Because these crab cakes are made with lots of crab meat and not much filler, they require gentle handling during cooking, but the results are well worth the extra effort.
At the restaurant '21' the chef makes decorative squiggles with the chili mayonnaise using a plastic squeeze-bottle of the type used for ketchup at hot dog stands.
Recipe information
Yield
Makes 8 first-course servings or 4 main-course servings
Ingredients
Accompaniments:
Preparation
Step 1
In a skillet heat 1 tablespoon oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté bell peppers until softened. Cool peppers. In a food processor grind bread into fine crumbs.
Step 2
In a bowl stir together bell peppers, crab, coriander, mayonnaise, Old Bay seasoning, jalapeño, garlic, 2 tablespoons bread crumbs, black pepper, and salt to taste until combined well and chill 20 minutes.
Step 3
With a 2-ounce ice-cream scoop or 1/4-cup measure, scoop crab mixture into 8 portions and pat each into 3/4-inch-thick disk. Spread remaining bread crumbs on a sheet of wax paper and gently press each crab cake into them, turning it, to coat evenly. To help prevent crumbling during cooking chill crab cakes, covered loosely, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
Step 4
Preheat oven to 375°F.
Step 5
In a 12-inch skillet heat 1 tablespoon oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté half of crab cakes until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn crab cakes carefully and brown other sides. Transfer sautéed crab cakes carefully to a baking sheet. Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet and sauté remaining crab cakes in same manner. On baking sheet bake all crab cakes 6 minutes, or until heated through.
Step 6
Serve crab cakes with mayonnaise.
