Crab Cakes
with Plum Tomato Confit
adapted from a recipe by Executive Chef Michael Mina
Aqua, San Francisco
For the crab cake mix:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 medium yellow onion, diced small
1 stalk celery, diced small
1 pound fresh crabmeat (Dungeness or blue crab)
1/4 cup mayonnaise, either homemade or good quality
store-bought
2 tablespoons parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon chives, chopped
21/2 tablespoons Panko (Japanese bread crumbs, available in
Asian markets)
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and sauté the onion
and celery until soft. Set aside.
In a large bowl, mix crab, mayonnaise, parsley, chives,
sautéed vegetables and enough Panko to hold the mixture
together. Season to taste. Form the mixture into 12 1" by
11/4" patties.
For the breading:
1/2 cup Wondra flour
2 eggs beaten with a little water
1 cup Panko
Place flour, egg mixture and Panko crumbs in 3 shallow bowls.
Toss crab cakes in the flour, then eggs, then crumbs so that
each cake is evenly coated. Place them on a baking sheet lined
with wax paper and refrigerate, uncovered, for 1 hour.
To finish:
Peanut Oil
Heat oil in a deep-fat fryer to 360 degrees. Add crab cakes
and fry until golden. You may have to do this in batches.
Place fried crab cakes on a cookie sheet and finish cooking in
a 400 degree oven for 6 to 7 minutes.
For the tomato confit:
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 quart plum tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cup olive oil
1/2 bunch basil, cut julienne
Salt and pepper to taste
Heat olive oil in a small skillet. Add garlic and sauté until
soft. Do not brown. Combine in a bowl with remaining
ingredients. Marinate at least 2 hours.
To assemble:
Deep-fried basil leaves
Freshly ground black pepper
Place 1/4 cup tomato confit in center of each of 6 salad
plates and top with 2 crab cakes. Sprinkle black pepper around
the outer rim of the plate. Top crab cakes with one deep-fried
basil leaf. Serves 6.
Pair with a crisp, California Sauvignon Blanc or French
Sancerre
From Carole Kotkin of
The Wine News
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