crab cakes w/orange sauce
Crab Cakes with Orange-Dill Sauce
Orange-Dill Sauce (see recipe below)
1 pound cooked fresh crab meat*
4 teaspoons butter, divided
1/4 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup minced green onions
1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
1 jalapeno chile pepper, cored, seeded, and minced
1/4 cup light or low-fat mayonnaise
1/4 cup bread crumbs**
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Salt and white pepper to taste
1 large egg, slightly beaten
*If you can't get fresh crab, look for the pasteurized crab usually sold in the refrigerated case of your supermarket or fish store.
Prepare Orange-Dill Sauce. Carefully clean the crab meat of any shells or cartilage; set aside.
In a large non-stick frying pan over medium heat, melt 1 teaspoon butter. Add celery, onions, chives, and chile pepper; saute 2 minutes or until vegetables are limp; remove vegetables from heat and place in a large bowl. Add crab meat, mayonnaise, bread crumbs, and lemon juice; gently mix together. Season with salt and white pepper. Carefully fold in egg with a rubber spatula until mixture just clings together.
Divide crab mixture into eight portions and shape each into a flat, round cake about 3 inches across and 1-1/2 inches high Place onto a baking sheet lined either parchment or wax paper; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerator at least 3 hours or overnight (the cold will firm up the cakes so that they will not break up when fried.)
In a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat, heat butter until hot but not smoking (add more butter if needed). Gently lay chilled crab cakes onto bottom of the pan; slowly fry crab cakes approximately 4 minutes per side or until crisp and golden brown, turning once only with a spatula. If the crab cake browns too quickly, reduce heat. The internal temperature should be 150 to 155 degrees F. with an instant read cooking thermometer. Remove from heat, transfer onto a serving platter, and serve hot with Orange-Dill Sauce.
Makes 4 servings (8 crab cakes) as a main course and 6 servings (12 crab cakes) as an appetizer or starter course (two each per serving).
Orange-Dill Sauce:
2 tablespoons light or low-fat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon grated orange zest
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon minced fresh dillweed
In a medium bowl, combine mayonnaise, orange zest, orange juice, and dill weed. Cover and refrigerate at least one hour. Serve cold.