Delicious Mini Crab Cakes
If you're entertaining, be prepared with next-level finger foods.
Yield: Makes 24 crab cakes; 8 servings
Appetizers are amazing: they keep the animals busy munching before it's a quiet time for dinner, and give everyone a chance to quit the small talk for a minute and focus on eating. Yet, you don't want an appetizer that requires both hands, let alone a plate and a fork—no one wants to put down their drink for that long. So when it comes to appetizers and snacks, it’s only natural: the smaller, the better. Great finger food or appetizers for the holidays that you can easily scale up or down - these bite-sized mini treats are almost too cute to eat. Almost!!!
WHAT INGREDIENTS ARE IN THIS RECIPE?
- 12 ounces shelled cooked crab
- 1/4 cup finely diced celery
- 1/4 cup minced fresh chives
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 large egg
- 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
- 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
- 1 1/4 cups panko (see notes) or fine dried bread crumbs
- Roasted Pepper-Chive Aioli (recipe follows)
- Fresh chives, rinsed and cut into 1-inch lengths
HOW DO YOU MAKE CRAB CAKES?
Step 1: Sort through crab and discard any bits of shell.Step 2: In a large bowl, combine celery, minced chives, mayonnaise, egg, mustard, and hot sauce; mix well with a fork. Add crab and 1/4 cup panko; stir gently just to mix.
Step 3: Put the remaining 1 cup panko in a shallow bowl. Shape crab mixture into 24 cakes, each about 2 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. Turn each cake in panko to coat on all sides, pressing gently to make crumbs adhere. Place cakes slightly apart in an oiled 12- by the 17-inch baking pan.
Step 4: Bake in a 475° regular or convection oven until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. With a spatula, transfer crab cakes to a platter. Spoon a dollop of Roasted Pepper-Chive Aioli onto each cake. Garnish platter with fresh chives. Serve hot. Roasted Pepper-Chive Aioli. In a small bowl, mix 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup chopped drained canned roasted red peppers, 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon minced garlic. Makes about 1/2 cup.
Notes:
The Japanese-style coarse bread crumbs called panko are available in many well-stocked supermarkets and Asian grocery stores. You can make the aioli up to 2 days ahead and the crab cakes through step 3 up to 4 hours ahead; in both cases, cover and chill.
Party on, Smarties! With love Smarty had a Party!
