Recipe: Crab Cakes with Fennel, Field Greens, and Blood Orange Vinaigrette

Feb 22, 2012 by The Bald Gourmet    No Comments    Posted under: Appetizer Recipes, Recipes

This was on my valentine’s menu this year, and it was tasty enough that it needed to go on the blog.  So without further adieu, let me introduce you to crabby deliciousness.

Crab Cakes with Fennel, Field Greens, and Bood Orange Vinaigrette

Pan Fry Fennel Before Making Crab Cakes

Remove the core from your fennel bulb, then slice bulb in half, then into 1/4 inch strips.  Heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil in a saute pan, and then add the fennel strips.  Season with salt and pepper.  Fry until golden brown, then remove and drain on a paper towel.

Pan Fry Fennel

Fried Fennel

Crab Cakes Ingredients

• 8 ounces Crab Meat
• 1 egg
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
• 1 1/2 teaspoons melted butter
• Juice of 1/2 small lemon
• 3 peppadew peppers, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped scallions, green part only
• 1/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
• Salt and pepper to taste

Makes 6 crab cakes.

How to Make Crab Cakes

Combine all the ingredients, except for the crab meat, mixing well.  Gently fold in the crab, being careful not to break any meat lumps.  Though not necessary, I find that if you refrigerate for an hour before shaping and cooking, it helps the cakes stay together better in the pan.

Shape into cakes, about 2.5 inches in diameter.  Pan fry (in the same oil you fried the fennel in) until golden brown, flipping carefully with spatula.  You may need to tilt the pan and use gravity to help leverage the cakes onto your spatula when trying to flip them.  They are soft, and break easily, so be gentle.  If they do break, just push them back together before the underside browns too much.

Pan Fry Crab Cakes

Pan Fried Crab Cake

Remove from heat, and promptly place on Field Greens and sauteed Fennel, about a handful of greens and 9 fennel strips per plate, which have been dressed with Blood Orange Vinaigrette.  Drizzle Crab Cake with Blood Orange Vinaigrette, and garnish with chopped fennel fronds if desired.

The Bald Gourmet Crab Cake

Recipe by Jothan Yeager, February 2012

The Bald Gourmet’s Crab Cake recipe get’s its unique flavors from peppadew peppers and a Blood Orange Vinaigrette.

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