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The Lagasse Girls

Authors of The Gluten Free Table and The Lagasse Girls’ Big Flavor Bold Taste and No Gluten

Lagasse Girls Crab Cakes

Who doesn’t like a perfectly fried to perfection fresh crab cake?? Seriously….who?! Well, perhaps someone with a shellfish allergy, but other than that….we haven’t met a person on this planet who hasn’t loved THIS Lagasse Girls original recipe for a perfect Gluten Free Crab Cake. There’s much debate on what is the best crab meat to use…some say the claw meat is best, others say jumbo lump all the way. We go with a nice lump crab meat in this recipe, but feel free to do as you wish. We like to make our own bread crumbs out of a few slices of our favorite gluten free bread,which make for a nice moist bread crumb. But feel free to use the many gluten free bread crumb options you have available now a days.Keep in mind though that all breadcrumbs are not created equally…they all absorb moisture differently. So, if your crab cakes seem to dry or lumpy, add some more lemon juice to moisten to your desired preference. Top these lovelies with a squeeze of fresh lemon or if you like, a bit of zingy tartar sauce. Happy Cooking, J & J

MAKES 8 CRAB CAKES

INGREDIENTS:

– 4 slices gluten free bread (or pre made gluten free breadcrumbs, roughly 2 cups)

– 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

– 1/2 teaspoon dry mustard

– 1/2 teaspoon salt

– 2 teaspoons olive oil, plus 2 to 4 tablespoons oil to fry (vegetable, olive etc.)

– 1/4 cup minced yellow onion

– 1/4 cup minced celery

– 3 tablespoons  finely chopped red bell pepper

– 1/4 chopped chives

– 1 large egg

– 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice (plus extra in case batter is too dry)

– 1/4 cup mayonnaise

– 1 pound lump crabmeat, picked through for shells

– tapioca flour for dusting

 

STEPS:

 

  1. Using a food processor, grind the gluten free bread slices into fine bread crumbs. You should have roughly 2 cups of bread crumbs. If using a pre-made variety, measure out 2 cups. Put into a large glass bowl.

  2. Add the cayenne pepper, dry mustard and salt into the bowl of breadcrumbs and stir to mix all together well. Set the bowl aside.

  3. Heat the 2 teaspoons of olive oil over medium heat in a medium sized skillet. Once warm add the minced onions, celery, bell pepper and chives to the pan and saute until tender and slightly translucent, stirring continuously; about 3-4 minutes.

  4. Once done, add the warm vegetable mixture into the bowl of breadcrumbs and stir well to mix evenly. Set aside.

  5. In a separate small glass bowl, beat the egg with a wire whisk until well beaten. Slowly add the lemon juice into the bowl while whisking vigorously and continuously until this starts to emulsify and turn a creamy white color; about 1 minute. Next add in the mayonnaise and again whisking vigorously and continuously until this all emulsifies and becomes slightly thick and creamy; about 1 to 2 minutes.

  6. Add the mayonnaise mixture into the bowl of the breadcrumb and vegetable mixture and stir very well to make sure all is incorporated.

  7. Now add in the crab meat, which will add a bit of moisture to the mixture as well, into the bowl of the breadcrumb mixture and stir gently and well to make sure the crab meat is evenly distributed throughout. Now, depending on what type of bread or breadcrumb you used, you may notice that your mixture is a bit too dry to form the crab cakes. If so, add as much lemon juice as needed here to bind the mixture together.

  8. Divide the crabmeat mixture into 8 portions and shape each portion into a patty, as equally as possible. Almost as if you were making a hamburger patty, flatten and round them as you go. Lightly coat each patty with a bit of tapioca flour which will help bind the patties for frying. Once coated in the tapioca flour, place them on a baking sheet. Repeat until all 8 patties/crab cakes are formed and lightly floured. *you could also make smaller, more bite sized crab cakes here if you prefer.*

  9. Cover the baking sheet with cling film and place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to bind.

  10. In a medium to large skillet, use as much or as little oil as you see necessary to fry the crab cakes. We suggest 2-4 tablespoons. Bring the oil in the pan to a good medium heat. Once hot, add the crab cakes into the pan a few at a time, makings sure not to overcrowd the pan. Fry till brown and crispy, about 2 to 4 minutes, before flipping and frying the other side. Once they are golden and brown, take them out of the oil and place on another baking sheet until all the crab cakes are fried.

  11. Serve how ever your heart desires; on top of a bit of arugula, with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, a dash of hot sauce or perhaps a zingy tartar sauce. Eat and enjoy straight away.