Indulge in the culinary delight of Crab Cakes with Piquillo Pepper Aioli, where simplicity meets sensational flavor. Whether you're using fresh or top-notch canned crab meat, this recipe unveils the secrets to crafting crab cakes that are both uncomplicated and utterly delicious.
Why You Want to Make This Recipe for Crab Cakes with Piquillo Pepper Aioli
- Flavor Fusion: Delight your taste buds with the harmonious blend of succulent crab meat, fresh herbs, and mild peppers, then topped with a zesty piquillo pepper aioli, creating a symphony of flavors that will leave you craving more.
- Quick and Easy Preparation: With simple steps and readily available ingredients, this dish can be whipped up in no time, making it perfect for busy weeknights or last-minute gatherings.
- Versatile Crowd-Pleaser: Whether served as an elegant appetizer at a dinner party or as a satisfying main course for a cozy dinner at home, these crab cakes are sure to impress guests and family alike, earning you rave reviews every time.
Jump to:
- Why You Want to Make This Recipe for Crab Cakes with Piquillo Pepper Aioli
- Ingredients and Substitutions
- How to Cook and Clean a Fresh Dungeness Crab {Video}
- Best Tips for Success
- FAQ
- Prepare in Advance
- Crab Cakes, for Dinner and Beyond
- Serve Crab Cakes with Piquillo Pepper Aioli with:
- More Easy Tasty Crabby Recipes
- Wine Recommendation:
- Crab Cakes With Piquillo Pepper Aioli Recipe Card
Ingredients and Substitutions
For the Crabcake
- Fresh Crab Meat - Fresh is always best. And for me, the best of the best is Dungeness crab. But Dungeness Crab is seasonal, so when not in season, high-quality canned crab meat to the rescue.
- Piquillo Peppers - A piquillo pepper is a small, sweet pepper that has no heat. Popular in Spain, you can find them peeled and marinated in jars here in the States. They are milder than roasted red bells, and as I said, they have no heat. It has really nice pepper flavor, almost like pimento. You could use roasted red bells in its place but the flavor won't be as mild.
- Green Onions - Also called scallions or Spring onion
- Jalapeno Pepper - Green or red. As always, check for the heat as Jalapeno peppers can go from very hot, to almost being like a bell pepper. If your pepper is not hot enough, you can add some Serrano pepper.
- Tender Celery - I like using the more tender inner stalks and some of the leaves for added flavor.
- Mayonnaise - Store-bought or make your own. I like using Best Foods reduced fat. Hellman's for you East Coasters.
- Herbs and Spices - Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, Old Bay, salt, and pepper.
- Bread Crumbs - I prefer Panko as they are larger than a fine bread crumb.
For the Aioli
- Mayonannaise - See notes above.
- Piquillo Pepper - Also see notes above.
- Fresh Parsley - And no, dehydrated or jarred parsley has no flavor so don't use it.
- Balsamic Vinegar
*See the recipe card for exact amounts
How to Cook and Clean a Fresh Dungeness Crab {Video}
Best Tips for Success
When mixing the crab cake ingredients, use a light hand so as not to break all of the chunks of crab up. You want some nice large crabby pieces. After forming and coating with panko (the panko gives you a really nice outside crust), I put them on a sheet pan with a wire rack and refrigerate them for about an hour. This allows all the ingredients in the crab cake to firm up making them easier to cook and flip.
When cooking the crab cake, let them fully brown on one side then carefully turn and brown the other side. Do not turn them more than once or you stand a chance of having a crab cake scramble.
When turning the crab cakes, it is sometimes easier to use a two-spatula method, meaning to hold one spatula at the base of the crabcake, then take a second spatula, gently place it under the cake then flip it up onto the "holding spatula" and gently lay the crab cake back into the pan.
To ensure a crabby crab cake, use the least amount of bread crumbs that you can to hold the cake together. The outside coating will make them crunchy.
FAQ
Yes, you can use canned crab meat. If you do, please use quality lump crab meat or other fine refrigerated crab. Do not use the canned stuff in the aisles as it is just too fine and has no texture.
You can certainly add spice by adding additional jalapeno or using some Serrano or other hotter pepper in the crab mix you will get a hotter cake. You could also add some Calabrian chili, Harrisa, or chili garlic sauce to the aioli.
Refrigerating the crab cakes before cooking is essential if you want the crab cakes to stay together instead of falling apart. In addition to the refrigeration, the crab cakes are held together with mayonnaise, and panko bread crumbs in this recipe.
Do not play with them too much in the pan, turn them only once when the bottoms are fully browned. And as I said before, try using two spatulas to gently turn them over.
Here's a foolproof method for finding any leftover shell pieces in your cleaned crab: Put all the crab into a large metal bowl. Gently toss it so the crab moves around, listening for a soft "click" sound indicating a shell. Follow the sound to locate and remove any remaining shell pieces. Repeat until you no longer hear any clicks, ensuring you've thoroughly removed all the shells.
Prepare in Advance
One of the advantages of this recipe is so much can be prepared in advance. Mix your crab cake ingredients, form the cakes then put them on a wire rack over a cookie sheet and hold in the refrigerator until ready to cook.
The aioli can be prepared a day or more in advance. Put into an airtight container and refrigerate until ready to serve.
Crab Cakes, for Dinner and Beyond
These crab cakes make an excellent appetizer or first course. Make them about 1 to 1 ½ inches for an easy, pop into the mouth, finger food.
Serve Crab Cakes with Piquillo Pepper Aioli with:
More Easy Tasty Crabby Recipes
Wine Recommendation:
For Crab Cakes with Piquillo Pepper Aioli, a crisp and refreshing white wine pairs beautifully. Consider a Chardonnay with notes of citrus and tropical fruits to complement the delicate flavors of the crab. Alternatively, a Sauvignon Blanc with its lively acidity and hints of herbs and green fruits can provide a delightful contrast to the richness of the dish.
Note: This recipe was written in February 2013 and has been updated and modified with new and better information.
Crab Cakes With Piquillo Pepper Aioli Recipe Card
Equipment
- Heavy Bottom Pan
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh or lump meat crab double-checked for shells
- 3 roasted piquillo peppers fine dice (or you could use 1 roasted red pepper)
- 3 green onions white and green part, fine dice
- ½ jalapeno pepper seeded and finely diced
- 1 tender stalk celery finely diced (use an inside stalk and some leaves for extra flavor)
- ¼ cup finely chopped parsley
- ½ cup mayonnaise I use Best Foods - Hellman's for you east coasters reduced fat
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seafood seasoning
- 1 ½ cups panko bread crumbs about
- Neutral oil for frying I use grapeseed oil
- For the Aioli
- ⅓ cup mayonnaise same as above
- 3 piquillo peppers diced (or same as above)
- 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
- 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
Instructions
- Put the crab in a large bowl. Shake and listen for the sounds of shells, Remove shells as necessary. Add the chopped vegetables and mix lightly to distribute. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire, and old bay, mix to combine (use a light hand so the crab stays in nice pieces); add about ½ cup of the panko and mix. The mixture should just hold together. Using a ⅓ cup measure, make patties, pressing lightly to ensure they hold and then turning them in the remaining panko crumbs to cover. Place on a rack set over a sheet pan and refrigerate for about an hour.
- While the crab cakes are "resting" make the aioli. In a small blender, food processor, or other whirling around thing, place all the aioli ingredients and pulse until mostly smooth but still with some texture.
- Heat neutral oil over medium heat in a frying pan to a depth of about ¼ inch. When hot, add the crab cakes and cook until browned on one side, turn carefully and cook the other side until browned, crisp, and hot throughout. Serve with aioli.
Notes
Nutrition
Brian says
This is an awesome recipe! a real crab cake...