posted by Pat T 04-27-100 11:32 AM
From Ketchum Kitchen
Moroccan Spiced Crab Cakes
Makes 6 servings
1-1/2 cups panko Japanese bread crumbs
1-1/2 cups almond flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small red bell pepper, seeded and finely chopped
2 Tblsp. minced fresh ginger (about a 2-inch piece)
1/2 teaspoon chopped garlic
6 to 8 green onions, white parts only, thinly sliced
1 tsp. ground cardamom
1 Tblsp. ground cumin
1 Tblsp. turmeric
1 cup heavy cream
1 pound jumbo lump crab meat, picked through for shells
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chives
2 Tblsp. grated lemon zest
Pinch of cayenne
Salt
1/4 cup canola oil
Cilantro Dressing:
1 cup fresh orange juice
2 tsp. cumin seeds
1 cup cilantro leaves
1/2 cup canola oil
1 Tblsp. fresh lemon juice
1 egg (see note)
Salt
Cayenne
Make the dressing: Put the orange juice in a small saucepan over medium-high heat and reduce to 1/4 cup, 12 to 14 minutes. Allow to cool.
Meanwhile, put the cumin seeds in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Toast for 4 minutes, stirring a few times. Grind with a mortar and pestle or in a spice mill.
Puree the orange juice with the cilantro in a blender or food processor until smooth. Add the oil, cumin and lemon juice and mix well. Add the egg and mix well. Season with salt and cayenne to taste.
Make the crab cakes: Mix the panko with the almond flour. Set aside.
Put the olive oil in a large skillet over high heat and saute the bell pepper and celery until the vegetables begin to soften, about 2 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and add the ginger, garlic, and green onions. Stir and cook for 2 minutes. Add the cardamom, cumin and turmeric and cook for 1 minute.
Add the cream, raise the heat to medium-high and reduce by half, 6 to 7 minutes. Add the crab meat and two-thirds of the bread crumb mixture, half of the parsley, and half of the chives. Mix well and add the lemon zest, cayenne, and salt to taste. Let cool.
Form into cakes with your hands, each about 3 inches in diameter and 1/2 inch thick. (You should have 12 to 14 cakes.)
Dip the top and bottom lightly into the remaining bread crumbs. Refrigerate on a sheet pan lined with wax paper until ready to cook.
Preheat the canola oil into a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the crab cakes and fry 3 minutes on each side. Put 2 crab cakes each on 6 plates and drizzle with the Cilantro Dressing. Garnish with the remaining parsley and chives.
Note: Moroccan seasonings create a spicier, more flavorful crab cake than you might be used to. The panko Japanese bread crumbs, which make the cakes crispier, can be replaced with coarse bread crumbs. If almond flour is unavailable, double the amount of bread crumbs.
Because of the risk of salmonella, you can easily omit the raw egg from the dressing. The dressing will have a thinner consistency, but the flavor still will be good.
From Matthew Kenney's Mediterranean Cooking by Matthew Kenny and Sam Gugino (Chronicle Books).