Dungeness Crab cakes

What a December! We just wrapped up four Crabsgivings this month, where we invite friends over to feast on fresh live Dungeness crab. This is always fun because I kill the crabs on the spot to the awe and/or horror of friends who witness the delicious tragedy. Headcount this year? 50 crabs. I should start scratching a tally for each crab on the side of the steamer.

Starting this year, we decided to serve other crab dishes in addition to the freshly steamed crab. The crab cakes really stood out with everyone, so I took the time to figure out how I did them rather than my usual “a dash here, a pinch there” method.

Recipe

Makes 18 small crab cakes

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. fresh Dungeness crab meat, cooked
• 1/4 cup crab butter (the yellow juice from the head)
• 1/4 cup crackers, crushed
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs (for mixture)
• Extra panko breadcrumbs for breading
• Flour for breading, about 1/2 cup
• 1/4 cup Safflower mayonnaise (regular is ok too)
• 2 eggs
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha hot sauce
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 4-5 cloves of garlic, minced
• 2 stalks of green onion, chopped
• 1 tablespoon olive oil

For aioli:

• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 2-3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup Safflower mayonnaise (regular is ok too)
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper to taste (about 1/2 teaspoon of each for me)

Crab cake mix

Start by preheating the deep fryer to 350 degrees F (you can also pan fry on medium-high heat). Sauté the green onions in the olive oil until soft, about 3 minutes. Combine soy sauce, eggs, fish sauce, sesame oil, Sriracha, garlic and mayonnaise in a mixing bowl and stir until it’s consistent. Then add the crab, crackers, panko breadcrumbs and green onion and continue mixing until the crab meat has flaked, and the mixture has a pasty consistency.

In a separate shallow dish, combine equal parts panko and flour. Roll the crab cakes into balls about the size of an ice cream scoop, then dip in the breading mixture until coated. Set aside and flatten them slightly.

Drop the finished crab cakes into the fryer and cook until just golden brown on the outside, about 1.5 to 2 minutes.

For the aioli, simply combine all of the ingredients into a mixing bowl, and use an egg beater until it’s mixed evenly. Serve with the hot crab cakes.

Lobsters await their fate

I must say: these past few years I have been heavily biased against lobster. It’s not that I think it’s terrible, but I had difficulty accepting that lobster, which is more expensive, was in any way superior to our local Dungeness crab. Was I unnecessarily taking sides on a non-controversial topic? Probably. However, after a string of good meals I have a newfound respect for your classic Maine lobster (but not enough to let them live!).

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Cilantro

Cilantro is, without a doubt, my favorite herb. I know this will cause controversy with the “soap-tasters” and those who are firmly entrenched in basil camp, but there is no more interesting way to jazz up a dish than with cilantro. It’s somewhat peppery and spicy, but also has what I call an “active” flavor, which will come out with almost any savory dish. If you love fish there’s even better news: it’ll help remove mercury and other heavy metal deposits from throughout your body.

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Tilapia

Tilapia. Mention that word and I think of the fish thriving in sewage-infested waters of Ala Wai canal. They were brazen enough to even beg for food because no local would dare eat one of them. They are truly the insipid outcast of the fish world. But tilapia from safe aquaculture doesn’t eat too much crap, and is the rising star of the “sustainable” fish movement. Walk into any trendy San Francisco fish joint, and there’s a good chance your “fish” taco is one of these guys. Hell, they even eat a mostly vegetarian diet which limits fish feed impacts. Why do I hate it so much?

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