Pan-Asian Crab Cakes With Two Dipping Sauces

These crab cakes have an Asian twist and make a complete meal when served with steamed Jasmine rice and a platter of leafy lettuce, sliced tomatoes and cucumbers. They can also be made smaller and served as an appetizer. The recipe idea came from an old issue of Cuisine at Home magazine, but I've added some ingredients and adjusted proportions to suit my family's tastes.

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Ingredients:
1 lb lump crabmeat
4 eggs, beaten
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon sriracha*
1 teaspoon lemongrass (white part only) , finely chopped*
1 teaspoon Kaffir lime leaves, finely chopped*
1 tablespoon fresh cilantro stems, finely chopped
1/4 cup scallions, minced
2 to 3 cups panko crumbs
1/4 cup vegetable oil
Cilantro-Mint Peanut Sauce:
2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons fish sauce
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1 to 2 teaspoons sriracha, to taste
1/4 cup lime juice
1 to 2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup fresh mint, chopped
Coconut, Wasabi And Lime Mayonnaise:
2 to 3 teaspoons wasabi powder, to taste
2 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lime juice
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon grated lime zest

Preparation:
Prepare the dipping sauces by whisking together all the ingredients for each. Transfer into serving dishes and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Place the crabmeat in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together the eggs, garlic, fish sauce, sugar and sriracha and combine with the crab. Add the lemongrass, Kaffir lime leaves, cilantro stems and scallions and mix.

Add the panko crumbs in 1/2 cup increments, tossing gently after each addition until the mixture reaches a consistency that will hold together when formed into patties. About 2 to 2-1/2 cups of panko crumbs should be sufficient.

To form each crab cake, gently pack some of the crab mixture into a 1/3 cup measure that has been sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Turn upside down and tap until the formed crab cake comes out. Using your hands, firm up the crab cake and place each on a flat plate. Refrigerate for 30 minutes to one hour.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a non-stick skillet over a medium heat. Add half of the crab cakes in a single layer and cook for about 3 minutes on each side, until lightly browned. Transfer to a platter and keep warm. Wipe out the skillet with paper towels, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and cook the remaining crab cakes.

Serve immediately with the dipping sauces on the side.

Recipe Notes:
*If you don't have lemongrass or Kaffir lime leaves, substitute 1/2 teaspoon each of freshly grated lemon and lime zest. You can also substitute Tabasco for the sriracha, but start with a slightly smaller quantity.

When preparing the dipping sauces, feel free to adjust the sriracha sauce and wasabi powder quantities to suit your own taste for heat. Refrigerating the crab cakes prior to cooking helps them hold together better when frying, so if possible, chill them for the full hour.

– recipe created by the editors of "MyGourmetConnection Recipes" | Written by Lynne Webb

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comments & replies

facebook comments ~

2 comments ~

My family adores crab cakes, but they're not too open to Asian dips like these. I'm going to have to convince them to try some though, because they're just too good.

(1)Posted by: Susan from Food Blogga | Reply

Thanks Susan ~ the peanut sauce seems to be a hit with everyone who tries it, so maybe you'll gain some converts!

(2)Posted by: Lynne Webb | Reply