Recipe courtesy of Pier 23 Cafe
Pier 23 Dungeness Crab Cake
- Level: Intermediate
- Yield: 4 servings
- Total: 2 hr 20 min (includes pickling time)
- Active: 1 hr
Ingredients
Pickled Celery:
1 cup hot vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon salt
Celery sticks, for pickling
Crab Cake:
1 tablespoon hot sauce
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard
1 lemon, zested and juiced, plus lemon wedges, for serving
1/2 bunch scallions, sliced thin
2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh parsley
2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1 1/2 pounds Dungeness crab meat
1 egg white
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup mixed red and green butter lettuces
Pepitas, recipe follows
2 tablespoons champagne vinaigrette
Mustard Crema, recipe follows
Pepitas:
1 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup canola oil
Pinch salt
Mustard Crema:
1 cup mascarpone
1/4 cup whole-grain mustard
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons heavy cream
Salt
Directions
- For the pickled celery: Stir together the vinegar, salt and sugar in a small bowl. Add celery sticks, as many as can be covered with the solution. Cover and let cool 1 hour.
- For the crab cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a bowl add hot sauce, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon zest and juice. Mix thoroughly. Add scallion, parsley and 2 tablespoons finely chopped pickled celery (save the remainder for another use). Mix to incorporate. Add 1/2 cup panko. Mix.
- Add 1 pound crab meat, being careful not to break apart too much.
- Place the egg white and remaining 1/2 pound crab meat into a blender. Blend on high, until a smooth paste is achieved. Transfer to the bowl with the crab mixture.
- Mix to incorporate all. (Mixture should hold together when squeezed in hand. If very wet, add more panko.) Divide evenly into four portions and form into patties. Gently coat in the remaining panko. Set aside until ready to cook.
- Heat oil in an oven-safe saute pan until hot. Carefully add crab cakes to pan. Sear until well browned, 1 to 2 minutes, then flip and sear other side, 1 to 2 minutes more.
- Transfer pan to oven and bake for 7 to 10 minutes. Remove pan from oven and place crab cakes on a paper towel-lined plate.
- In mixing bowl, mix lettuces and Pepitas with champagne vinaigrette. Spoon 2 tablespoons Mustard Crema onto a serving plate. Divide salad among plates.
- Top each with crab cakes. Serve with lemon wedges.
Pepitas:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- In a small bowl, toss pumpkin seeds with oil and salt. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake until toasted, 10 to 12 minutes.
Mustard Crema:
- Mix mascarpone, mustard and lemon zest and juice in a bowl until well mixed. Thin with heavy cream until desired consistency. (It should be spreadable and smooth.) Season with salt to taste. Reserve cold until ready to serve.