Took me a year and a handful of too-bready, too-watery, too-dry attempts -- but this gluten-free crab cake is just right. And it's easy. And the gluten-lover in my house said it was really good, too. This recipe serves 2.
Ingredients:
10 ounces of cooked shrimp (peeled, de-veined, tails cut off - I used frozen, which I thawed)
6 ounces of flaked crab meat (fresh or canned)
1 egg white, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1/4 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1/3 cup finely ground bread crumbs (gluten-free - I used rice crumbs from Trader Joe's)
Olive oil
Preparation:
Pulse the shrimp in a food processor until well ground but not pureed. Drain the crab meat until dry -- squeeze with cheese cloth or a paper towel to get rid of the liquid. In a bowl, combine shrimp, crab meat, egg white, mustard, hot pepper sauce and seasoning until blended. Divide into 8 equal balls and press into 1/8-inch-thick patties. Place on wax paper or parchment paper on a baking sheet and place in the refrigerator to chill 30 minutes. I also sprinkled a little more Old Bay on top (see picture).
Cook:
Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Pour bread crumbs into a shallow dish or plate, and carefully coat the crab cakes -- slide the cakes into the crumbs and gently press down to coat one side, then flip and repeat.
Cook the crab cakes in the oil until golden brown, 3-5 minutes per side. Drain on a plate covered with paper towel.
Serve:
Serve immediately while hot. These are spectacular with fruit salsa, which is also very easy to make! A little drizzle of crab cake sauce also kicks these up a notch: I used 1/2 cup mayo, 2 Tablespoons of sriracha, 1 teaspoon horseradish, 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice, 1/2 Tablespoon apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon dijon mustard, and 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce. To be fancy, sprinkle with chopped fresh cilantro.
A Little Backstory:
"Crab cakes are NOT easy." In my quest to get a recipe that works, I think I heard that 30 times. Add some extra challenges in that gluten makes my insides fall out, and raw fish makes Brian's throat swell up ... and you've got a year-long quest to make an edible dinner that will not, ya know, kill anyone.
I've learned some things through all these experiments that hold true with this recipe as well:
You're frying the fish in oil, so it'll taste awesome. Canned crab meat is just as tasty as the much-more expensive fresh variety.
Drain the crab meat very, very, very well. Not kidding about squeezing it with paper towel. Get all the liquid out.
Resist the urge to pile on more bread crumbs. Go for an even coating/dusting.
The oil needs to be hot -- but not "high" heat. Oil burns fast. You can tell it's ready if you drop in a single drop of water and it sizzles in the oil.
Coat your utensils in cooking spray so the crab cakes don't stick as you move them around.
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