Recipe: Crab Cakes with Chipotle Aioli

CRAB CAKES WITH CHIPOTLE AIOLI

1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs, plan bread crumbs or cracker crumbs
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 cup finely chopped green pepper (about 1/4 medium pepper)
1/4 cup finely chopped celery (about 1 medium rib)
1/4 cup finely chopped green onion (about 4 to 5 thin onions, or 1 bunch)
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 large egg
Pinch cayenne
3 tablespoons chopped fresh curly parsley
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
Flour, for dredging
Olive oil, for frying
Chipotle Aioli (for serving, recipe follows)

In large bowl, very gently pick over crabmeat with fingers to remove any remaining shell, being careful not to break lumps. Add bread crumbs, mustard, green pepper, celery, green onion, Worcestershire, mayonnaise, egg, cayenne and parsley. Season well with salt and pepper. Mix well, but gently. Form crab mixture into 8 flat cakes or patties. Dust each lightly with flour.

Heat 1/4 cup oil in large heavy skillet. Fry cakes 3 to 4 minutes per side, until golden brown, turning very carefully so they do not fall apart. Serve hot with Chipotle Aioli on side.

CHIPOTLE AIOLI
Makes about 1 cup

5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 teaspoons adobo sauce (from can of chipotle chiles packed in adobo)
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (about 1 large lemon)
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
Salt, to taste

In small bowl, stir until combined the garlic, adobo sauce, lemon juice, mayonnaise, thyme and salt. If desired, season with more salt and lemon. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Serves 6 to 8
Adapted from source: Kitchen Coach: Weeknight Cooking by Jennifer Bushman and Sallie Y. Williams