Ingredients
- 1 lb. loaf thinly sliced white bread crust removed
- 3/4 lb. shrimp peeled deveined and cleaned with salt
- 3 tablespoons vodka or gin
- 1 large egg white
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
- 2 oz. fresh pork fat, minced or 1/4 cup heavy cream
- 1/3 cup finely chopped water chestnuts
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped celery leaves
- 2 green onions white part only finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon peeled grated ginger
- 3/4 lb. fresh crabmeat
- 2 tablespoons olive oil for dipping
- corn oil for frying
Preparation
Step 1
Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Cut bread into 1/4” dices and place on nonstick baking sheet. Bake for about 30 minutes without turning or until bread is dry, do not let cubes brown. Dry shrimp well with paper towels, place in food processor, add vodka or gin and puree. Spoon shrimp puree into medium bowl, set aside. Lightly beat egg white with salt and white pepper in small bowl. Mix into shrimp puree. Stir in pork fat or cream. Add water chestnuts, celery leaves, scallions and ginger and mix until thoroughly combined. Gently fold crabmeat into shrimp mixture (the crabmeat should remain lumpy). Have bread cubes ready in large bowl on one side of crabmeat mixture. Place olive oil in a small bowl on the other side. Oil a tablespoon by dipping it into the olive oil, then scoop 1 heaping tablespoon of shrimp-crab mixture and place on top of bread cubes. Repeat placing 5-6 tablespoons of crabmeat mixture on the bread cubes, spacing them so they do not touch. Use your hand to roll each lump of crabmeat into cubes, forming a ball as you work. Gently flatten each ball into a small cake, about 2” in diameter, place crab cakes on platter or baking sheet. Pour about 6 inches of oil into skillet or fryer and heat to 325 degrees. Fry crab cakes in batches until they are golden, turning once, for 3-4 minutes on each side, do not crowd. Drain on paper towels.