Crab Cakes with Corn Tomato Salsa and Remoulade

Crab Cakes on Grilled Bread with Salsa and
Remoulade

Rich, fresh, briny crab lightly coated with panko and sauted in olive oil...perfect snack, lunch or dinner!

When I started making these on a Saturday afternoon, I had every intention of taking pictures and blogging about the recipe.  As got got into the work, I realized that there are many steps and ingredients that most people don't have in the pantry so I decided to not break down the steps and take pictures for my blog.  I posted the final product on my Facebook page and figured that would be the end of it.  However, more than a few of my friends asked for the recipe so here I am blogging about them--without all the pictures I usually post.  If you have any question or comments please just send me a message and I will hopefully be able to help you!

Crab Cakes with Tomato Corn Salsa and Remoulade

yield: ~8 crab cakes prep time: ~90 minutes  cook time: ~15  minutes difficulty: Moderate  

Ingredients Crab Cakes:

1 pound lump crab meat picked over (refrigerator section of seafood department)
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
2 celery ribs
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove 
1/2 red pepper
1 tablespoon butter
4 ounces shrimp peeled, deveined, tails removed
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon hot sauce
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
4 tablespoons olive oil  

Instructions:

1. Place crab and shrimp in a bowl and cover with milk--make sure everything is submerged.  Cover and refrigerated for 20 minutes.  This takes away all the fishy taste.
2. Meanwhile, crush the panko so it has a fine crumb. Toast it in a non stick skillet until golden brown.  Stir it the whole time.  Add salt pepper as soon as it comes off the heat.
3. In a food processor, pulse onion, garlic, celery and red pepper 5-8 times.  scrape down and do it again. Transfer to a skillet with 1 tablespoon of butter, salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring frequently until vegetables are softened.  Put vegetables into a large bowl and cool completely.
4. Strain crab and shrimp gently pressing to remove milk but be careful not break up crab.  
5. Place shrimp in food processor and pulse until finely ground.  Add cream and pulse 4-6 times.  Add shrimp puree to cooled vegetables.
6. To the shrimp-veggie mix add mustard, lemon juice, hot sauce, and Old Bay.  Stir until well combined.  Gently fold in crab.  Do not over mix and break up lumps of crab! Divide mixture into 8 balls and firmly press into 1/2 inch thick patties.  Place on a parchment covered baking sheet and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
7. Coat each crab cake with panko, firmly pressing to adhere crumbs to exterior.
8. Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in skillet and heat to shimmering.  Place 4 cakes at time in pan and cook on one side without moving until golden brown, 3-4 minutes. Carefully flip over and cook for 4 more minutes.  Transfer to a platter and repeat with remaining crab cakes.

Ingredients Corn Tomato Salsa:

2 ears corn cooked, kernels cut off with a sharp knife

1/2 red pepper chopped

1/2 jalepeno finely chopped

12 grape tomatoes quartered

1/2 Vidallia onion, chopped

1 lime, juice squeezed

Bunch cilantro, chopped

Salt and pepper

Ingredients Remoulade:

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon hot sauce

1 teaspoon ketchup

chopped scallions (2-3, white part only)

1 teaspoon non-pareil sized capers