Santa Barbara Rock Crab Cakes with Lime Chipotle Cream
(From Laurence Hauben of Market Forays- www.marketforays.com);
Ingredients
- 2 cups crab meat from local rock crab, steamed (see instructions)
- 2 egg whites, beaten
- 1/4c scallions, minced
- 1/4c parsley, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 2/3c white bread crumbs, softened in 1/4c milk
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- 1 1/2c Panko Japanese bread crumbs
- 1/4c Grapeseed oil for frying
- 4c salad greens
Lime Chipotle Cream
- 1/2c crema (at Mexican markets)
- 1 teaspoon grated lime zest
- 2 tablespoons lime juice
- 1 chile chipotle (canned chipotle in adobo are available at Mexican markets)
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
Preparation
Steam the crab for 8-10 minutes. Cover with ice to chill them. Crack the crab and remove the meat. Keep refrigerated until ready to use. This can be done a day or two ahead of time.
Rinse and dry your salad greens, mound on 4 plates.
Blend all ingredients for the chipotle cream until smooth. Keep cold until ready to use.
Gently mix all the ingredients for the crab cakes except the Panko bread crumbs. Heat up the grapeseed oil in a cast iron skillet.
Prepare a plate lined with paper towels.
Shape the crab cakes, about 2 inches in diameter and 3/4 inch thick, and roll them in the Panko bread crumbs. Fry the crab cakes, about 2 minutes on each side. Place them on paper towels to drain excess oil.
Set 2 crab cakes per plate. Drizzle with lime-chipotle cream.
