Avocado Crab Cakes

Avocado Crab Cakes
From Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens

Printable Recipe

Prep time: 15 – 20 minutes
Chill time (in freezer): 30 minutes or up to 3 days
Cook time: 20-30 minutes
Makes: 6 large patties or 25 min crab cakes

Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados, diced
Juice of 1 large, or 2 small limes
3 tbsp olive oil
½ cup yellow onion, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
½” fresh ginger, minced
2 tbsp sweet red bell pepper, seeded & finely diced
½ jalapeno pepper, seeded and finely diced
1½ tbsp butter
¼ - 1/3 cup bread crumbs – I use Panko – they’re extra crispy
¼ cup heavy cream
1 egg
1lb/450g crab meat
Salt & pepper to taste
Chipotle Aioli
2 pasteurized egg yolks
1 tsp white wine vinegar
1 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp chipotle, minced
1 tbsp adobo sauce
Sea salt to taste
Wasabi Mayo
½ cup mayonnaise
1-3 tbsp wasabi paste (as much or little heat as you like)
Garnish: lime slices/wedges

Directions:
Crab Cakes
1. In a large bowl, dice the avocado and spritz with the lime juice to keep from discoloring. To easily dice an avocado: Cut avocado in half lengthwise around the large pit. Twist and the halves will separate. To remove the pit, just gently tap it with a sharp knife, twist and remove. Then take the knife and, without breaking through the skin, slice a grid pattern through the avocado meat right and scoop it out with a spoon.

2. Heat a 12” skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil. When heated through, add onion, garlic, ginger, bell pepper and jalapeno and sauté until the onions are translucent (about 8 minutes). Add the butter and allow it to melt. Stir in the bread crumbs and toast in the butter, allowing the breadcrumbs to absorb the moisture of the vegetables.

Add the cream and turn off the heat while stirring. Fold in the egg quickly to temper (this brings the eggs slowly up to the temperature of the cream and keeps them from scrambling when they bake in the oven.

3Add the sautéed mixture to the bowl of avocado. Gently fold in the crabmeat, trying to maintain the shape of the lump crab and avocado. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Form mixture into 6-8 equal patties about 1” thick, packing each firmly. Transfer to waxed paper lined baking sheet. Wrap tightly with plastic wrap. Freeze for at least 30 minutes or up to 3 days.
Note: The chef actually used a 1/8 cup scoop to make mini crab cakes. Once the crab cakes are frozen, you can transfer them to a freezer baggie if you are going to keep them for later.

5. Preheat the oven to 500°F/260°C and prepare baking sheets. Line with foil and brush with a little olive oil and place the frozen crab cakes about ½” apart. Bake for 15 minutes and rotate the pan for another 10-15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy.

Arrange on a platter either setting each crab cake on a thin lime slice or surrounded by lime wedges and topped with a dollop of chipotle aioli or wasabi mayo

Chipotle Aioli:
1. Place a medium bowl on top of a damp dishtowel (to keep the bowl from rolling around while you whisk). Put yolks, vinegar and garlic into bowl and whisk to combine.

2. While whisking vigorously with one hand, slowly drizzle in the olive oil with the other hand. If you add the oil to quickly, it won’t emulsify with the yolks. When whisked enough, the sauce should be thick like mayo.

3. Fold in chipotle and adobo. Season with salt and taste.
Note from Chef: instead of chipotle, try horseradish, tarragon or lemon and dill. Mix in capers, minced red onion and lemon for seafood topping. And if you’re in a hurry, just add garlic and chipotle to mayo.
Note from Ruth: you could also just mix some wasabi paste into mayo.

Serve with lime wedges and aoli or mayo. Great with a mixed greens salad