Caesar Salad With Mini Crab Cakes
- Ready In:
- 1hr
- Ingredients:
- 21
- Yields:
-
30-32 2inch mini crabcakes
- Serves:
- 6
ingredients
-
SALAD
- 6 cups shredded romaine lettuce (about 2 large heads)
- 1⁄2 red bell pepper, cut into small julienne strips (1/4-inch x1-inch)
- 1 small purple onion, cut into thin slices and then quartered
-
CRAB CAKES
- 1 lb backfin fresh lump crabmeat (I use Phillip's brand pasteurized crab meat) or 1 lb pasteurized crabmeat (I use Phillip's brand pasteurized crab meat)
- 1⁄4 teaspoon sea salt or 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1⁄2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
- 1⁄4 - 1⁄2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1⁄2 - 3⁄4 cup fresh breadcrumb (not dried crumbs)
- 4 teaspoons Dijon mustard (Grey Poupon)
- 4 teaspoons finely minced celery
- 4 tablespoons finely minced yellow onions
- 4 teaspoons prepared horseradish (from jar)
- 1⁄3 cup mayonnaise (Hellman's)
- 1 eggs or 1/4 cup liquid egg substitute
- 1⁄2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- canola oil, as needed (for frying)
-
TO BREAD CRAB CAKES
- 1⁄2 - 3⁄4 cup cornmeal
-
SALAD GARNISHES
- 4 -8 ounces caesar salad dressing (Cardini, Girard's, or Ken's brands)
- 1 1⁄2 cups fresh grated parmesan cheese (Reggiano is best)
- 72 seasoned croutons (I use Drew's Spicy Croutons #54461)
- 6 sprigs fresh parsley or 6 sprigs basil
directions
- SALAD: Toss together shredded romaine, purple onion, and julienned red bell pepper.
- Refrigerate until serving time.
- CRAB CAKES: In large bowl, mix salt, Old Bay Seasoning, cayenne pepper, 1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs, dijon mustard, celery, bell pepper, onion, horseradish, mayonnaise, lemon juice, and egg.
- Mix well.
- Add crab meat and gently stir, leaving crab in as large a hunks as you can.
- If mixture appears too soft, add the remaining breadcrumbs, and gently stir.
- Mixture should still be somewhat soft but not runny.
- Place 1/4 cup cornmeal on large cookie sheet, scattering to form a thin coating over entire surface.
- Set aside.
- Place 1/4 cornmeal on salad-sized plate.
- With a tablespoon measure, scoop crab mixture and gently place on cornmeal.
- Shape into a 2-inch patty, pressing any stray crab mixture around edges to form a round patty.
- Gently turn crab cake over to get cornmeal on second side.
- Place crab cakes on large, cornmeal-coated cookie sheet.
- Repeat process until all crab cakes are made (about 30-32), adding more cornmeal to small plate, if needed.
- Cover crab cakes with plastic wrap and refrigerate, to chill- 30 minutes up to 24 hours.
- TO COOK CRAB CAKES: In large skillet, add canola oil to depth of 1/4-inch.
- Heat on medium-high heat until hot.
- Add crab cakes (do not crowd), and cook until browned, turn over and cook on second side until browned.
- Total cooking time should be about 4-5 minutes.
- Add more oil to pan, as needed.
- Repeat until all crab cakes are browned on both sides.
- PRESENTATION: On each plate, place 1/6 of shredded lettuce mixture.
- Top salad with 5 hot crab cakes, placing one in the center.
- Immediately sprinkle 2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese over warm crab cakes.
- Place 12 croutons around outer edge of lettuce.
- Drizzle Caesar Salad dressing in a spiral over crab cakes and salad.
- Garnish center crab cake with parsley or basil.
- TO SERVE CRAB CAKES LATER: Place cooled crab cakes in covered flat-bottomed dish, separating each layer with waxed paper.
- Cover and refrigerate up to 2 days.
- To reheat, place crab cakes in toaster over and toast just until hot.
- Or place in single layer on cookie sheet and bake in preheated 425 degree oven until hot- about 3-4 minutes.
- Do not let them dry out!
- Serve.
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RECIPE SUBMITTED BY
BeachGirl
Edisto Island, South Carolina
I am a retired computer programmer, teacher, and cookbook author. Hubby and I have a grown daughter & SIL, son & DIL and 2 grandgirls. My favorite hobbies: cooking, Silhouette crafting, sewing, embroidery and wearable art, quilting, genealogy research, reading,