CRAB POTATO PANCAKES

FOR THE LEMON DILL SAUCE:
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup finely chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
FOR THE CRAB POTATO PANCAKES:
1 1/2 pounds large Yukon gold or russet potatoes, peeled
1 small onion, peeled (about 6 ounces)
3/4 pound crabmeat, drained, picked clean of shell, and lightly squeezed if wet
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
4 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons dried bread crumbs
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Peanut or canola oil

TO MAKE THE LEMON DILL SAUCE:
Combine sour cream, dill and lemon juice and zest in a small bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Store in the refrigerator until ready to serve.

TO MAKE THE CRAB POTATO PANCAKES:
Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

Grate potatoes and onion, using a box grater or the medium grating blade of a food processor. Lay a large piece of cheesecloth or a clean dishcloth in a large bowl, and pour in potato-onion mixture. Gather up edges of the cloth, forcing grated vegetables into a tight bundle, and wring out as much liquid as you can, discarding the liquid.

Shake potato-onion mixture into a large bowl. Stir in crabmeat, eggs, bread crumbs, salt and pepper, mixing well. Using a 1/2-cup measure, scoop up a portion of the batter and pat it between your hands into a pancake shape 1/2-inch thick and 3 to 4 inches wide. Continue until all the pancakes are shaped, placing them on a plate. You should have about 10 pancakes.

Place 2 large nonstick or cast-iron skillets over medium-high heat and pour in enough oil to coat bottoms of pans (about 1/8 inch oil). When pans are hot, start adding as many pancakes as will comfortably fit into each pan. (To protect your hands from the hot oil, slip pancakes into pan using a large spoon.) Fry until golden, turning with a spatula to brown both sides, about 5 minutes per side. Turn heat down to medium as needed so pancakes don't burn before they've cooked through.

Transfer pancakes to a paper towel-lined baking sheet and keep them warm in the oven as you continue to fry any remaining pancakes, wiping out any burned bits from the pan and adding more oil as needed.

TO SERVE:
When all the pancakes are fried, transfer them to plates and serve with the lemon dill cream.

Servings: 4-5
Source: I Love Crab Cakes! by Tom Douglas and Shelley Lance