Mexican Crab Cakes
What happens when a crab cake gets all jacked up on cilantro and serranos? Good things.
What happens when a crab cake gets all jacked up on cilantro and serranos? Good things.
Welcome to Fucking Delicious Friday! Today, I have some lovely crab cakes for you - come on in! I will make you a nice margarita (on the rocks, you guys, don’t let me see you ever sucking on one of those too-sweet margarita-mix-Slushees) and tell you all about it.
My favorite place to shop for groceries during the month of Pandemuary (and it’s been Pandemuary a long time) is a small Latin grocery store near my home. If you want to avoid crowds, don’t go at noon, when all the pickup trucks pull in for the house-made empanadas and tamales. Otherwise, you’ll be in great shape, and you won’t find fresher produce anywhere.
Inspired by the produce there, I decided to make crab cakes with typical Mexican flavorings. I perused some recipes online, but didn’t find much to inspire me, except for one. Chef Alfredo Solis’s crab cakes via Pati Jinich. All the freshness I was looking for - nothing much beyond crab, onion, peppers, and cilantro. I took inspiration and went from there, using what I had on hand and what sounded good.
That is gorgeous, amiright?
The result: Big lumps of crab held together by the tiniest bit of egg and breadcrumbs (and sheer fucking will), flavored with cilantro, onion, and serrano peppers. Plus a serrano-cilantro aioli on top because I am not screwing around, my friends. Give it a go and let me know what you think below!
Shit You Need
Crab Cakes:
1 pound of lump crab meat
1/4 cup minced red onion
2 green onions - white parts, minced
1 serrano pepper, minced. If you like spicy, do two, or take a page from Alfredo Solis’s playbook and use a habañero instead. If you need to tone it down from serrano, go with a jalapeño.
1/4 cup finely chopped cilantro leaves
juice of 1/2 lime, freshly squeezed
1 scant tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup serrano-cilantro aioli
1/4 cup panko bread crumbs
1 egg, lightly beaten
2 Tbs butter (for the pan)
Serrano-Cilantro Aioli:
1 cup homemade aioli or quality mayonnaise
1/2 bunch cilantro, with stems, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic
2 green onions - green parts, roughly chopped
1-2 serrano peppers (depending on how how they are and how spice tolerant you are), seeded and roughly chopped
juice of 1 lime, freshly squeezed
1 tsp kosher salt
Are you eyeing my pan? You can’t have it. Go get your own at Smithey Ironware because they are awesome.
Keep Calm and justeffingcook
Crab Cakes
In a medium bowl, add the crab, onions, pepper, cilantro, lime juice, mayo, bread crumbs, egg, salt and pepper. Toss lightly to combine.
Form into 6 roughly equal-sized patties, place on a plate or small sheet pan, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate at least an hour, and up to 48 hours. This chill time helps keep these little bastards together when you transfer them to the pan for browning. Plus, hey! Make-ahead potential!
Have a margarita.
Heat butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Using a spatula, carefully transfer crab cakes to the skillet, tucking any loosened crab bits back into place. Don’t crowd the crab cakes - they like their space. Fry in batches if you need to. Cook 3 minutes or so per side, or until golden brown. Flip carefully to keep crab cakes intact.
Serve while hot, accompanied by serrano-cilantro aioli. Serve with lightly dressed greens, with some kickin’ rice, or by themselves as an app.
Serrano-cilantro Aioli
You will notice this is very similar to the aioli recipe that accompanied Life-affirming Grilled Shrimp Tacos. While that one essentially had you making aioli in your blender, albeit with a little creme fraíche in there, this starts with a base of mayo. It’s another way to get a very similar result.
Combine all of the ingredients in a blender and blend
Adjust seasoning if necessary
Boom. Drop mike. Have another margarita.
If this is not the definition of drool-worthy then there is no pleasing you. Give me back my margarita and go home.
Calabrian Chile Garlic Nirvana
If crack were a pantry staple, it would be Calabrain chiles. The End.
If crack were a pantry staple, it would be Calabrain chiles. The End.
Smoky and spicy, these chiles have a depth of flavor that is both unique and strangely addictive. Their heat doesn’t accumulate, so there is nothing to stop you from shoving this pasta into your mouth so fast you embarrass yourself.
Consider yourself warned.
My favorite way to use them is simply with garlic, salt, and black pepper as a sauce for pasta, which I then top with fresh chives or scallions. Add to the recipe or mix it up based on what sounds good, what’s in season, or what you have. Roasted red pepper from your pantry shelf, chopped sweet cherry tomatoes, a little fresh mozzarella or…burrata.
Have we discussed burrata? No? Well, if sex were a cheese…no, wait. If GREAT sex were a cheese, it would be burrata. The End.
What follows is the my basic staple sauce. You can follow it exactly as written, or you can do you. Right now, I’ma go get me some burrata.
Shit You Need
Crushed Calabrian chiles in olive oil. I used a heaping tablespoon for a prominent but totally doable heat. Your mileage may vary.
2-3 Tbs olive oil
1 clove of minced garlic
3 Tbs chopped scallions, green parts only
1/2 pound pasta. Whatever you have - that’s the point of a pantry recipe. But if you want something really special, grab fresh filled pasta made locally. Pictured above is a leek and sweet corn-filled ravioli I got at my farmer’s market. It blew my fucking mind.
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
I admit it, this is a pretty shitty mince job. Still tasted good.
Keep Calm and justeffingcook
In a skillet or sauté pan big enough to hold your pasta, add the oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Let this hang out on low heat while you get your water boiling and cook your pasta.
Bring about 6 quarts of salted water to a boil on high heat. Note that the salt is so important I italicized it. We should all be so lucky to be italicized one day.
They say your pasta water should taste like the ocean, which honestly always seemed a little non-specific to me. I mean, Atlantic or Pacific? What about Indian? Anyway, yours should taste obviously salty, otherwise your pasta will taste like cardboard.
Once boiling, add your pasta and cook for 1-2 minutes less than the recommended time. Trust me.
Don’t drain your pasta. Instead, use tongs or a slotted spoon (depending on the variety) to transfer the pasta to your sauté pan. You will transfer a little starchy pasta water, which will emulsify with the oils and help build the sauce. Toss the pasta with the sauce for 1-2 minutes to finish cooking. (See? I told you you could trust me!)
Plate, top with green onion, and serve!
