Recipe: Crab Cakes with Red Chili Mayonnaise (make ahead)

CRAB CAKES WITH RED CHILI MAYONNAISE

FOR THE RED CHILI MAYONNAISE:
1 cup mayonnaise
4 teaspoons chili-garlic sauce*
3 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, divided use
FOR THE CRAB CAKES:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped red onion
2 tablespoons chopped, seeded jalapeno chili pepper
1 pound crab meat, coarsely chopped
1 large egg, beaten to blend
5 cups fresh bread crumbs (made from crustless French bread), divided use

TO MAKE THE RED CHILI MAYONNAISE:
Mix mayonnaise, chili-garlic sauce and 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate.

TO MAKE THE CRAB CAKES:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add bell pepper, celery, onion and jalapeno, saute 3 minutes. Transfer to large bowl.

Mix in crab, egg, 1/2 cup of the chili mayonnaise and remaining 2 teaspoons lemon juice. Then add 1 1/2 cups bread crumbs. Form mixture into eight (1/2 -inch-thin) cakes, using 1/2 cup of mixture for each. Dredge cakes in remaining 3 1/2 cups bread crumbs, turning to coat. Place on a baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.

WHEN READY TO COOK:
Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, add crab cakes and cook until golden brown and cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer to plates.

Serve with remaining chili mayonnaise on the side.

*Chili-garlic sauce can be found in Asian food markets or the Asian section of the grocery store.

Makes 8 crab cakes
Source: TV Dinners: Three Years of Recipes as shown on Fox 13 by Diane Sheya