Serve these bite-sized treats with Chef Belinda’s jalapeno remoulade for a spicy taste of New Orleans.
Photo by Gina Moore
MAKES 16 SMALL CAKES (8 LARGE)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ cup chopped scallions
½ cup chopped red bell pepper
½ cup chopped celery
1 large clove garlic, minced
1 pound lump crabmeat, drained
1 cup breadcrumbs, divided
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 large egg
2 tablespoons fresh-squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Kosher salt
Black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Olive oil, for frying (or vegetable oil)
Jalapeno remoulade (see recipe)
In a medium-sized skillet or saute pan, over medium heat, melt butter and oil. Cook scallions, bell pepper and celery until soft. Add garlic and cook an additional minute. Set aside to cool.
In a large bowl, add crabmeat, 1/4-cup breadcrumbs, parsley, cream, egg, lemon juice, mustard, salt, pepper, cayenne and cooled vegetables. Mix well to blend all ingredients. Using a small scoop or tablespoon, measure out 16 equal portions and form into cakes. Place on a large platter or parchment-lined baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. While waiting, prepare remoulade.
When ready to cook cakes, place remaining breadcrumbs in a shallow bowl; coat cakes on all sides. Brush off excess crumbs. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Working in batches, cook cakes until done, about 3 minutes per side. Add additional oil as needed. Drain on paper towels and keep warm until served. Serve with jalapeño remoulade.
Jalapeno Remoulade
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon chili sauce
2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
¼ cup capers, coarsely chopped
¼ cup parsley, fresh chopped
2 scallions, chopped (save green tops for garnish)
½ jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (or serrano if you prefer more heat)
1 teaspoon Creole or Cajun seasoning
1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lemon juice
Scallion tops, thinly sliced, for garnish
In a medium bowl, mix all ingredients—except scallion tops—until well combined. Transfer to a serving dish and garnish with sliced scallion tops. Leftover remoulade will keep in refrigerator up to 1 week, stored in an airtight container. Makes about 1½ cups.
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Chef’s tips
Scoville scale of peppers.
The Scoville scale measures the “heat” in chili peppers. When recipes call for chiles, it is important to understand what to expect. Serrano peppers have roughly five times more heat than jalapenos. Jalapenos, seeded and added to recipes, are not as hot as you might think. In fact, sometimes the addition is not noticeable. If heat is a concern to you, start with jalapenos and move up to serranos as you continue to experiment with the recipe. Remember, once you remove the seeds and the membrane (the white ribs inside the peppers) the heat is diminished significantly.
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