Recipe: Chipotle Crab Cakes with Tamarind Sauce

CHIPOTLE CRAB CAKES WITH TAMARIND SAUCE

"Serve these as an appetizer topped with the tart-sweet tamarind sauce and buttery-rich avocado - or the salsa of your choice. Bite-size versions are great with cocktails. Dungeness crab is a sustainable choice."

FOR THE CRAB MIXTURE:
1 pound Dungeness crabmeat, picked over
1/4 white onion, minced
1 celery stalk, finely minced
1/4 medium red bell pepper, minced
1/4 cup packed cilantro leaves, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
2 teaspoons kosher salt
FOR THE CRAB CAKES:
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons pureed chipotle chiles
1 to 1 1/2 cups homemade bread crumbs, dried out
Panko bread crumbs (available in Asian markets)
Oil, for shallow frying
FOR SERVING:
Tamarind Sauce (see recipe below)
Diced avocados

TO PREPARE THE CRAB MIXTURE:
In a bowl, combine crab, onion, celery, bell pepper, cilantro, lemon juice, and salt. Place mixture in a colander or sieve set inside a bowl. Set a small plate on the crab, weight with a soup can, cover, and refrigerate for 12 to 24 hours to drain.

TO PREPARE THE CRAB CAKES:
Transfer crab mixture to a bowl and stir in mayonnaise, eggs, and chipotles. Add 3/4 cup of the bread crumbs and toss to combine. The mixture should look moist (not gummy) and should stick together without crumbling. You may need to add more bread crumbs, little by little, to achieve the desired texture.

Spread a generous layer of panko on a plate. Scoop out balls of the crab mixture, using 1/4 cup for appetizers or 1 1/2 tablespoons for cocktail servings. Drop the balls into the panko. Roll around to coat and press gently into thick patties. Shake off excess crumbs. (The crab cakes may be made to this point and refrigerated).

Heat a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-low heat. Add enough oil to generously cover the bottom of the pan 1/8 inch deep (about 1/4 cup). Cook the crab cakes until crisp and golden brown on both sides and firm. Drain and keep warm.

TO SERVE:
Serve with a dollop of tamarind sauce and a sprinkle of diced avocado.

TAMARIND SAUCE
Makes 1 1/2 cups

1/2 cup tamarind paste*
3/4 cup boiling water
2 to 3 tablespoons cold water
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon butter

Break tamarind paste into pieces in a small heatproof bowl. Pour on boiling water, stir to combine, and soak for 30 minutes.

Rub the paste through a coarse sieve to remove the seeds and fibrous strands. You should have about 1/4 cup of tamarind puree.

In a small saucepan, combine tamarind puree, cold water, brown sugar, lime juice, and salt. Warm over gentle heat; do not boil. Whisk in the butter and keep the sauce warm until needed.

*Tamarind paste may be purchased at Asian and Latin markets.

Makes about 20 appetizer or 30 cocktail crab cakes
Source: Baja! Cooking on the Edge by Deborah M. Schneider