Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onions, celery, and bell peppers, and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool.
Combine the mayonnaise, a little at a time, with the cooked vegetables, 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons of the bread crumbs, and 1 tablespoon of the Essence in a large bowl, and mix well. Gently fold in the crabmeat.
Combine the flour with 1 1/2 teaspoons of the Essence in a shallow bowl and mix well. Combine the remaining 1 cup of bread crumbs with the remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons of Essence in another bowl. Whisk 1 egg with the milk in another bowl.
Using your hands, form mini cakes with the crabmeat mixture, packing gently but firmly. Dredge each crab cake in the flour mixture, then in the egg wash, then the bread crumb mixture, shaking to remove any excess breading.
Heat 1/2 cup of vegetable oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium heat. Pan-fry the crab cakes 3 or 4 at a time until golden brown, about 4 1/2 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels.
To serve, arrange the crab cakes on a platter and top each with a spoonful of the relish. Serve hot.
Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Yield: 2/3 cup
Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch
Published by William and Morrow, 1993.
Mayonnaise:
1 large egg
1 tablespoon Creole mustard, or other whole grain mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons Louisiana-style hot pepper sauce, such as Crystal hot sauce
1 tablespoon Essence, recipe follows
1 cup vegetable oil
To make the mayonnaise, combine 1 egg, the Creole mustard, Worcestershire, hot sauce, and 1 tablespoon of the Essence in a food processor or blender. Process on high speed for 15 seconds. With the machine running, add 1 cup of the vegetable oil in a steady stream through the feed tube and process until it thickens.
In a medium skillet, heat 1 teaspoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the corn and cook, stirring until starting to caramelize, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, and the cayenne and cook, stirring, until fragrant and the corn is caramelized, about 1 minute. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly.
In a bowl, combine the corn and the remaining ingredients. Adjust the seasoning, to taste. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Yield: about 1 1/2 cups
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