As my husband observes Lent, we’ll be eating meat-free for seven Fridays. Chop House Crab Cakes is a favorite at-home seafood dish. It’s adapted from The Chop House in Charleston, WV, whose chef shared his recipe with Charleston Magazine when we lived there.
Chop House Crab Cakes
Makes 12
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon minced onion
1/4 cup minced red peppers
1 pound lump crab meat, drained
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 egg, plus one egg yolk
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 1/2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs, such as parsley and chives
1 teaspoon coarse salt
2 tablespoons canola oil
Melt butter over medium-high heat. Saute onion and red pepper until soft. Remove from heat and let cool.
In medium bowl, combine crab meat and bread crumbs. Set aside.
In large bowl, whisk together egg and egg yolk, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, lemon juice, cayenne, herbs and salt. Mix in red pepper and onion. Dump crab and bread crumbs into bowl. Fold gently into mayonnaise mixture to keep crab chunks in tact. Form mixture into patties and transfer to a large plate. Chill crab cakes for 1 hour.
To cook, heat canola oil in nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Cook crab cakes in batches. Add four patties to pan and cook until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels and keep warm in 200-degree oven while you finish frying. Serve with Dijon Aioli and lemon wedges.
Dijon Aioli
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Pinch of Tabasco sauce
Salt, pepper
Combine all ingredients in small bowl. Serve atop crab cakes.
Tips
* These crab cakes freeze really well. Just wrap uncooked patties in plastic or foil and stash in freezer for up to a month. Thaw in fridge for a couple hours before frying.
* Try forming mixture into balls and deep frying. Delicious appetizer!
Nicole M. Markle 