Try your hand at Evan Leavy’s take on this tried and true favorite. Perfect as a first course or served alongside a green salad for a luncheon or brunch, these crab cakes are delicious, light and simple to prepare. Feel free to substitute other types of crab meat depending on availability and seasonality.
Crab Cakes with Heirloom Tomato Salad
Details
Servings: 6
Ingredients
For the tartar sauce
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon onion, minced
- 2 tablespoons capers, chopped
- Tabasco to taste
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pound assorted heirloom tomatoes, sliced
- 3 tablespoons Vidalia onion, minced
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons chives, chopped
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 pound Jonah crab meat
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon chives, chopped
- 2 cups Panko bread crumbs
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 ounces clarified butter or oil
Directions
For the tartar sauce
- In a small bowl mix all the ingredients together. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Arrange the sliced tomatoes on six plates. Sprinkle with the minced onion, salt, pepper and chives. Drizzle with the olive oil and reserve.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Gently mix the crab, mayonnaise, chives and seasoning (trying not to break up the crab). Divide the mixture into six equal portions. Roll each portion in the bread crumbs and form into cakes.
- Refrigerate the crab cakes for up to 30 minutes to allow them to firm up for cooking.
- Heat the oil over medium high heat in a sauté pan. Add the cakes and brown on both sides, turning only once.
- Place the crab cakes in the preheated oven for 3 to 4 minutes, just to heat them through. Serve immediately on the tomato plates and garnish with the reserved tartar sauce.
