Mendo Crab Cakes

Notes: The point of a crab cake is pure crab flavor, not filler, according to Nicholas Petti, chef-owner of Mendo Bistro in Fort Bragg. He won the Mendocino Crab & Wine Days Crabcake Cookoff in both 2002 and 2003 with these simple cakes. The winning wine with crab at the first competition, a Handley Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, is perfect with them. As a shortcut for the tarragon aioli--or if you're concerned about possible bacteria in raw eggs--substitute 1 1/2 cups mayonnaise mixed with 1/4 cup chopped fresh tarragon, 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons minced garlic, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and hot sauce and salt to taste. Start the cabbage salad first, then make the aioli and crab cakes.

Yield: Makes 8 first-course or 4 main-dish servings

Ingredients

• 1  pound  shelled cooked crab (about 2 3/4 cups)
• 1 3/4  cups  panko (Japanese dried bread crumbs) or other dried bread crumbs
• 1/2  cup  finely chopped green onions (including green tops)
• Tarragon aioli (see notes)
• About 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• Champagne cabbage salad

Preparation

1. Sort through crab; remove and discard any bits of shell. In a bowl, combine crab, 3/4 cup panko, and green onions. Gently mix in 1/2 cup tarragon aioli just until mixture holds together.

2. Press mixture firmly into eight equal patties about 3 inches wide; set slightly apart on waxed paper or foil. Pour remaining panko into a shallow bowl.

3. Pour 1/3 cup oil into a 10- to 12-inch frying pan over medium-high heat. When hot, set each crab cake in panko, then, using a slotted spatula, turn, pressing gently to coat. Transfer crab cakes to pan, working in small batches. Cook until golden brown on the bottom, 3 to 4 minutes; turn gently and cook until browned on the other side and hot in the middle, 3 to 4 minutes longer. Transfer cakes as cooked, in a single layer, to a 12- by 15-inch baking sheet in a 200° oven and add remaining cakes to pan, adding more oil as needed. Discard any remaining panko.

4. Divide champagne cabbage salad evenly among plates. Set crab cakes on salad, add a dollop of tarragon aioli, and serve immediately, passing remaining aioli to add to taste.

Nutritional analysis per crab cake.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

138 (31% from fat)

Protein:

13g

Fat:

4.8g (sat 0.6)

Carbohydrate:

9.2g

Fiber:

0.6g

Sodium:

197mg

Cholesterol:

57mg