Shelly's Recipe

TEXAS CRAB CAKES

Category: Fish and Seafood

8 oz crab meat, drained and flaked
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup red bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup celery, chopped
2 tbsp plus 2 tsp butter
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped, optional
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup bread crumbs or panko crumbs
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tbsp oil

Carefully pick over the crabmeat, discarding any bits of shells. Place in a mixing bowl and sprinkle with the bread crumbs to allow the crumbs to soften. Set aside. Saute chopped vegetables in 2 tsp butter until but not brown. Cool to room temperature.

Combine sauteed vegetables, cilantro, jalapeno pepper, hot sauce, egg, mayonnaise and in a large bowl. Gently fold in crab meat mixture. Season with salt and pepper. Shape crab mixture into 8 crab cakes (1/3 cup each). Shape into small cakes and cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate 1 hour. Heat 2 tbsp butter and vegetable oil in a saute pan. Chill until ready to fry. Fry 3 to 4 crab cakes at a time for 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.