South Texas Seafood Latke

Ready, Set, Cook! Special Edition Contest Entry: These cakes are a unique and tasty alternative to the usual crabcakes. Adding bacon and southwest spices give them a spicy kick with a Texas flair. I mix the final stage of the recipe with my hands to insure every bite bursts with each individual flavor. Can be greasy if not placed on napkin after frying.

• Ready In: 50 mins
• Serves: 4-6
• Yields: 24 pieces

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 lb  pepper bacon, sliced in cubes
• 1  lb fresh shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1⁄2 lb fresh crab, steamed (meat only)
• 1  lb  Simply Potatoes Traditional Mashed Potatoes (3/4ths of container)
• 1⁄4 cup green onion, chopped
• 1⁄4 red bell pepper, chopped
• 1⁄4 cilantro, finely chopped
• 1⁄2 tablespoon  minced garlic
• 3  eggs
• 1⁄2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• 1⁄2 teaspoon cumin
• 1⁄2 teaspoon salt
• 1⁄2 cup panko breadcrumbs
•  safflower oil (fill skillet to 1/4th inch)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Saute bacon in skillet until lightly browned.
3. Add the peeled & deveined shrimp to the bacon and toss until shrimp takes on the shape of a Celsius Remove the shrimp and set aside. Drain the bacon. Combine shrimp, bacon, crab meat, onions, bell peppers, cilantro, eggs, & garlic in a large bowl. Follow directions on Simply Potato package but only microwave for 2 minutes, just to make the potatoes easy to work with. Add potatoes to shrimp mixture. Mix well. In separate bowl combine dry ingredients and mix well so all spices are dispersed evenly. Combine everything in one bowl and mix. Will be the consistency of a meatloaf.
4. Form small silver dollar size patties 1/2 inch thick.
5. In a large skillet, heat oil until very hot. In stages, place several patties in hot grease and brown about 2 minutes on each side. Transfer to napkin to absorb extra grease. Put patties on foil lined baking sheet and bake @ 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.
6. Serve as an appetizer with a cocktail or cucumber dill sauce.
7. Yields about 24 bite size pieces.