Panko-Crusted Crab Cake Bites
Ingredients:
- 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
Preparation:
- Sort through crab and discard any bits of shell.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
