Crispy Crab Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper & Garlic Aioli
From The Barking Crab, a stalwart restaurant on Boston’s waterfront, these classic crab cakes are full of sweet meat and just enough crumbs.
Crispy Crab Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper & Garlic Aioli
Photo Credit : Heath RobbinsFrom The Barking Crab, a stalwart restaurant on Boston’s waterfront, come this classic crab cakes recipe, full of sweet meat and just enough crumbs to hold it all together.
Yield:
9 cakesIngredients
1 tablespoon vegetable oil (not olive)
2 tablespoons diced onion
2 tablespoons diced celery
1 small clove garlic, finely minced
2 cups fine dry plain breadcrumbs, divided
1 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon minced fresh tarragon
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
Dash Worcestershire sauce
Dash Tabasco sauce
1-1/4 pounds crabmeat, picked through for shell bits
1/4 cup finely diced red or yellow bell pepper
Vegetable oil for frying
Instructions
In a small sauté pan over medium heat, add oil and cook onion and celery until softened, 4 -5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute. Transfer to a medium-size bowl and let cool.
Add 1 cup breadcrumbs, herbs, mustard, salt, Worcestershire, Tabasco, crabmeat, and pepper; mix thoroughly. Form into patties about 1/2 inch thick and 3-1/2 inches in diameter.
Spread remaining 1 cup breadcrumbs on a plate. Turn each crab cake in crumbs to coat lightly. Set coated cakes on a wire rack and let dry 15 to 20 minutes.
In a large sauté pan on medium-high setting, heat 1/4 inch oil. Add crab cakes, keeping them well separated, and fry until browned and crisp, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate lined with a paper towel.
Serve on a bed of greens and top with Roasted Red Pepper & Garlic Aioli.
Roasted Red Pepper & Garlic Aioli
Ingredients
1 large red bell pepper
3 large garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon chopped capers
1 scant tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Instructions
Heat a cast-iron pan or griddle on medium-high setting. Place pepper on it and press lightly (or place under a broiler–keep an eye on it). Roast pepper, turning and pressing, until all sides are blackened.
Place pepper in a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap. When pepper is cool enough to handle, remove blackened outer skin, veins, and seeds.
Place garlic on pan and roast, without pressing, until browned on all sides. Remove garlic and set aside. When cool enough to handle, peel garlic.
In the bowl of a food processor, purée pepper and garlic. Add mayonnaise, capers, lemon juice, salt, and pepper; pulse to combine.
Yield: 1 1/2 cups sauce
