Red Lobster Maryland Crab Cakes

Croft Girl's Note:

From the Red Lobster restaurant website. These dense yet flaky, firm yet delicate, Maryland crab cakes are a seaside staple. I made these this evening and even my DH who doesn't care for seafood said it was a keeper recipe. I made them just as the recipe states but next time I might try a little more Old Bay Seasoning or pepper (or perhaps a dash of cayenne or red pepper flakes) to bring some more flavor to these wonderful crab cakes. Serve them a’ la carte, in a sandwich or beside a salad. We used Sweet Chili Sauce drizzled on the plate for another layer of flavor -- the Asian type SWEET-chili sauce, not the tomato-based kind you find with ketchup or the hot type of Asian chili sauce -- which complemented these very well and came straight out of the bottle so no extra work. Some advice on breadcrumbs: I really recommend Panko breadcrumbs. They give these cakes a nice crunchy outside even though very few crumbs are used for breading. Luckily most major grocery stores now carry this product in the Asian product aisle. If you're lucky enough to have an Asian grocery store in your area go there not only to save money but also to take advantage of authentic, flaky, white breadcrumbs that can be use in numerous recipes! Please do NOT purchase Progresso Seasoned Panko breadcrumbs for this recipe. If Panko crumbs are not available to you, use plain (non-seasoned) breadcrumbs for this recipe.

• Total Time: 20 mins
• Prep Time: 10 mins
• Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

Servings: 4

• ½ teaspoon fresh garlic , minced
• 1 tablespoon shallot , minced (if you dont' have shallots use the white part of green onions, if that's not available any onions wi)
• 1 tablespoon celery , minced
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 1 whole egg
• 1⁄8; teaspoon salt
• 1⁄8; teaspoon black pepper
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning (or more to taste. If your crab doesn't have a lot of salt go for more rather than less.)
• ¼ cup breadcrumbs (Panko crumbs are preferred (see description)
• 1 lb lump crabmeat (fresh picked is preferred. I used Dungeness since it's local and very flavorful)
• 2 tablespoons oil , for sauteing

Directions:

1. In a large stainless-steel bowl, combine all ingredients except crab meat and bread crumbs. Coat a spoon or dip a clean finger to taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
2. Using gloved hands, gently mix in crab meat, then add bread crumbs.
3. Spread a thin layer of plain bread crumbs on your work surface.
4. Form crab mixture into equal balls, approximately two inches in diameter. Place on crumbs.
5. Gently flatten the ball of crab mixture and round the edges to seal and firm up the cakes. They should be about one-half inch thick and three inches round. Sprinkle any crumbs remaining on your work surface over the tops of the cakes, pressing them gently to stick. (You can make your cakes smaller for appetizer size but if you go thinner the cooking time may need to be adjusted).
6. Refrigerate until ready to cook.
7. In a sauté pan, melt 2 tablespoons of oil until hot over medium to medium-high. Gently slide in crab cakes 2 at a time (if your temperature is at medium-high reduce to medium).
8. Brown on one side approximately 1-1/2 to 3 minutes. Turn and brown slightly on the other side. Turn down heat to medium-low and cook crab cakes another 5-8 minutes until golden brown.
9. Remove cakes to a double thickness of paper towel to remove any excess oil, then serve.
10. Note: While you may be tempted to increase the amount of bread crumbs used, you’ll receive the best sauté results with the thin layer as described above.
11. Tip: If you'll be serving them as a sandwich a bit of melted cheese and lettuce and/or tomato go well.
12. Storing: These are best served fresh but you can refrigerate up to 2-3 days or freeze in a zip-lock freezer bag up to a month. Reheat in the oven at a medium temperature, or in a fry pan over medium heat (microwaving will heat it up faster but you'll forfeit the the crunch factor for speed).