Firecracker Crab Cakes

When I first made the Hong Kong Crab Cakes from Tyler Florence’s Real Kitchen, I was inspired by the Asian take on the traditional crab cake. Wanting to add my own twists, I needed some sort of crunchy element, but nothing that would detract from the flavors already at hand, nor anything too large, lest it interfere with the delicate texture and adhesion that is so important in a properly made crab cake. Truly Good Foods Blackened Pumpkin Seeds were the perfect addition to the mix. Nutty, thin and crunchy, these seeds added a warm, earthy essence to the rich, zesty crab mixture. Elements of heat from the fresh ginger and chili sauce naturally bridge the seasoned seeds, and bright notes from fresh lemon juice and herbaceous cilantro provide balance to these tasty cakes.

Firecracker Crab Cakes
by Gary Gee
My Cooking Blog
Serves/makes 4

Crab Cakes:
3 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 Tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 Tablespoon peanut oil, plus more for pan frying
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
1 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs
2 eggs, beaten
2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sambal oelek
1 Tablespoon cilantro, chopped
1 green onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup Truly Good Foods Blackened Pumpkin Seeds, lightly crushed
8 ounces lump crab meat, picked over for shells
8 ounces backfin crab meat, picked over for shells
Coarse salt
Freshly ground white pepper
Brown sugar

Firecracker Sauce:
2 Tablespoons light soy sauce
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 teaspoon sambal oelek
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 pinch red pepper flakes
Freshly ground white pepper to taste

In a small saucepan, combine garlic, ginger, and peanut oil over low heat. Cook until slightly fragrant, but not browned, about 2-3 minutes. Add red bell pepper and cook gently for 1 minute more, until pepper is slightly wilted. Stir in fish sauce and remove from heat. Let cool slightly.

In a large bowl, combine bread crumbs, garlic/ginger mixture, and next seven ingredients until well mixed. Gently fold in crab meat and season with a pinch each of salt, white pepper and brown sugar. Form mixture into five or six cakes, pressing gently to flatten and hold together. Place in a shallow dish, cover, and chill for two hours or overnight.

To make sauce, whisk together all ingredients. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

To cook, heat a thin layer of peanut oil in a skillet over medium heat. Pan fry crab cakes, about 3-4 minutes per side, until browned and cooked through. Serve immediately with Firecracker Sauce.