Crab cakes are a great seafood dish making use of one of the most popular crustaceans available. In countries where it is easily available, it is a favorite staple in cocktail parties, lunches and dinners. It’s gourmet recipes using simple easy to find ingredients. If fresh crab is not available, large supermarkets most likely carry frozen crab. However, you may want to skip preparing this dish if imitation crabstick is what’s available. Those have better applications for sushi.
To make miniature versions, simply cook smaller portions of it and adjust the cooking time.
Novice cooks should not be intimidated by the somewhat lengthy list of ingredients. Bear in mind that the easy appetizers recipe can be simplified or modified according to taste, preference and what’s available.
Here’s a basic recipe to try out. Mix together in a large cooking pot some unsalted butter, cooking oil, minced onions, celery, different colors of bell peppers, parsley and capers. Season with hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce and cook over medium-low until the vegetables are tender. Cool the mixture at room temperature or in the chiller. Crumble the cooked crabmeat into small pieces and toss with coarse bread crumbs, mayonnaise, mustard and eggs. Combine this with the cooked vegetable mixture and chill again for 30 minutes. Shape into bite-sized rounds and fry in a combination of butter and olive oil until golden brown.
To make mini crab cakes look more presentable, rather than fry the mixture, bake them mini muffin pans instead. This will keep the cakes even in size and shape. To make these delectable baked mini crab cakes, you can add cream cheese and Parmesan in the recipes for an even more savory dish. Adjust the salt as these types of cheeses are already salty by themselves.
To make miniature versions, simply cook smaller portions of it and adjust the cooking time.
Novice cooks should not be intimidated by the somewhat lengthy list of ingredients. Bear in mind that the easy appetizers recipe can be simplified or modified according to taste, preference and what’s available.
Here’s a basic recipe to try out. Mix together in a large cooking pot some unsalted butter, cooking oil, minced onions, celery, different colors of bell peppers, parsley and capers. Season with hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce and cook over medium-low until the vegetables are tender. Cool the mixture at room temperature or in the chiller. Crumble the cooked crabmeat into small pieces and toss with coarse bread crumbs, mayonnaise, mustard and eggs. Combine this with the cooked vegetable mixture and chill again for 30 minutes. Shape into bite-sized rounds and fry in a combination of butter and olive oil until golden brown.
To make mini crab cakes look more presentable, rather than fry the mixture, bake them mini muffin pans instead. This will keep the cakes even in size and shape. To make these delectable baked mini crab cakes, you can add cream cheese and Parmesan in the recipes for an even more savory dish. Adjust the salt as these types of cheeses are already salty by themselves.
Ingredients
8 oz (227g) raw fish, shrimp, scallop, lobster, etc.
1 large (50g) whole egg, chilled
1/2 cup (119g) cream, heavy whipping
1 lb (454g) lump crab meat, drained and picked to remove shells
1 small (74g) red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
4 whole (60g) green onions (scallions), cut lengthwise into thin strips and divided
1 tsp (2g) smoked paprika
1/2 tsp (1g) cayenne pepper, ground
1 cup (202.5g) pine nuts
1/4 cup (56g) fresh whole butter, divided
salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
8 oz (227g) raw fish, shrimp, scallop, lobster, etc.
1 large (50g) whole egg, chilled
1/2 cup (119g) cream, heavy whipping
1 lb (454g) lump crab meat, drained and picked to remove shells
1 small (74g) red bell pepper, seeded and finely diced
4 whole (60g) green onions (scallions), cut lengthwise into thin strips and divided
1 tsp (2g) smoked paprika
1/2 tsp (1g) cayenne pepper, ground
1 cup (202.5g) pine nuts
1/4 cup (56g) fresh whole butter, divided
salt and fresh cracked pepper, to taste
Method:
- Before you do anything, chill your food processor bowl and blade. The mousseline needs to be made in a cold environment.
- Add your fish/shrimp/whatever to your food processor with a small amount of salt (about 1/2 tsp.), pepper and an egg. Turn the food processor on.
- Through the hole in the top, slowly drizzle in your cream, until it is well blended. You'll have something that looks like paste. You may need to scrape down the edges and puree for another half moment.
- Scrape your mousseline into a bowl, and add your crab, bell pepper, green onions, cayenne, paprika and a small amount of salt (about 1 tsp.) and pepper. Mix well.
- Set your crab mixture in the fridge.
- Place your pine nuts in a plastic bag. A one-gallon Ziploc would work nicely. Roll over the bag with a rolling pin, or crush them with a mallet or the bottom of a pan. You want them crushed, but still somewhat whole. You're going to use them as a crust.
- Once the pine nuts are crushed, pour them into something like a pie pan. You want a wide bottomed bowl or pan. A fairly small casserole dish would work, as well.
- Portion 1 to 1-1/2 oz balls of the crab mixture and place them in the pine nuts. Roll them around, so they are evenly coated with the pine nuts.
- Pick up each pine nut crusted crab ball and shape it into a little puck in the palm of your hand, while twirling it with your fingers. It should be a flat puck, about 1 inch thick. Set them aside.
- Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
- In 2 large oven proof sauté pans, melt 2 tbsps of butter, in each pan.
- Over medium heat, place some crabcakes into each pan. There should be about a 1/2 inch gap between each cake. If you don't have room for all of them, don't worry.
- Brown one side of each cake. Turn the over, when one side has browned. Brown the other side.
- Once both sides have been browned, remove them and place them on a cookie tray. Brown both sides of any remaining crab cakes and place them on the baking tray.
- Bake the whole tray for a further 10 minutes in the oven. Remove.
- Serve!