Recipe: 21 Club Crab Cakes with Cucumber-Ginger Salad

21 CLUB CRAB CAKES WITH CUCUMBER-GINGER SALAD

"Crab Cakes never go out of style. At the 21 Club, Executive Chef Stephen Trojahn serves what may be the most classic of all bar bites, from what many consider to be New York's classiest bar. When you mix the crabmeat mixture together, don't be alarmed if it looks way too soupy. I found that when the formed cakes were chilled for thirty to forty-five minutes, they held their shape well and the results were outstanding. You'll need an ovenproof skillet for this recipe."

FOR THE VEGETABLE MIXTURE:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon minced fresh jalapeno pepper
1/2 cup minced red bell pepper
1/2 cup minced onion
1/2 teaspoon sea salt, or to taste
1/2 teaspoons freshly ground white pepper, or to taste

FOR THE CRAB CAKES:
2 large egg yolks
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
5 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoons chopped chives
2 teaspoons finely chopped cilantro
1 1/2 teaspoons finely chopped flat leaf parsley
Pinch cayenne pepper
8 ounces crabmeat, in chunks
1/2 cup soft breadcrumbs
1/4 cup Panko (Japanese) breadcrumbs (plus 1 cup for breading)
1/4 cup olive oil
3 sprigs lemon thyme
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Cucumber-Ginger Salad (for serving, recipe follows)

TO PREPARE THE VEGETABLE MIXTURE:
Warm 2 tablespoons olive oil in an oven-proof skillet over medium-low heat. Add the jalapeno, bell pepper, onion, salt, and white pepper. Cook the vegetables (do not brown them), stirring occasionally, until translucent, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the vegetables cool.

TO PREPARE THE CRAB CAKES:
In a mixing bowl, combine the yolks, lime juice, and Tabasco and mix sell. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, chives, cilantro, parsley, and cayenne and whisk well. Stir in the crabmeat and the vegetable mixture. Add the soft breadcrumbs, and 1/4 cup Panko crumbs. Mix well.

Set out four (3 1/2-inch) ramekins. For each ramekin, line with plastic wrap, layer 2 tablespoons Panko crumbs in the bottom, followed by 1/4 of the crab mixture, and another 2 tablespoons Panko. Pat the mixture down and seal tightly with the plastic wrap. Refrigerate for about 45 minutes until chilled, so the cakes keep their shape.

WHEN READY TO COOK:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Shake any loose Panko off before dropping the cakes into the skillet.

Warm 1/4 cup of olive oil in an ovenproof skillet over medium heat, until semi-hot (a few crumbs gently sizzle). Carefully add the crab cakes to the pan, cook slowly for about 3 1/2 minutes, then turn them over. (Be gentle when you flip them. Their chunkiness makes them fragile.)

Add the thyme sprigs and butter to the pan, place in the oven and cook for approximately 3 1/2 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove from the pan.

Serve immediately with Cucumber Ginger Salad, see recipe below.

CUCUMBER-GINGER SALAD

1 cup peeled, seeded and thinly sliced cucumber
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pickled ginger
3 tablespoons pickle juice from the ginger
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill, without stems
Freshly ground white pepper to taste

Mix the cucumber slices with the ginger, pickle juice, and rice vinegar. Mix in the dill; season to taste with white pepper and serve.

Makes 4 servings (1 crab cake per person) as substantial bar bites.
Source: Great Bar Food at Home by Kate Heyhoe and Alexandra Grablewski