Crab Cakes

Sometimes I just get an idea, and I just can't make it stop.  For some reason I got the idea of making crab cakes in my head and was fixated, maybe an episode of Spongebob, whatever started it I couldn't stop thinking about them.   I was at the store a few days later (the one I go to whenever I am not looking for suburban white guy favorites) and found frozen crab claws on sale for 2.79 a pound so I bought a couple of pounds of them and got to work.  First I dropped the claws into a large saucepan of salted water and boiled for about 7 minutes.  I chilled them then started getting the meat.

I did learn a couple of things:

1. When you can't find your crab cracker a small saucepan, swung like a mallet, works well but there is some splatter.

2. The cats simply love anyone who is using a saucepan to smash crab claws, the flying bits of splatter are especially interesting.

3. If a cat and an adult human are jumping towards the same LARGE piece of splattering crab the cat wins.

After I cleaned the claws I pulled the meat apart then added the rest of the ingredients:

3/4 pound of smashed crab claw meat

1/2 cup toasted breadcrumbs

2 TBS coarsely chopped parsley

2 TBS coarsely chopped cilantro

2 TBS mustard

2 TBS Mayo

1 egg

Juice from 1 lime

sprinkle of chipotle chile powder (you know how hot you like it)

As I say so often... Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix the ingredients together then scoop it out in about 2 oz balls and flatten them... roll them in more toasted breadcrumbs (so I guess you need about 2 cups in total) then put them on a plate and chill for at least 2 hours.  Somewhere in this time take a make a dipping sauce, mine was:

2 TBS mayo

1 TBS heavy cream

side note... when these are the first two ingredients you just can't go wrong!

2 tsp capers chopped up

grated zest from one lime

juice from the same lime

mix together

When you are ready to go heat up some oil (about 1/4 inch deep) in a pan over medium heat and put the crab cakes in for about 4 minutes on each side

I made this dish when my mom and my 11 year old daughter came for the weekend (miss El was staying with grandma for a few days).  If you follow this blog you know that her last visit wasn't a lot of fun for me (if you don't follow I had emergency surgery on her second day of that visit).  We had dinner between time spent in the new pool  reminding me of how much we all love her and how cool she is as a daughter and big sister. The verdict regarding the crab cakes:

2 "Yuck!" (one involved spit)
1 "Can I have some ice cream?"
1 "The crab is yummy the sauce is weird"
2 "I'll take yours too!"

I am one of the last group there, I love the flaky crabby goodness and the simplicity of these.  Plus a sauce made with mayo and heavy cream!  Take them for what they are, I am always happy to see this!