Asian-Inspired Crab Cakes

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Classic crab cakes with a flavor twist!  Asian-Inspired Crab Cakes feature a unique pairing of crab meat with savory Asian flavors.

This quick and easy recipe includes ginger, garlic, white miso, chives, and sesame seeds.  Serve with a sweet and savory remoulade for dipping.  

Regional Recipes

One of my favorite classes in cooking school was about American regional food and the history of recipes.  Passed down through generations, regional recipes often tell the history of the people who emigrated to the United States and how they adapted to their new surroundings.

I have a tattered, broken spine notebook with recipes handwritten on the back of bank deposit slips, used envelopes, and tiny torn pieces of paper.  Started by my great grandmother, it is a connection to the Missouri farm she lived on, to her neighbors (whose names are often part of the recipe titles), and to Midwestern food.  My grandmother and then later my mother,  made their contributions to the notebook, reflecting the popularity of different foods in the decades in which they lived.

Often, a local recipe will have a fierce devotion to its method or ingredients.  Cincinnati Chili, San Fransico Cioppino, clam chowder - New England or Manhattan,  and of course, Maryland Crab Cakes.

But you can pay homage to a classic and tweak the recipe, a bit.

Classic Crab Cakes

A classic Maryland crab cake recipe contains mayonnaise, egg, Old Bay seasoning, and a filler such as bread crumbs or cracker crumbs.  You may see lemon juice, dijon mustard, parsley, or Worcestershire sauce added.  Lump crab meat, delicate, but with a sweet and salty taste, is generally what is used for the cakes.

Asian-Inspired Crab Cakes have similar ingredients but with a twist.

Ingredients

• Lump crab meat
• Cracker crumbs - Butter crackers add a nice flavor.
• Egg
• White miso - mild but with a nutty flavor
• Lime juice - just a touch of acid
• Minced chives
• Minced garlic
• Sesame seeds
• Grated ginger
• Sriracha - You determine how spicy you want your crab cakes.  I like to have a spicy note in the background, not too dominant.
• Kewpie Mayonnaise - Made with egg yolks, this mayonnaise is silky smooth with a slightly sweet taste.  It does contain MSG, so if you are sensitive to the additive, use regular mayonnaise.

How to make

This quick and easy recipe is for 8 ounces of lump crab meat.  The recipe can be doubled if you want to make more crab cakes.

• Crush the crackers in a food processor.  Don't make the crumbs too fine - it is nice to have some larger pieces for texture.  You can put the crackers in a ziplock bag and crush them with a rolling pin if you do not have a food processor.

• Clean the crab meat.  Place the meat on a sheet tray and carefully pick through to remove any bits of shell or cartilage.
• Combine 1 cup of cracker crumbs with the chives, minced garlic, grated ginger, sesame seeds, salt, and pepper. Add the lump crab meat to the dry ingredients, making sure everything is thoroughly mixed.

• In a separate bowl, beat the egg until thoroughly combined. Add the miso, Kewpie mayonnaise, lime juice, and the sriracha. Whisk until the miso is combined with all the ingredients.

• Add the wet ingredients to the dry.  Don't overmix.  If you pat the crab mix into a ball, it should stick together.
• Make the crab cakes.  I used a small ring for consistency but it isn't necessary.  The recipe makes 8 -  2" x ¾" crab cakes.
• Use the remaining ½ cup of cracker crumbs to coat both sides of the exterior of the crab cakes. Make sure to roll the sides in the crumbs.

• Heat ¾ cup of canola oil in a nonstick skillet over a medium flame. Check the temperature of the oil.  When it is at 350 degrees, the oil is ready.  

• When the oil is hot enough, carefully lower the crab cakes in the oil. Fry for 2-3 minutes, then flip the crab cake over to the other side.  Fry for an additional 3-4 minutes.
• Remove the crab cakes from the oil and lay them on a paper towel-lined plate to drain.

• Sprinkle a little crunchy salt on top.

Remoulade

What is a remoulade sauce?  It is typically made with mayonnaise and a collection of herbs, spices, and generally capers or pickles.  Almost tartar sauce but with a few more ingredients.

Asian-Inspired Crab Cakes are served with a remoulade that contains some of the same ingredients.

1. Kewpie Mayonnaise is the base.  Again, you can substitute regular mayonnaise if you are sensitive to MSG.
2. Honey.  Just a touch of sweetness that pairs really well with the lump crab meat.
3. Soy.  For depth of flavor.
4. Sesame seeds and minced chives.
5. Sriracha.  Again, how much is up to you.  I like the suggestion of spice so that the flavor of the crab cakes is not overwhelmed.

Quick and Easy

When taking a look at crab cakes, you may think this recipe requires some serious culinary skills.  But don't be fooled.  This quick and easy recipe comes together in 35 minutes.

Perfect with a salad, as an appetizer, or as an hors d' oeuvres, Asian-Inspired Crab Cakes are a new classic full of rich flavors.

Sides for crab cakes

https://tenpoundcakecompany.com/caesar-oven-roasted-potato-salad/

https://tenpoundcakecompany.com/shredded-brussels-sprout-salad/