Ultimate Crabcakes
Photo: Alex Farnum; Styling: Randy Mon
Time: 40 minutes. Frederick Basgal of Menlo Park, California, a stellar home cook, shares with us his extravagant recipe for crabcakes loaded with seafood, plus bright chives and a tiny dice of bell peppers. His inspiration? A crabcake recipe in Hubert Keller’s The Cuisine of Hubert Keller (Ten Speed Press, 1996) for binding the crab with a creamy scallop purée rather than bread crumbs.
How to Make It
Step 1
1
In a food processor, pulse scallops and egg just until scallops are chopped. With motor running, pour in cream and whirl until smooth.
Step 2
2
Scrape scallop mixture into a bowl. Stir in crab, bell peppers, cilantro, 2 tbsp. chives, the hot sauce, salt, and cayenne, breaking up most large chunks of crab.
Step 3
3
Lay an 18-in. sheet of parchment paper on a work surface. Scoop 6 equal mounds of crab mixture onto parchment. Shape each into an even cake about 1 1/4 in. thick, using your fingers or, for neater sides, a 2 1/2-in.-diameter ring mold.
Step 4
4
Pour olive oil into a 12-in. nonstick frying pan and heat over medium-low heat. Using a thin, flexible spatula, carefully transfer cakes to pan. Cook, turning once, until nicely browned and no longer wet in center, about 10 minutes total. Divide crabcakes among 6 warm plates, scatter with remaining 1 tbsp. chives, and serve with Devil Sauce.
Step 5
5
Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving, without sauce.
Ingredients
4 ounces sea scallops
2 tablespoons lightly beaten egg
3 tablespoons heavy whipping cream
1 pound (3 cups) shelled cooked crab
2 tablespoons diced (1/4 in.) red bell pepper
2 tablespoons diced (1/4 in.) yellow bell pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
3 tablespoons finely chopped chives, divided
2 teaspoons green hot sauce, such as Tabasco
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions
Step 1
1
In a food processor, pulse scallops and egg just until scallops are chopped. With motor running, pour in cream and whirl until smooth.
Step 2
2
Scrape scallop mixture into a bowl. Stir in crab, bell peppers, cilantro, 2 tbsp. chives, the hot sauce, salt, and cayenne, breaking up most large chunks of crab.
Step 3
3
Lay an 18-in. sheet of parchment paper on a work surface. Scoop 6 equal mounds of crab mixture onto parchment. Shape each into an even cake about 1 1/4 in. thick, using your fingers or, for neater sides, a 2 1/2-in.-diameter ring mold.
Step 4
4
Pour olive oil into a 12-in. nonstick frying pan and heat over medium-low heat. Using a thin, flexible spatula, carefully transfer cakes to pan. Cook, turning once, until nicely browned and no longer wet in center, about 10 minutes total. Divide crabcakes among 6 warm plates, scatter with remaining 1 tbsp. chives, and serve with Devil Sauce.
Step 5
5
Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving, without sauce.
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