bowl station. One of each as I did....flour...egg...panko. There are no measurements involved here, just use what you need depending on how many you are making. I love saying that because I am sooooo not a measurer. That is for sure the hardest part of these recipes for me....how much of this...how much of that...????
You will take a handful...big..small...whatever you prefer in your hand. It is easiest to sprinkle the flour on the crab cake while it is in your hand...not gonna lie. They are messy. But, sooo worth it. You can just leave it in a ball at this stage. then...while still in your hand I drizzle the egg all over it with a spoon over the bowl. It really is easiest if you do this all in your hands. Then the panko. Once you start covering it in the panko it becomes easier to handle and shape. Now shape it into a patty. The big trick here is to rinse your hands with cold water in between each patty. It won't stick to your hands as much...but again it is messy, so roll up your sleeves.
Now just heat up that olive oil and fry!!! Fry them about 4 or 5 minutes on each side until they are a beautiful golden brown. Let them drain on a paper towel for a few minutes and EAT!!! Enjoy these while they are still nice and hot and crunchy. They reheat really well in the oven to keep that crunch.
I have also mixed up a quick little sauce to go on top. It is literally just mayo, chipotle sauce and honey. It's a creamy, hot and sweet little something on top. Fast, easy and a delicious addition because I don't want to take too much away from the salsa. There is plenty of flavor in that. You can use any aoli sauce you like here..go for it.
I hope you all enjoy the crab cakes. I know Ryan and my babies did!! Since we have eaten all that fantastic salsa now, we are on to a new topic, QUINOA. Although there is still so much to do with an avocado, we will have to come back to them. Can't wait.