Creole Crab cakes with a Cayenne Cream Sauce

I happen to consider myself a crab cake connoisseur. I have had crab cakes at many a fancy seafood restaurant. I don't like to name drop, but Red Lobster is one. OK, all joking aside, if crab cakes are on the menu that's usually what I order. I love them! So I really have had them at many a place. I stumbled upon this recipe and had to try it. They are wonderful! The Cayenne cream sauce is to die for! I have tweaked it to our liking and I am very pleased with how it turned out. This dish definitely has some kick. If you prefer things on the mild side, reduce the spice by 1/2 to 1 tablespoon called for in the crab cakes. 


I use panko in these crab cakes. They are Japanese breadcrumbs. They have a much lighter, crispier texture and are quite common in most grocery stores now. If you can't find them, you can substitute regular dry breadcrumbs.  I served these with Parmesan mashed potatoes, collard greens, corn, and some homemade dinner rolls. I know, I know, but it's not a southern meal if you don't have a thousand sides. It makes 6 large or 8 medium crab cakes. If you have leftovers, they freeze well. Just take them out and reheat in the oven.


Ingredients:

For the crab cakes

• 1 lb jumbo lump crab meat
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1/2 cup finely chopped yellow onion
• 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
• 1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
• 1 large egg
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard 
• 1/4 cup mayo
• 1 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoons Texas Pete hot sauce
• 2 tablespoons Bayou base seasoning, found here (or your favorite Cajun/Creole seasoning mix)
• 1 cup panko, divided (or plain fine bread crumbs)

For the cayenne cream

• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 2 garlic cloves smashed
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne
• a couple dashes of Texas Pete hot sauce
• 2 cups heavy cream

1. Heat the oil in a large saucepan or skillet over medium high heat. Cook the onion, pepper and celery until tender or about 5 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

2.  Now in a large bowl, mix the veggie mixture, the mayonnaise, mustard, 1/2 of the panko, egg, and the remaining ingredients. Next, fold in the crab meat.

4.  Form the crab mixture into patties and dip into remaining panko.  Put patties in the fridge for 15 minutes. This helps the patties stay together better. Fry crab cakes in the remaining oil until browned on each side, about 4 – 6 minutes per side. Drain on paper towels. These are a little tricky to fry as sometimes they want to break apart so only turn them once and handle them gently.

For the cayenne cream

Heat the butter in a medium saucepan over medium to medium high heat. Add the shallot and cook for a couple of minutes to soften. Then add the garlic and cook for another 2 or 3 minutes. Always be careful to not brown garlic, you want it soft but never browned as it will impart a bitter taste to the dish. Add the hot sauce. Finally add the cream and bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and cook until the mixture is reduced by 1/2. Remove garlic cloves and pour sauce over crab cakes.

Enjoy!

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