Last Saturday, I cooked off a great many crab cakes. 507, to be exact, silver dollar-sized, crusty morsels, served with a squiggle of intensely lemony-chive sauce. I was participating in the Crab Cake Cookoff at Noyo Harbor, an annual fundraiser on behalf of the Mendocino Coast Clinics. Over a dozen Mendocino County wineries poured and 12 creative souls cooked their hearts out for a good couple of hours in a gigantic white tent. I figure about 6000 cakes were made during that time! Here’s my recipe, which took first place in the Professional category in 2006:
Finely grated zest of 1 organic lemon (I use a Microplane zester) ¼ cup mayonnaise 1 ½ Tb. minced flat-leaf parsley 2 drops Tabasco sauce ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper ¾ tsp. sea salt 6 Tb. panko crumbs, measured, then ground using the S-blade in a food processor About 1 ½ cups panko crumbs, measured, then ground using the S-blade in a food processor, to which ½ tsp. each sea salt and freshly ground black pepper have been added Safflower oil Rinse and pick over crab meat, discarding any pieces of shell or cartilage. Break up lumps (I know most recipes say to leave them whole but in my experience, this causes the cakes to fall apart). Set aside. Saute shallots over low heat in butter and cool. When cooled, mix together with eggs, zest, mayonnaise, parsley, Tabasco sauce, pepper, salt and panko crumbs. Let sit 15 minutes, then mix thoroughly with crab. Form into 8 patties, dredge in seasoned panko crumbs and refrigerate for at least an hour. Saute in hot oil (about ¼ inch deep) until richly browned on both sides, drain briefly on paper towels and serve immediately. Sauce for crab cakes (more than needed for the crab cakes but it’s so good, you’ll want to use it with other foods!) ¾ cup Garlic-Herb Lemonaise ½ cup Lemonaise 1/3 cup fresh lemon juice Finely grated zest of ½ organic lemon 2 Tb. minced chives Freshly ground black pepper Whisk together all ingredients. Makes about 1 ½ cups.
