lemon shallot crab cakes

How to make lemon shallot crab cakes recipe - Fresh crabs, fished from the Chesapeake Bay, are traditionally used to make these famous Maryland crab cakes.

MAKES 4

PREP TIME 15 mins, COOK TIME 6–10 mins

Ingredients:
10oz (300g) cooked white and
brown crabmeat (to extract
crabmeat from shell)
1 egg
2⁄3 cup crushed crackers or dried breadcrumbs
juice of 1 lemon, plus extra
to serve
zest of 2 lemons
salt and freshly ground
black pepper
1 shallot, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
peanut or sunflower oil, for frying

For the aïoli:
1 cup mayonnaise
juice of 1 lemon
bunch of scallions,
finely chopped
1 garlic clove, crushed

Method:
1 Rinse and pick over the crabmeat, removing any pieces of shell, then drain well. In a bowl, mix together the crab, egg, crackers, lemon juice and zest, and season to taste. Add the shallot and garlic, and mix well.

2 Take a quarter of the mixture and form a cake 3in (7.5cm) in diameter and set aside on a plate. Repeat to make 3 more cakes.

3 Pour the oil into a large, heavy-based frying pan to a depth of at least 1in (2.5cm). Heat the oil to 375ºF (190ºC), and fry the cakes for 3–5 minutes on each side, or until golden.

4 Meanwhile, make the aïoli. Mix together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, scallions, and garlic in a bowl. Season to taste. Serve the crab cakes hot with the aïoli and a squeeze of lemon.

COOK’S TIP
Add a finely chopped jalapeño or other mild green chile to step 1 for a spicy twist.

lemon shallot crab cakes