Crab and Corn Cakes with Sweet and Spicy Dipping Sauce

By MooK

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup fresh corn kernels
• 1 1/4 cups mayonnaise
• 3 Tbs. fresh lime juice
• 1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
• 1 1/4 cups shredded Cheddar cheese (5 oz)
• 1/4 tsp. salt, plus more, to taste
• 1 egg
• 4 slices soft white bread, crusts trimmed and bread cut into small cubes
• 1/4 cup minced green onions, both white and green portions
• 1 lb. jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over for shells and cartilage
• 2 Tbs. chili-garlic sauce
• 1 1/2 Tbs. honey
• Grated zest of 1 lime
• 2 cups panko bread crumbs
• Canola oil for frying
• Lemon or lime wedges for serving

Preparation

Step 1

Put the corn kernels in a food processor and pulse 3 or 4 times, until the kernels are broken up but still chunky.

Transfer the corn to a large bowl. Add 1/4 cup of the mayonnaise, 1 Tbs. of the lime juice, the Old Bay seasoning, the cheese, the 1/4 tsp. salt and the egg and stir to combine. Add the bread cubes, green onions and crabmeat and toss gently to combine. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, to make the dipping sauce, in a bowl, stir together the remaining 1 cup mayonnaise, the remaining 2 Tbs. lime juice, the chili-garlic sauce, honey and lime zest. Season with salt. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Place the bread crumbs in a shallow bowl. Divide the crab mixture into 12 equal portions and shape each portion into a patty 1 inch thick. Gently coat the entire surface of each patty evenly with the bread crumbs. Place the cakes on a baking sheet, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Place a large fry pan over medium-high heat and coat with a thin film of oil. Working in batches, gently place about 4 cakes at a time in the pan, being careful not to crowd them. Fry until golden on one side, 3 to 4 minutes. Using a spatula, carefully flip the cakes over and fry until browned on the other side, 3 to 4 minutes more. Transfer the cakes to paper towels to drain briefly. Repeat with the remaining cakes, adding more oil to the pan as needed.

Transfer the cakes to a platter and serve warm, with lemon wedges and the dipping sauce. Makes 12 cakes; serves 4 to 6.