Finally My Crab Cakes

For several years I've been making crab cakes based on a Dean & Deluca recipe. Gradual tweaks, including sautéed vegetables and frying instead of baking, allow me to claim this as my own, with kudos to all who came before. Seriously, the seasoning and the added (little bit of, not too destructive) fat really make this dish come alive. I served over greens with a honey mustard vinaigrette.

Makes 8 cakes, serves four

1/8 cup red onion, finely diced

1/8 cup celery, finely diced

1 clove garlic, minced

Splash hot sauce

3/8 cup mayonnaise

1/8 cup sour cream

1 Tb spicy mustard

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 lb can jumbo lump crab meat, in the refrigerated can (Costco is a good source, Sam's is not)

1/2 cup approx. Panko (asian bread crumbs)

Salt

Pepper

Olive oil

In a sauté pan, add 1 TBS olive oil, heat until shimmering. Add onion and celery, toss about five minutes over medium heat, until opaque. Add garlic, cook 2 minutes more, remove from heat and cool.  

In a bowl mix mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard and egg. Add vegetables and stir. Gently fold in crab meat. Add panko to proper consistency for forming.**  Salt and pepper to taste.

Separate mixture into 8 equal portions. Pat into cakes about 3/4" thick x 2-3" diameter on parchment covered cookie sheet.

Heat a heavy bottom sauté pan over medium high heat. Add 1 Tbsp olive oil. When hot, add cakes and cook for 3 minutes without turning, flip and reduce heat. Cook on med low for about 4-5 minutes until firm but not hard.

** Hard to describe but you should be able to form patties that are dry enough to hold together. Too moist and things will fall apart.