Crab Cakes

By Lovetocook-3

Easier than it looks and so worth the effort. Best to chill overnight
Serve with Homemade Tartar Sauce

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice
• 1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
• 1 pound jumbo lump crab meat, picked over
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, washed well and chopped
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 3 tablespoons Old Bay seasoning
• 2 jalapeño chili, or to taste, seeded and chopped fine
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preparation

Step 1

In a skillet heat 1 tablespoon oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté bell peppers until softened. Cool peppers.
In a bowl stir together bell peppers, crab, coriander, mayonnaise, Old Bay seasoning, jalapeño, garlic, 1/3 cup bread crumbs, black pepper, and salt to taste until combined well and chill 20 minutes.
With a 2-ounce ice-cream scoop or 1/4-cup measure, scoop crab mixture into portions and pat each into 3/4-inch-thick disk. Spread remaining bread crumbs on a sheet of wax paper or plate and gently press each crab cake into them, turning it, to coat evenly. To help prevent crumbling during cooking chill crab cakes, covered loosely, at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a 12-inch skillet heat 1 tablespoon oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and sauté half of crab cakes until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes. Turn crab cakes carefully and brown other sides. Transfer sautéed crab cakes carefully to a baking sheet. Add remaining tablespoon oil to skillet and sauté remaining crab cakes in same manner. On baking sheet bake all crab cakes 6 minutes, or until heated through.
Serve crab cakes with tartar sauce or chili mayo.