Autumn Crab Cakes
 photo by d. scott gregory Autumn Crab Cakes click on photo to enlarge |
2 cups wheat crouton bread crumbs, ground
1/2 cup pumpkin seed kernels, roasted and ground
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup (fat free) mayonnaise
2 scallions, minced
1 shallot, minced
2 eggs, whisked
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1 lemon, juiced (reserve a slice for garnish)
1/4 cup cilantro, finely chopped
1/4 cup Extra virgin olive oil
salt to taste
In a large bowl, using a fork, mix the crab into a mixture of Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, scallions, shallots, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay seasoning, lemon juice, cilantro, salt - mix thoroughly. Add 1 cup of bread crumbs, thoroughly mix then add whisked eggs, while stirring. In a pie plate, add the rest of the wheat bread crouton mix - this will be used as a staging area for the crab cakes before they hit the pan. Let the mixture sit in the refrigerator to cool for 1/2 hour.
Take mixture out and stir. Make small fist sized balls of the mixture and place them onto the reserved breadcrumbs in the pie plate, generously coating each side. Set aside and put the olive oil in a medium-large pan over medium-high heat.
Prepare paper towels on a plate to drain. Once the oil is hot, slowly add the crab cakes - allow them to brown on each side for 2-5 minutes, flip and brown other side.
Once cooked, remove the crab cakes and put onto the plate with paper towels to drain. Once drained, plate onto a warm plate and garnish with lemon slices and cilantro.
