I adore crabcakes. I usually order them when I see them on a menu, with varying expectations and results. Some taste more like mayo and breadcrumbs than of crab; others are so filled with extra ingredients that as interesting as a coconut-chili crabcake can be, it strays too much from the original.
I had been eyeing the large containders of lump crabmeat at Costco for a while, and having crab-loving friends over for dinner seemed a good opportunity. I looked at a lot of recipes,and ended up mixing and matching to wind up with a fairly simple mixture. They were really, really good! A pound of crabmeat (around $14) made 16 small crabcakes. Three made for a nice serving. The leftovers reheated fairly well in the toaster oven for lunch.
Crabcakes
1 small onion, finely diced
2 small stalks celery, finely diced
1 tsp. butter
1/2 cup Hellman's mayonnaise, maybe a bit more (not lowfat, for a change)
1 beaten egg
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs, plus more for coating (I like Whole Foods' panko crumbs)
1 tsp. chili sauce ( I used vietnamese)
1 tsp. grainy mustard
1 Tbs, chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound crabmeat
canola oil for frying
Melt the butter in a small skillet, and saute the onion and celery until just softened a bit. Pour into a bowl, and let cool. Put rest of ingredients, except for cabmeat and oil into the bowl, and mix well. Add the crabmeat, and very gently combine, keeping the crab as intact as possible. If needed, add a bit more mayo--you want the mixture fairly loose. Form into small, thick cakes. Pour a layer of panko crumbs onto a plate, and gently press each side of the crabcakes into panko crumbs. Heat the oil, and slip the crabcakes into the pan. Fry on medium-high heat until just golden and crispy, then carefully turn to cook the other side. Lift from pan, and briefly blot on paper towels. Serve at once. We liked them with some chopped tomato, scallions, and a spicy mayo (mayo, chili sauce, scallions, parsley)
Comments (10)
Yum! I love crabcakes and crab in any form too. I haven't bought the Costco crabmeat yet - need to give it a try.
Posted by Annie | February 2, 2009 9:09 AM
Posted on February 2, 2009 09:09
Hi there, Those crab cakes make my mouth water.
Posted by angie | February 2, 2009 12:19 PM
Posted on February 2, 2009 12:19
Mmmmm....
Posted by Kim | February 2, 2009 1:28 PM
Posted on February 2, 2009 13:28
I LOVE crab cakes....and I must say that even coconut-chili crab cakes sound delicious!
Posted by sandrac | February 2, 2009 2:04 PM
Posted on February 2, 2009 14:04
Those look soooo yummy!
Posted by girasoli | February 2, 2009 4:26 PM
Posted on February 2, 2009 16:26
Oh yum! I love crabcakes too!
This recipe sounds like a keeper!
Posted by nancyhol | February 2, 2009 11:38 PM
Posted on February 2, 2009 23:38
Whoa....love Crabcakes. Thanks a bunch for this recipe. Looks so good.
Posted by Barb Cabot | February 3, 2009 1:53 AM
Posted on February 3, 2009 01:53
Do you think I can make them ahead of time and freeze them? I need to feed about 30 people on Feb. 23 and I'm looking for easy and tasty dishes that are "freezable".
Posted by María I. | February 3, 2009 12:01 PM
Posted on February 3, 2009 12:01
Maria, I don't think they'd be freezable. They'd never regain their crispy charm, and I also think the texture of the crab would be affected. Post your question in the Food Forum--I'll bet you'd get lots of great ideas.
Posted by Amy | February 3, 2009 1:40 PM
Posted on February 3, 2009 13:40
Oh, my goodness!
I love crabcakes...the crispier, the better. These look heavenly!
Posted by Brenda | February 3, 2009 9:41 PM
Posted on February 3, 2009 21:41