Seafood » Mediterranean Crab Cakes w/ Heirloom Tomato Vinaigrette
The best way to cook crab cakes, according to All Star Sandwich Bar's John Diamantopoulos, is to fry them. No argument from us. But these little wonders created by John get a creative spin with tzatziki, a savory Greek yogurt and cucumber sauce, his fresh avocado relish, and a creamy heirloom tomato vinaigrette that gets its gorgeous color from the variety of colors you can choose from in heirlooms. You can make most of the components of this dish ahead of time, then just blend the vinaigrette ingredients and cook up the crab cakes. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous!
Print Recipe
Makes 12-14 (2-3 oz each) crab cakes
Ingredients
Tzatziki Sauce
- 35.3 oz container Greek yogurt
- 5 English cucumbers
- 3 heads garlic
- 3 scallions, minced
- 1 tbsp mint, chopped
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- ⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt & pepper to taste
Avocado Relish
- 4 avocados, chopped
- ½ cup red onion, chopped
- kernels of 1 ear of grilled sweet corn
- 1 bunch basil, chiffonade (cut into thin ribbons)
- 2 jalapenos, minced
- ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
- zest & juice of 2 lemons
- salt & pepper
Heirloom Tomato Vinaigrette
- 2 cups mixed-color heirloom tomatoes (about 5-6), chopped
- 2 tbsp basil, chopped
- 2 tbsp chives, minced
- 1 tsp minced garlic
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- ¼ cup sherry vinegar
- salt & pepper
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
Crab Cakes
- 1 head of fennel, minced
- 1 red onion, minced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- zest & juice of 2 lemons
- ¼ cup capers, chopped
- 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
- ¾ cup mayonnaise
- ¼ cup sour cream
- 2 lbs crab meat (pick through in case of shells)
- 1 cup + 2 tbsp panko breadcrumbs
- pinch of salt
- extra virgin olive oil for cooking
Dredging Mixture
- 2 cups panko breadcrumbs
- 1 cup mixed herbs (parsley, mint, basil), chopped
Special Equipment
- food processor
How-to
Make Tzatziki
- Preheat oven to 350º
- Cut one head of garlic in half and rub with olive oil, salt and pepper
- Wrap in foil and bake 45 minutes until caramelized and tender. Set aside and let cool
- Peel cucumbers and remove seeds with a spoon
- Using a food processor with grating attachment or a box grater, grate all cucumbers
- Strain cucumber moisture using a cheese cloth or towel
- Place grated cucumber in a bowl and add everything except yogurt. Let sit for 5 minutes. (Basically, you are seasoning the cucumber to get the flavor started)
- Squeeze roasted garlic cloves out of the cooled heads of garlic into a large bowl
- Whisk in yogurt, liquids, seasonings and herbs, stir in grated cucumber and chill until use
Make Avocado Relish
- Chop avocado into cubes and toss with all other relish ingredients
- Chill until use
Make Tomato Vinaigrette
- In a blender, add tomatoes, basil, chives, garlic, honey, Dijon mustard, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper
- Blend until the mixture reaches a thick, salsa-like texture
- Slowly drizzle in extra virgin olive oil until and blend until ingredients are well mixed
- Check seasonings and add more salt and pepper if necessary
Shape, Dredge & Cook Crab Cakes
- Heat extra virgin olive oil in saute pan over medium heat and sweat onions, fennel, celery and garlic until soft and caramelized, about 15 minutes
- When everything is tender, add capers and lemon zest. Deglaze with lemon juice
- Shut off heat and set aside and let cool
- When mixture is cooled, add to a medium-sized bowl and mix in the rest of ingredients together except crab meat and breadcrumbs
- Lastly, gently fold in the crab meat and breadcrumbs until it just comes together
- Form cakes to desired size (2-3 oz), place on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and let chill in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour
- Combine all dredge ingredients in small bowl
- When cakes are properly chilled and firm enough to work with, brush each cake with a little extra virgin olive oil
- Dredge each cake in the in panko-herb mixture
- Saute each cake for 2-3 minutes per side, just until golden brown
- Remove to a plate and top with Tzatziki Sauce and Avocado Relish and a drizzle of Heirloom Tomato Vinaigrette
Comments (1)
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Posted Wednesday, April 17, 2013, at 11:26 am by Barbara Heiberg:Thank you for this unique crab cake recipe. I can't wait to make it. Going through the recipe I noticed the directions for making the crab cakes includes "celery" although it does not list it in the ingredients nor is it mentioned in the video. I'll make it without the celery although I imagine it would be good either way. I'll comment again once I make this dish.
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