If you don’t over mix, and don’t pack your mounds too tightly, you will experience a pure, unadulterated crab cake. You can also make these as a master batch: Instead of just eight, I make 24 to 26 mini donut-hole-size cakes as hors d oeuvres for parties here at the restaurant.
YIELD: 4 serving
CRAB CAKE
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 large egg, beaten
1 tbsp dijon mustard
1 tbsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp hot sauce (tabasco)
1 each lemon, zested
1 pound jumbo lump crab meat, picked over
1/2 cup panko, finely crushed (Japanese bread crumbs, tend to be lighter, crispier, and crunchier than Western bread crumbs)
1/4 cup canola oil
In a small bowl, whisk the mayonnaise with the egg, mustard, worcestershire, hot sauce and lemon until smooth.
In a medium bowl, Gently fold in the mayonnaise mixture with the crabmeat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Scoop the crab mixture into eight 1/3-cup mounds; lightly pack into 8 patties, about 1 1/2 inches thick. Then dust each cake with flour then egg wash, then panko breadcrumbs.
In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat until shimmering. Add the crab cakes and cook until deeply golden and heated through, about 3 minutes per side.
*MAKE AHEAD
The crab cakes can be prepared through Step 3 and refrigerated overnight the day before.
Basil Aioli
3/4 cup homemade mayonnaise
1/3 cup fresh minced basil leaves
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons garlic, minced
1 1/2teaspoons grated lemon zest
Kosher Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Combine the mayonnaise, basil, lemon juice, garlic and lemon zest in a bowl and mix well. Season with kosher salt and freshly black pepper.
Cover and chill for 1 hour. Makes 1 cup.
Tomato-Olive Relish
1 each medium tomato, finely diced
8 each Kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
2 Tablespoons, finely diced red onion
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
2 teaspoons olive oil
In a small bowl, combine the tomato, olives, onion, and balsamic vinegar. Set aside.
To Plate
Make a streak of basil aioli on side of the plate and drag a spoon through the aioli to the other side position crab cake next to aioli. Top Crab cake with tomato relish and serve.