Cilantro-lime Crab (or Shrimp) Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 pound (roughly 3 cups) chopped cooked shrimp or lump crab meat
- 1 tablespoon grated red onion
- 1 clove garlic minced or pressed
- 1 tablespoon fresh-squeezed lime juice
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro leaves
- 1/2 jalapeno pepper very finely diced (optional)
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise need for crab cakes, but not necessary for shrimp cakes
- 1 cup panko divided into 1/3 cup for inside cakes and 2/3 cup for exterior coating
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 3 tablespoons canola oil for frying crab cakes
- Garnish: Lime wedges and cilantro leaves and blue cheese dressing with hot sauce for dipping
Instructions
- Remove tails and shells from shrimp and place them in the bowl of the food processor.Pulse 8 to 10 times, until shrimp is chopped but not too pasty. (For crab, don't process meat, just use lump crab meat.)Transfer meat to a medium-sized bowl.
- Add 1/3 cup panko (reserve 2/3 cup for coating exterior of cakes) and all remaining ingredients except olive oil.Mix well and divide into eight equal portions.Form into patties and then coat on all sides in panko crumbs seasoned with salt and pepper.
- At this point, you can cook the crab cakes and serve, or you can refrigerate them ahead of time to cook later in the day.
- When ready to cook, heat oil on griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat. Place cakes on a griddle and cook for about 3-4 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
- Garnish with a lime wedge, cilantro leaves, and a spoonful of spicy blue cheese dressing.