Crab Cakes Repast Style Food

THE BEST CRAB CAKES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• For the crab cakes: Gently fold together the crabmeat, breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, chives, Dijon mustard, seafood seasoning, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper and the juice and zest of one lemon in a large bowl. Refrigerate the crab mixture for 15 minutes to firm up; this allows the breadcrumbs to absorb some of the liquid, helping the crab cakes bind together.
• Meanwhile, make the tartar sauce: Combine the mayonnaise, dill pickles, capers, chives, zest and juice of 1 lemon in a medium bowl and mix until combined. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Scoop heaping half cups of the crab mixture and pat into 2 1/2-inch wide patties. Lightly press them together so they do not fall apart while cooking. You should have 8 patties.
• Heat 3 tablespoons unsalted butter and 3 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add the crab cakes to the pan and cook until golden, about 2 minutes, then flip using a flat metal spatula. Continue to cook until lightly golden, about 1 1/2 minutes then transfer the pan to the oven. Cook until the crab cakes are completely heated through, about 10 minutes.
• Serve the crab cakes with the tartar sauce and lemon wedges.

CRAB CAKES "REPAST-STYLE"

Steps:

• Place cream, lemongrass, ginger, star anise, and chile in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and let cool; strain, discarding solids. Stir in fish sauce and Tabasco; set aside.
• Heat sesame oil and olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add scallions and cook until soft, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool.
• Place shrimp and egg in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. With the machine running, slowly add cream mixture; process until well combined.
• In a large bowl, mix together crabmeat, lemon zest, and cooled scallions. Gently fold in shrimp mixture.
• Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place a 1-inch high round cutter about 2 1/2-inches in diameter on baking sheet. Fill cutter with crabmeat mixture, packing down slightly. Repeat process until all crabmeat has been used, about 8 times. Transfer to refrigerator to chill, 6 to 8 hours.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat butter and canola oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. Place crab cakes, cornmeal-side down in skillet and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Turn crab cakes and transfer skillet to oven until cornmeal side is golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately with butter sauce.

CRISTA'S CORNMEAL-CRUSTED CRAB CAKES

Steps:

• For the crab cakes: Place a medium cast-iron pan over medium heat. Add the butter and shallots and sweat until softened and just starting to brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Set aside.
• Meanwhile, combine the crab, cracker crumbs, parsley, dill, softened shallots and a sprinkle of salt and pepper in a bowl. Set aside. Mix the egg, creme fraiche, mayonnaise and Dijon in a medium bowl until combined. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the crab and mix well until incorporated. Form 6 equal sized balls and flatten into discs.
• For the dredge: In a bowl, combine the cornmeal, smoked paprika, white pepper, salt, seafood seasoning and celery salt. Gently coat the exterior of each crab cake disc in the cornmeal mixture and place on a tray. Chill the crab cakes in the refrigerator for approximately 1 hour or up to 4 hours to help them stay together while cooking.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• For the celery root remoulade: Meanwhile, thinly slice the celery root and apples on a mandoline and cut into matchsticks. Place both in a large bowl and cover with the lemon juice to coat so they do not brown or oxidize. In a medium bowl, combine the mayonnaise, creme fraiche, hot sauce, tarragon, Dijon and salt, then season with the pepper. Add the creme fraiche mixture to the celery root and apples and gently toss to combine. (For a thinner sauce, feel free to add more mayonnaise and adjust seasoning.)
• In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet on medium heat, then add the olive oil and butter and heat until hot. Place the crab cakes in the skillet and sear to crispy, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer the cast iron to the oven for 5 minutes to warm through.
• For the pea shoot salad: Add the pea shoots and radishes to a medium bowl. Drizzle with the olive oil and lemon juice to coat. Add the mustard seeds, then season with salt and pepper and mix gently.
• Spread a generous amount of remoulade on a platter. Place the crab cakes on top and garnish with the salad.

BALTIMORE-STYLE CRAB CAKES

Steps:

• Finely crush the saltine crackers in your hands and place in a large bowl. Add the crabmeat, reserving any crab juice in a separate small bowl.
• To the bowl with the crab juice, add the mayonnaise egg, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce; whisk until smooth. Season with black pepper.
• Gently fold the mayonnaise mixture into the crab and saltines. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Scoop the crab mixture into six patties, about 1 1/2-inches thick. Be careful not to handle the mixture too much.
• In a large skillet, heat the oil over moderately high heat until shimmering. Add the crab cakes and cook until deeply golden and heated through, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer the crab cakes to plates and serve with lemon wedges.

CORNMEAL CRAB CAKES

Steps:

• In a bowl add the eggs, cornmeal, mayonnaise, and oil; mix well with a whisk.
• Add water slowly until a batter forms (you may not have to use all the water); if its too thick add more water.
• Whisk in pepper, salt, garlic, and mustard.
• Chop crab meat into fine pieces, or shred and add to batter.
• Spoon onto a hot griddle or pan and cook them like pancakes, flipping to cook both sides.