Dungeness Crab Cakes With Green Cocktail Sauce

DIRECTIONS

• Make the cocktail sauce: put tomatillos in a food processor; process until coarsely pureed.
• Remove the puree into a sieve; drain off the liquid, and discard.
• Put the drained puree into a small bowl and stir in the vinegar, sugar, Tabasco, garlic, mustard seeds, and horseradish until combined (the cocktail sauce can be made a day ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator).
• Make the mayonnaise: tear up the white bread and pulse the pieces in a food processor to make fine, soft crumbs (should have about 6 cups crumbs).
• Remove bread crumbs to a shallow pan; mix in ½ cup chopped parsley; set aside.
• In a food processor, combine the egg yolk, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, mustard, paprika, thyme, celery seeds, and black pepper; pulse to combine.
• With the motor running, slowly add the oil through the feed tube in a steady stream until the mixture emulsifies and forms a mayonnaise; remove mayonnaise from the food processor and refrigerate.
• Place crabmeat in a cheesecloth-lined sieve over a bowl; pull the cheesecloth tightly around the crabmeat and squeeze out as much juice as possible.
• Put the chopped onions and bell peppers in a sieve over a bowl and use your hands to squeeze out as much juice as possible.
• In a big bowl, combine the onions and bell peppers with the remaining ¼ cup parsley; add in the chilled mayonnaise and crabmeat; toss lightly to combine.
• Add 1 cup of the breadcrumb mixture and combine.
• Do not overwork the mixture or the crabcakes may get gummy.
• Gently form 8 patties and roll the patties lightly in the remaining breadcrumb mixture.
• Leave the crabcakes in the pan of bread crumbs until you saute them.
• Preheat the oven to 425°; using a nonstick saute pan and butter as needed, panfry the crabcakes, in batches, until golden brown on both sides and place them on a baking sheet as they are browned.
• When all the crabcakes are browned, put them in the oven until they are heated all the way through, 5-8 minutes.
• To plate: serve one crabcake as an appetizer or two as an entree; serve with a ramekin of cocktail sauce and a lemon wedge.
• **Note—the crabcakes actually hold together better if prepared a day ahead and stored in the refrigerator before cooking; store them in the pan of breadcrumbs, covering with plastic wrap.
• Wine suggestion—a lightly oaked Chardonnay.