Mock Crab Fish Cakes
(Recommended by Nancy Oster, first & pilot season member; ripped from the internet)
This is a mash up recipe that takes a flaky white fish (like rockfish or sheephead!) and substitutes it for the crab in a classic crab cake. The result…a lighter, less crabby version of a delicious summertime favorite! While you can use rockfish or lingcod for this recipe, the sheephead is really ideal. Why?? You may ask…well, one of the sheephead’s favorite foods is local rock crab. Because of this their flaky white flesh has a slight crabby flavor!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3/4 cup small diced red onion
- 1 1/2 cups small diced celery
- 1/2 cup small diced red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup small diced yellow bell pepper
- 1/4 cup minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
- 1 tablespoon capers, drained
- 1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons crab boil seasoning (recommended: Old Bay)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 pound white fish, poached (see instructions below!)
- 1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup good mayonnaise
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 2 extra-large eggs, lightly beaten
For frying
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/4 cup olive oil
Preparation
Wrap fish fillet in cheesecloth and poach gently in crab boil spices just until it flakes. Let cool while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
Place the 2 tablespoons butter, 2 tablespoons oil, onion, celery, red and yellow bell peppers, parsley, capers, hot pepper sauce, Worcestershire sauce, crab boil seasoning, salt, and pepper in a large saute pan over medium-low heat and cook until the vegetables are soft, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, break the poached fish fillet into small pieces and toss with the bread crumbs, mayonnaise, mustard, and eggs. Add the cooked mixture and mix well. Cover and chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes. Shape into bite-sized crab cakes.
Heat the butter and olive oil for frying over medium heat in a large saute pan. Add the mock crab cakes and fry for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until browned. Drain on paper towels; keep them warm in a 250 degree oven and serve hot.
