Crab and shrimp cakes for Sunday supper
We didn’t have much crab this past winter, so on a recent Sunday we were inspired to make crab cakes.
At the fishmonger’s the other day, I realized I had not had crab and shrimp cakes for a very long time. Yes, the halibut looked gorgeous; and the salmon, tops. I was tired of petrale sole, and the Intrepid One doesn’t share my passion for ahi. The crab looked like the ticket.
Well, I also had been inspired by one of my adult kids. He had made crab and shrimp cakes a few nights before, and he raved about them. That was enough to get me headed in that direction.
The egg dip and panko really hold the cakes together before frying. It also helps if you have time to let the cakes rest for 20 minutes in the refrigerator before frying.
This recipe is pretty much from Jake’s Seafood Grill. We bought a McCormick & Schmick’s seafood cookbook in 1993 when we celebrated our 23rd wedding anniversary at their location on 1st Street in Portland. (It has since closed. I miss the atmosphere and the classy bar, but Jake’s is still going strrong.) I’ve modified the crab cakes to include shrimp and panko. I also had to sub red pepper because I didn’t have green. But thanks, Jake’s. We were there just a week ago celebrating our 45th anniversary. I saw the crab cakes on the menu, but went with the crab salad. (It was delicious. My sons had grilled steelhead, and my husband had the petrale sole. It was a grand dinner.)
Crab and shrimp cakes
1-1/2 pounds crab and shrimp meat
1 cup panko
2 celery stalks, finely minced
1 small onion, finely minced
1 small green pepper, finely minced
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco (I use the green Tabasco)
1 large egg
1/4 cup manonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcester sauce
Another egg for dipping the cakes before frying
Additional panko for coating the cakes
Oil for frying
Combine all the ingredients except the panko for coating and the oil for frying. Form the mixture into eight cakes, about 3-1/2 inches x 3/4-inch thick.
Dip the cakes in a beaten egg and then coat them on both sides with the panko. Drop into the heated oil and cook over medium heat, about 4 minutes per side. They should be thoroughly browned and heated through.
Serve with tartar sauce or just plain lemon. Yum.
Janet Cleaveland
What happens when a retired journalist spends a lot more time in the kitchen than in past years? She tries new dishes and jumps at the chance to write a blog about food, family and good times. My kids are grown now, but I'll be looking back at how they learned to cook, what recipes my husband (the Intrepid One) and I are experimenting with, and how food and conversation make for happy times in the kitchen. I worked for The Columbian for 15 years as a copy editor and another 10 elsewhere, though I didn't start out as a journalist. I thought I wanted to teach English literature. My husband grew up in Clark County, and I've lived here since 1983. My kids have grown and left home. Like my husband of 52 years, our adopted chocolate Lab would never pass up a chance for a tasty meal.