Crab Cakes With Grilled Corn Relish 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.

BLUE CORN CRAB CAKES WITH BLACK OLIVE-RED PEPPER RELISH AND BASIL VINAIGRETTE

Steps:

• Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium saute pan over high heat. Add the onion, garlic and jalapenos and cook until soft. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.
• In a mixing bowl, whisk together the horseradish, mustard, creme fraiche until combined. Stir in the onion mixture. Add the crabmeat and 2 tablespoons of the flour and gently fold to combine; season with salt and pepper. If the mixture appears too loose, add more flour, tablespoons at a time. Refrigerate, covered for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.
• Divide the chilled crab mixture into 8 patties about 1/2-inch thick. Dredge each cake in the corn chips or cornmeal and tap off excess.
• Heat the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick saute pan over high heat and fry the cakes for about 3 minutes on each side, or until crusty and lightly browned. Place 2 crab cakes on a dinner plate and top each cake with a tablespoon of the relish and drizzle with the vinaigrette.
• Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.
• Combine the basil, mayonnaise, vinegar and a little water in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the honey, olive oil and salt, to taste, and blend a few more seconds.

SEARED CRAB CAKE WITH CORN RELISH, ROASTED TOMATO AND PEPPER COULIS

Steps:

• For the corn relish: Add the milk and 2 cups water to a 3- to 4-quart pot and bring to a simmer. When it's at a simmer, stir in the butter, salt and sugar; give it a few minutes until the butter has melted. Place the corn in the pot, cover and cook until tender, about 45 minutes. Remove the corn and cool down enough to handle, and then cut off the kernels with a knife. (Hint: it will be easier to remove the kernels off the cob if still warm.) Mix together the corn, vinegar, cilantro, shallots, garlic and salt and black pepper to taste in a large bowl.
• For the coulis: Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. As that is working, mix together the oil, vinegar, shallots, garlic, peppers, tomatoes, cilantro and some salt and white pepper in a large bowl. Make sure to coat the ingredients evenly with the oil. Place on a baking sheet and roast for about 20 minutes, and then transfer to a blender and mix until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Set aside.
• For the crab cakes: Turn the oven down to 350 degrees F. Mix together the breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, cilantro, egg, onions and peppers in a large bowl. Let sit for 5 minutes while you open and drain the crabmeat. Once the crab is drained of all excess liquid, fold it into the breadcrumb mixture. Form into 8 equal crab cakes. Heat oil to 350 degrees F in a saute pan, and then sear the crab cakes until golden brown on both sides. Transfer to the oven to for 10 minutes.
• To plate this dish, we use an 8-inch round white plate. First, place a small amount of the corn relish in the center. Place the browned crab cakes directly onto the corn. Finally, spoon a few ounces of the coulis around the corn and serve.

CRAB CAKES WITH CREOLE MUSTARD AIOLI AND GRILLED CORN, RED ONION & RED PEPPER SALAD

Steps:

• For the crab cakes: To a large bowl, add the mayonnaise, Creole mustard, Worcestershire sauce, seafood seasoning, egg, lemon zest and juice and chives. Mix thoroughly to combine. Add the saltine cracker crumbs. Add the crabmeat. Gently fold the crab into the mixture, being careful not to break up the meat too much.
• Form the mixture into four equal-sized crab cakes. Preheat a large saute pan over medium-high heat with some canola oil until it shimmers. Gently place the crab cakes into the pan and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip, and cook until golden, 2 to 3 minutes.
• For the salad: Preheat a grill pan over high heat. Place the corn and onions onto the grill pan and grill until charred, 5 to 6 minutes. Flip, then cook until charred and the onions are softened, another 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the corn kernels from the cobs and dice the grilled onions. Set aside.
• Place the red bell pepper onto an open flame on your stovetop. Cook, flipping occasionally, until completely black and charred, about 5 minutes. (If you don't have a gas stovetop, you can broil the pepper in the oven on high, turning occasionally, until charred.) Transfer to a bowl and cover with plastic wrap to steam until the skin pulls away, about 10 minutes. Remove the skin from the bell pepper and rinse under water to ensure all of the black char is removed. Remove the stem, ribs and seeds from the roasted pepper and dice.
• To a large bowl, add the corn kernels, onions, roasted peppers, cilantro, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, red wine vinegar, red pepper flakes and kosher salt to taste. Toss to combine. In a separate bowl, add the arugula, lemon juice, a drizzle of olive oil and kosher salt to taste. Toss to combine.
• For the aioli: To a bowl, add the mayonnaise, Creole mustard, cornichons, cornichon juice, shallots and kosher salt to taste. Mix to combine.
• To serve, place the arugula onto each plate and nestle some of the corn, red onion and red pepper salad next to it. Top with a crab cake and drizzle some of the aioli around the crab cake. Enjoy!

BACON CRAB CAKES WITH PIMIENTO-CORN RELISH

Steps:

• Place a large saute pan over medium heat and cook the bacon until golden brown and crisp, 7 to 8 minutes total. Reserve about 3 tablespoons of the bacon fat in a dish and 2 tablespoons of the bacon fat in the pan. Transfer the bacon to a paper towel-lined plate to cool.
• Return the pan to medium heat and add the celery, onion, corn and some salt and pepper. Cook the vegetables until beginning to soften, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vinegar, sugar and pimientos to the pan and cook until the vinegar has reduced and the corn is tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Adjust the seasoning as needed and set the relish aside to cool.
• Place a large skillet over medium heat with about 1 1/2 tablespoons of the reserved bacon fat. In a large bowl, mix together all of the ingredients for the crab cakes, along with the reserved crisp bacon, adjusting the seasoning as needed with salt and pepper. Working in batches as needed, scoop out about 1/4 cup of mix for each crab cake and cook in the bacon fat, turning once, until golden brown and heated through, about 3 minutes per side.
• As batches finish cooking, reserve them on a plate; add more bacon fat to the pan as needed throughout cooking.
• Serve the warm crab cakes over warm or room temperature relish.

BEST EVER CRAB CAKES

Steps:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together egg, mayonnaise, lemon juice, red pepper flakes, tarragon, and scallions. Gently stir in crabmeat, being careful not to break up meat. Gradually mix in cracker crumbs, adding until desired consistency is achieved.
• Heat butter in a skillet over medium heat. Form crab mixture into 4 patties. Place patties in skillet, and cook until golden brown, about 5 to 6 minutes on each side.