Crab Cakes with Roasted Garlic Dipping Sauce
Some day I’m going to visit the east coast and eat fresh lobster and crab. Like the real deal, the stuff that was caught this morning and on my plate tonight. It’ll be wonderful, I’ll be beautiful in a simple but lovely modest sun dress with my hair down blowing ever so gently in the wind. Devin will be handsome, well because he is, but he’ll be cleaned up from a day of fishing. And we’ll sit on the patio of some amazing restaurant over looking the ocean at sunset as we feast on fresh crab and lobster… some day. Being land-locked my entire life I can only imagine. Oh we can get fresh fish out here in the Rockies. Either the ones that are caught from the rivers or the ones that are flown in from the coast and cost a fortune are always available. But something tells me the experience of eating today’s catch just a mile or so from where it was caught is a beautiful thing. Some day.
As for now, since I can’t afford the stuff that’s flown in and I can barely afford the frozen stuff, frozen stuff it is. I read this recipe in the latest edition of Cooks Illustrated. It seemed different and I thought I’d try it. So here is Lan Lam’s recipe for “Really Good Crab Cakes” adapted for my own kitchen! The sauce is my own recipe.
Ingredients:
Roasted Garlic Dipping Sauce:
4-6 cloves roasted garlic
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp hot sauce
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsely
Salt and fresh ground black pepper
Crab Cakes:
1 lb lump crabmeat
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
Salt and pepper
2 ribs celery, chopped
1/2 cup onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
4 oz shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp hot pepper sauce
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
4 Tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions:
1. For the sauce you’ll need to preheat your oven to 350°. Wrap garlic cloves, still in their paper, in foil, place them in the oven and roast for 30-40 minutes or until your house smells deliciously of garlic. I love roasted garlic because the flavor is more developed and less harsh. You’ll be able to tell when the garlic is done roasting because it will look brown and caramelized. Remove the garlic from the oven and let it cool in the foil. Once the garlic is cooled, remove the paper and chop. With your knife, smear the chopped garlic across the cutting board over and over until a thick paste is formed. Add this paste to a small bowl. Add the remaining sauce ingredients to the bowl and stir until well combined. To be honest, this sauce was a bit of a guessing game. I wanted something creamy but I wanted a flavor punch as well. I found that punch in the Worcestershire sauce. Feel free to play with the ingredients until you have a sauce that suites your taste. Refrigerate the sauce until you’re ready to use it.
2. Next, for the crab cakes, place the crabmeat and milk in a bowl, making sure the crab is totally submerged. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes. As far as crabmeat goes, I picked some up for a whopping $15/lb at my grocery store. I just had to remind myself that this was a treat and it’s a good thing I don’t do this very often! I lean more towards frozen crabmeat instead of canned because frozen meat is just better than canned. Whatever you do, please don’t buy imitation crabmeat. It’s like a seafood hot dog, you never really know what’s in it. The reason behind soaking the meat in milk is this: the milk removes the fishiness of the meat giving you a fresher taste.
3. While the crabmeat is soaking, place 3/4 cup panko in a small zip-lock bag and finely crush with a rolling pin. Transfer the crushed panko to a medium sized saute pan and add the remaining 1/4 cup panko. Toast the bread crumbs over medium heat, stirring often to avoid burning, until they are golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer the panko to a shallow dish and stir in 1/4 tsp salt and pepper to taste.
4. Next, pulse the celery, onion, and garlic in a food processor until they are finely chopped, about 5 to 8 pulses, scraping down the bowl as needed. Transfer the veggies to a large bowl. Rinse the processor bowl and blade cuz you’ll need it later. Melt the butter in a medium saute pan over medium heat. Add the chopped vegetables, 1/2 tsp salt and a pinch of black pepper. Cook the veggie mixture, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are softened and all moisture has evaporated, about 5-8 minutes. Return the veggies to the large bowl and let them cool to room temperature.
5. The crabmeat should be ready by now so strain it through a strainer pressing firmly to remove the milk. Try to be gentle, though, so as to not break up the lumps of crabmeat.
6. This next part might seem gross but it dramatically improves the flavor of the crab cakes. Pulse the shrimp in the food processor until finely ground, about 12-15 pulses, scraping down the bowl as needed. Add the cream and pulse to combine, 2-4 pulses, again scraping down the bowl as needed. Congratulations, you just made a shrimp mousse! Transfer the shrimp mousse to the bowl with the cooled vegetables. Add the mustard, hot pepper sauce, lemon juice, and Old Bay seasoning. Stir well to combine. Add the crab meat and gently fold with a rubber spatula, being careful not to overmix and break up lumps of crabmeat. Divide the mixture into 8 balls and firmly press into 1/2 inch thick patties. Place the cakes on a parchment-lined sheet pan, cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
7. Once the patties have refrigerated (this process will help them stick together whilst being handled and cooked) coat each cake in panko, firmly pressing to adhere the crumbs to the exterior. Heat 1 Tbsp of oil in a medium saute pan on medium-high heat until it shimmers. Place 4 cakes in the pan and cook without moving them until they are golden brown, about 3-4 minutes. Using 2 spatulas (really, 2 of them. I tried to free-hand it and ended up with broken cakes) carefully flip the cakes, add 1 more Tbsp of oil, reduce the heat to medium-low and continue to cook until the second side is golden brown, about 4-5 minutes. You’ll be able to tell the cakes are done by pressing them gently with your finger. If they feel a bit mushy then they need to cook a minute longer. If they feel a bit firm then they’re done. Transfer cakes to a platter. Wipe out the skillet and repeat this process with the remaining 4 cakes and remaining 2 Tbsp of oil. Serve with Roasted Garlic sauce as an appetizer or a meal. Enjoy!
Serves 4 as an appetizer or 2-3 as a meal.
My Delicious Mess 