Crab Cakes

Every summer, around the fourth of July, my family vacations on Whidbey Island. This year marked the 20th anniversary of the first time I visited this beautiful place. My husband absolutely LIVES for his week on Whidbey crabbing. Over the years, our boys have gotten into the act as well. I get to reap the benefits and eat the delicious abundance of dungeness crab that they catch. :) YUM! If we get to bring some crab home to Idaho, I love to make up some crab cakes. My favorite recipe for the last couple of years has been from Brian Boitano (yes, the olympic figure skater!)

If you can't get your hands on fresh crab meat, It is sold in the refrigerated seafood section of the grocery store and it's actually pretty good! (I buy it locally here at WinCo.)

Ingredients

Crab Cakes:

• 1 pound lump Dungeness crabmeat, drained
• 3 cups panko bread crumbs, divided
• 2 tablespoons mayo
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce
• 3 eggs, divided
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 lemon, juiced
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup water
• 1 1/2 cups canola oil

Sweet and Tangy Remoulade:

• 1/2 cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons sweet chili sauce
• 2 teaspoons orange juice
• Pinch salt and freshly ground black pepper

Salad:

• 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 8 cups baby arugula
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a medium bowl add the crabmeat, 1 cup of the bread crumbs, mayonnaise, mustard, hot sauce, 1 egg, parsley, lemon juice, and salt and pepper, to taste, and gently combine. Divide the crab mixture into 6 equal patties and arrange on a sheet pan lined with waxed paper.

Set up a breading station using 3 baking dishes or pie plates. In the first dish combine the flour with a healthy pinch of salt and pepper. In the second dish whisk together the remaining 2 eggs with 1/4 cup of water. In the third dish combine the remaining bread crumbs with a pinch of salt and pepper. Dredge the crab cakes in the seasoned flour, then in the egg wash and then coat them thoroughly in the bread crumbs. Arrange on a sheet tray.

Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the cakes in batches of 6 until brown and crispy, about 3 minutes per side. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

Sweet and Tangy Remoulade:

In a small bowl whisk together all of the remoulade ingredients and set aside until ready to use.

Salad:

In a large bowl whisk together the olive oil, orange juice and mustard. Add the arugula, season with salt and pepper, to taste, and toss to coat.

To Serve:

Divide the salad equally between 6 plates. Top with a  crab cake, drizzle with remoulade and serve.

Here is a picture of some of the Renn men crabbing last week.  It's hard work but it always pays off!

Enjoy!

Lori