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Curried Crab Cakes with Mango Salsa

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time About 1 hour

Units Scale

Ingredients

  • 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1 1/2 pounds fresh lump crabmeat, picked over for cartilage
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh turmeric, or 1/2 teaspoon ground
  • 2 tablespoons fresh breadcrumbs
  • 2 teaspoons fish sauce
  • One 2-inch piece lemongrass stalk, chopped
  • 1 lime leaf, torn into pieces, or 1 teaspoon grated lime zest
  • 1 fresh Thai red chile
  • 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro and 1/4 cup chopped stems
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1 mango, peeled and chopped
  • 1/4 cup chopped fresh mint
  • 1 small shallot, minced
  • 2 limes
  • 1/2 cup flour, for dredging

Instructions

  1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook undisturbed, adjusting the heat to avoid burning, until the butter separates and the milk solids sink to the bottom of the pan and begin to turn golden. (This happens in just a few minutes so watch it like a hawk.) Skim the foam off the top with a spoon or strainer, then carefully pour the golden clarified butter into a small bowl, and discard the solids.
  2. Heat the oven to 200°F. Put 8 ounces of the crab and the turmeric in the food processor and puree until smooth. Put the crab paste in a large bowl and add the breadcrumbs.
  3. Put 1 teaspoon of the fish sauce, the lemongrass, lime leaf, chile, ginger, and cilantro stems in the food processor and season with salt and pepper. Pulse until finely chopped, but not yet pureed. Add the mixture to the bowl and stir in the remaining crab and the egg. Cook a small amount in a skillet to taste and adjust the seasoning, then refrigerate the mixture for 30 minutes.
  4. Mix the mango, chopped cilantro, mint, remaining teaspoon fish sauce, the shallot, and juice from 1 lime in a small bowl and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Taste and adjust the seasoning, adding more lime juice if you like. Let the salsa sit and macerate while you cook the crab cakes.
  5. Shape the chilled crab mixture into twelve 1-inch-thick patties. Put the flour on a plate, season with salt and pepper, and mix. Put 2 tablespoons clarified butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Dredge each patty in flour and add to the skillet, taking care not to crowd the pan (you will probably have to work in batches).
  6. Cook, carefully turning once, until browned on both sides and cooked through, about 10 minutes total. As they’re ready, transfer to a heatproof platter in the oven to keep warm. Cook the remaining cakes, adding more clarified butter to the pan as needed. Serve hot with the mango salsa.

— Recipe from Dinner for Everyone