Makes About 3 Dozen Small Crab Cakes
1 Pound Maryland Lump Crab Meat, Squeezed Dry of all Juices, Picked Over
2 Large Red Bell Peppers Cut into Large Pieces
2 Shallots
1 Bunch (About 6) Scallions, White Part Only
½ Cup Flat Leaf Parsley, Stems Removed
2 Tablespoons XVOO
¾ Pound Raw Small Shrimp, Peeled and Deveined
1 Large Egg White
¾ Cup Heavy Cream
1 Teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
½ Teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
¼ Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
1 Tablespoon Fresh Lemon Juice
¼ Cup Mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
½ Teaspoon Tabasco
2 Teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
3 Cups Panko Bread Crumbs
3 Cups Peanut, Vegetable or Canola Oil
Place the drained and picked over crab in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.
In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade, finely chop the red pepper, shallots, scallions and parsley. Remove from the bowl and drain in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl. Gently squeeze excess juice from the mixture.
Heat the two tablespoons of XVOO in a medium sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the chopped vegetables and sauté until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Set aside to cool to room temperature.
In the same food processor bowl add the shrimp and puree. With the motor running, slowly add the cream and egg white to the pureed shrimp through the feed tube.
Add the shrimp mousse and cooled sautéed vegetables to the crabmeat. Add the salt, pepper, cayenne, lemon juice, mayonnaise, mustard, Tabasco and Worcestershire to the crab mixture and gently fold ingredients together until well blended. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Place half of the panko crumbs on a half sheet pan. Measure out 1 small ice cream scoop of the crab mixture into the crumbs. Continue measuring out the crab mixture in this manner until you have about 20 balls. Gently coat the balls with the panko crumbs forming them into small cakes. Place the cakes on a half sheet pan lined with parchment. Repeat with the rest of the crab mixture. You should end up with 2 half-sheet pans with about 18 on each pan. Freeze the cakes overnight.
When ready to cook, heat the 3 cups of vegetable or canola oil in a heavy Dutch oven or skillet to 350°F. Fry the frozen cakes in small batches until golden brown, gently turning as the sides turn golden, about 3 or 4 minutes. Remove to a wire rack to drain. Place in oven to keep warm if serving immediately. You can cook in advance, drain, cool and refrigerate. To reheat, place in a 350°F oven for 5 to 7 minutes.
Serve warm with Remolaude Sauce and Ancho Chili Preserves.
Hints and Tips: The Crab Cakes can be made in two sizes; mini for pass arounds or large as an entree. If you do make these as an entree, I suggest you sauté them in butter rather than deep frying. You will not need to freeze the entree size before cooking. Just be gentle when turning the crab cakes as they can be quite delicate. Sauté on each side until nicely browned and finish in the oven to make sure they are cooked through.
