There are several food-related traditions that I associate with Christmas. One of my very favorites is fresh Dungeness Crab which is usually at the peak of its season this time of year. For as long as I can remember, we have been eating chilled, cracked crab on Christmas Eve and using the leftovers to make other delectable dishes like hot crab dip and crab cakes.
This year, on Christmas Eve there was no crab to be found. And, when I did find some at our local high-end grocery store it was a ridiculous price per pound. So, we opted for lasagna Christmas Eve but did finally get to have our traditional crab feast on the 27th once the supply had been replenished. We are pretty simple when it comes to our crab. Just serve it chilled on a platter with a simple dipping sauce of mayonnaise and lemon juice, then let everyone go at it. Most people opt for the legs and claws, but I tend to go for the body pieces that have the most meat.
After we had sufficiently pigged out, I was still able to pull out a good pound of crab meat from our haul. This made for a great start for crab cake sandwiches. And who better to share these with than my wonderful mother who is a crab fiend as well? I prepped my ingredients and then set off for her place to make lunch. I served our cakes with a simple chive remoulade, some fresh butter lettuce, and heirloom tomato then loaded it all onto a toasted brioche bun. I think the smile on Mom's face as she ate it said it all. So, for the crab lovers out there, this one's for you!
Crab Cake Sandwich with Chive Remoulade
Equipment
- 1 Small bowl
- 1 Small whisk
- 1 Medium bowl
- 1 Mallet or shellfish cracker If cracking/picking the crab yourself
- 1 Pick or seafood fork If cracking/picking the crab yourself
- 1 Medium frying pan
- 1 spatula
Ingredients
For the Chive Remoulade
- ⅓ c. good quality mayonnaise
- 1 T. chopped chives
- 1 T. lemon Juice
- ¼ t. garlic powder
- ¼ t. paprika
- ¼ t. finely ground black pepper
For the Crab Cakes
- ⅓ c. of good quality mayonnaise
- 2 eggs
- 2 T. finely diced red bell pepper
- 2 T. finely diced celery
- 1 T. chopped chives
- 1 t. finely minced garlic
- 1 T. fresh lemon juice
- ½ t. Old Bay seafood seasoning plus more to sprinkle on right before cooking
- ¼ t. salt
- ¼ t. black pepper
- 1 cup of Panko breadcrumbs
- 1 pound of fresh Dungeness crab or other local fresh crab
- 1-2 T. butter
To assemble the sandwhiches
- 6 fresh brioche buns
- 6 large leaves of butter lettuce
- 6 large slices of good ripe heirloom tomatoes
Instructions
For the chive remoulade
- Whisk all of the ingredients together in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for an hour or so before serving to allow the flavors to marry together.
For the crab cakes
- Combine all of the crab cake ingredients in a large bowl except for the crab and butter. Allow to sit for about 20 minutes to let the panko soften. Gently fold in the crab and mix to combine. Do not overwork it! Divide the mixture into six patties and place on parchment paper. Sprinkle each with a bit more Old Bay seasoning.
- Melt the butter in a large skillet on medium until bubbly. Gently add the cakes placing the seasoned side down. Sprinkle the top side with seasoning. Cook the cakes for 4-5 minutes on each side or until nicely browned. Depending on the size of your skillet, you will probably have to do this in 2-3 batches. Just place the cooked cakes on a serving plate while you finish cooking the others.
- While you are cooking the cakes, toast the brioche buns in a toaster oven or another pan and place them on plates for serving. Smear a bit of the remoulade on each side of the bun then top with a crab cake, a bit more remoulade, and the tomato and lettuce. Enjoy!
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