Oriental Crab Cakes By Bob Skolnick Photography by Marty Snortum Studios
DUNGENESS CRAB is indigenous to the cool waters of the Pacific Northwest. The crab itself is named after Dungeness, Washington. It is considered one of the most flavorful species of crab and is often cooked and served whole and eaten from the shell. The laws provide for only the male crabs to be harvested. The rule of thumb is to select the larger crabs as the ratio of meat to shell is the greatest. Outside of the Northwest you will most often find them cooked in your supermarket’s fish case.
Today we are providing the recipe for Oriental Crab Cakes, but this crab meat can be served in a Crab Tostada or over angel hair with a garlic & olive oil or light marinara sauce.
Oriental Crab Cakes(Serve 4 — Two 3” crab cakes per person) 11/2 lbs Dungeness crab meat 21/2 cups celery hearts diced small 11/2 cups water chestnuts chopped medium 21/2 cups red onion diced small 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger 24 oz panko bread crumbs 12 oz Wasabi mayonnaise 2 oz light soy sauce 2 tbsp toasted sesame seed 3 eggs, beaten 1 lb bean sprouts 6 oz green onions slivered 3 cups peanut oil 2 tsp sesame oil Garlic salt as needed
To Prepare 1. Take the cooked crabmeat and break it apart in a stainless steel bowl into bite size pieces and make sure all shell and cartilage are removed.
2. Add the grated fresh ginger, diced celery hearts, diced red onion, diced water chestnuts, 2 tbsp of light soy sauce, 1 tbsp of sesame seeds and the Wasabi mayonnaise and blend gently taking care not to break apart the crab meat. When mixed cover and refrigerate for 3 hours to blend the flavors.
3. Remove from the refrigerator and drain off any excess liquid that may have seeped out. Add 2 cups (more if needed) of Panko bread crumbs to the crab mixture to act as a binding agent.
4. Mold the crab mixture into 3” patties and set aside on clear wrap on a cookie sheet and place in the freezer for 30 minutes to firm up.
5. Prepare your bean sprouts by lightly sautéing them in a small amount of peanut oil with 1 tsp of sesame oil. Be careful not to overcook them as you want the bean sprouts crunchy. At the last minute add in the slivered green onion and 1 oz of light soy sauce and remove from the heat. This mixture will serve as the bed on which to serve the oriental crab cakes.
6. Heat the remainder of your peanut and sesame oil. While the oil is heating remove your crab cakes from the freezer and carefully dip each crab cake into the beaten egg and then into Panko bread crumbs. Fully coat both sides and the edges with the bread crumbs and lightly pat down the bread crumbs to ensure adhesion.
7. Sauté the oriental crab cakes until golden brown, transfer to paper towels to drain and then onto a cookie sheet in a warm oven to hold until service.
Sauce You can have additional Wasabi Mayonnaise in a bowl on the table and also take several ounces of the Light Soy sauce and mix it with a cup of mild chicken stock and thicken with Wondra Flour or cornstarch.
To Serve Place a bed of the sautéed bean sprouts on the plate, place two of the oriental crab cakes and serve the sauce on the side. This dish should be accompanied with steamed white sticky rice.
CONTACT INFO We had both whole Dungeness crabs and Dungeness crab meat shipped to us overnight from Pike Place Fish market in Seattle. To order visit www.pikesplacefish.com or call 800 – 542 - 7732.
DUNGENESS CRAB is indigenous to the cool waters of the Pacific Northwest. The crab itself is named after Dungeness, Washington. It is considered one of the most flavorful species of crab and is often cooked and served whole and eaten from the shell. The laws provide for only the male crabs to be harvested. The rule of thumb is to select the larger crabs as the ratio of meat to shell is the greatest. Outside of the Northwest you will most often find them cooked in your supermarket’s fish case.