CRAB CAKES

(yields 4)
8 ounces Premium Lump Backfin Crab meat (such as Phillips)
8 ounces Crab Claw Meat
1/2 red bell pepper, minced
3 Tbsp. minced yellows onion
3 Tbsp. minced celery heart
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup mayonnaise
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 tsp Salt
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
1 tsp. Hot Sauce
1/4 cup Panko (Japanese Bread Crumbs) plus additional 1 cup for breading
2 T Canola Oil plus 1 T Butter (for frying)








In a small frying pan, heat the olive oil to smoking point, add the peppers and toss to coat with oil. Cook over low-medium heat until the peppers are soft but not colored, about 10 minutes.



Remove from heat, transfer to a plate and season with salt and pepper. Cool.
In a medium size mixing bowl, gently fold both crab meats and the remaining ingredients.




Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper and additional hot sauce. On a large plate, sprinkle the 1/4 cup of Panko. If using a ring mold, place a quarter of the crab cake mixture into it, firmly pressing the preparation into the mold with the bottom of a spoon. Sprinkle the top of the crab cakes with about a Tbsp. of Panko. Repeat the process until you have 4 crab cakes.



Loosely cover the plate with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Remove cakes from refrigerator. In a large non stick pan or cast iron skillet heat Canola oil over medium heat. At the last minute gently re-bread crab cakes in the remaining Panko. Place the crab cakes in the skillet and add the butter. Fry for about 4 minutes or until golden brown. Gently turn over. Fry another 4 minutes.Serve immediately. Garnish with avocado, a wedge of lemon and mayonnaise.

Notes: Panko, also known as Japanese Bread Crumbs is made from the crumbs rather that the crust of the bread and its flaked rather than ground. It gives breaded food a lighter and crunchier texture. Panko is available at Asian Market as well as the ethnic section of most supermarket.

Old Bay Seasoning is a spice mixture made by the Maryland based Mc.Cormick Company. It's most often used to prepare boiled crabs or crab cakes. It contains a variety of hot peppers and spices, although its most distinctive flavor is celery salt. Until Mc Cormick relocated its factory to suburban Hunt Valley Baltimore, Inner Harbor was permeated with the wonderful smell of roasting spices.