Pan Fried Roasted Pepper Crab Cakes

Dungeness crab is abundant here in the Pacific Northwest and next to simply serving it cracked with melted butter or a good mayo, or in a luscious Crab Louie, we like crab cakes.  I prefer a recipe with lots of crab and just enough binder to hold the cakes together.  I've used the same recipe for many years, one that my mother used for years before me, and never saw any reason to change it up until I found this version that Lori, at All That Splatters, recently posted.  Adding roasted chilies is what caught my eye, and since roasted chilies are available at my farmers market, I was eager to give Lori's recipe a try.  Her version calls for Hatch chilies which aren't available here so I substituted poblanos with excellent results.  The peppers give a nice little kick to the cakes without overpowering the delicate flavor of the crabmeat. If you aren't already a frequent visitor to Lori's blog I urge you to stop by to meet her.  I've tried many of her wonderful recipes and and am always happy with the results.  

1 pound crabmeat, picked over to remove shells  (I used Dungeness crab)

4 green onions, green parts only, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro

1-1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

4 tablespoons dry bread crumbs

1/2 cup roasted peppers, peeled, seeded and diced 

1/4 cup mayonnaise

salt and pepper to taste

1 large egg

2 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

1/2 cup vegetable or peanut oil for frying

Gently mix the crabmeat, green onions, herbs, Old Bay seasoning, bread crumbs, diced peppers and mayonnaise in a medium bowl, being careful not to break up the lumps of crab too much. Season with salt and pepper.  Carefully fold in the beaten egg with a rubber spatula until the mixture clings together.

Divide the mixture into cakes based on the size you desire, making sure that all cakes are about the same thickness.  Place the formed cakes on a platter, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes.  Just before cooking remove the cakes from the fridge.  Place the panko in a shallow dish and dredge the crab cakes in it.  Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. (I used my cast iron skillet and the browning was perfect). Gently lay the cakes in the skillet.  Pan-fry until the outsides are crisp and browned, about 4 minutes per side. Use a paper towel to remove any excess oil and serve immediately.

Lori's recipe recommended serving the cakes with a pepper-spiked aioli but I made my tartar sauce recipe and substituted 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro and 1 tablespoon minced roasted peppers for the green olives and capers.

It isn't too late to enter my 2 year Blogiversary Giveway to win a basket of Oregon products.  Just click on the previous post and leave a comment and you may be the lucky winner.  The drawing is Sunday afternoon.

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