David Burke [5] and I have been friends for many years, he invited me to The Wayfarer [6] to make one of his favorite recipes, and what I think are the Best Crab Cakes in the World. Check out the video [7] and recipe [8] below.
Celebrity Chef David Burke [5] is one of the most innovative and celebrated chefs in America. I was honored to cook with him and am so excited about sharing this crab cake recipe with you!
Pretzel Crusted Crab Cake
Prep Time: 20m; Cook Time: 10m; Total Time: 30m
Serves: 8; Yield: 8 Pretzel Crusted Crab Cakes
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- 3/4 cup finely diced onion
- 1/2 cup finely diced celery
- 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup mayonnaise
- 2 pounds lump crabmeat, picked clean of all shell and cartilage
- 3 tablespoons minced fresh chives
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated lemon zest
- 2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
- Pinch of cayenne pepper
- 2 large eggs
- 1 box Pretz pretzel sticks (preferred brand, can be purchased in Japanese gourmet stores)
- 1 cup clarified butter
Instructions
- Heat oil in a small sauté pan over medium heat.
- Add onion and celery and sauté vegetables for about four minutes, or until they are soft and translucent (You can use any vegetable you desire).
- Remove onion and celery and drain off and discard excess oil. Set aside.
- Combine butter (important: use very soft butter) and mayonnaise in a large mixing bowl.
- Using a handheld electric mixer or a wooden spoon, beat until mixture is well blended and very smooth.
- Fold in crabmeat, chives, lemon zest, Old Bay, and cayenne along with reserved onions and celery.
- Cover and refrigerate crab cake mixture for 2 hours to chill.
- Line a baking sheet with parchment and set aside.
- Remove crab cake mixture from refrigerator.
- Line a row of pretzels (about 8) closely together and top with about 1/4 cup of crab mixture.
- Line top with same amount of pretzels (creating a \”raft\” appearance).
- Place pretzel-coated cakes on prepared baking sheet.
- Lightly cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 30 minutes, or until cakes are firm.
- Heat clarified butter in a large sauté pan over medium heat until it begins to smoke. In batches, using additional butter as needed, fry crab cakes for about 3 minutes per side, or until they are golden brown.
- Place them on paper towels to drain.
- Place crab cakes on a serving platter.
Cookbook author and entertaining expert, Pamela Morgan is the owner of NYC based Flirting with Flavors [9], where she offers exclusive cooking parties, inspirational seminars and special events. She is highly regarded as a special event planner, culinary consultant, cookbook author, and is a food & entertaining editor for Hamptons’s Cottages and Gardens. Pamela sees food as a flirtation: sexy, provocative, and a little mysterious. Her desire is to teach you how to flirt your way into a full on passion for cooking and entertaining! Visit her web site [9] for recipes, entertaining inspiration and much more.
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