Crab Cakes with Lemon Yogurt Sauce

I honestly did not realize how easy it is to make crab cakes at home.  I have ordered them many times in restaurants resulting in some good meals, and well let's just say some not so good.  My husband decided one weekend that he would find a recipe and make them.  He doesn't usually like to be involved in the prep side of things but I was thrilled and stayed out of his way.  The recipe he decided upon originally called for salmon but he thought that crab would make a good substitute.  He was right.

This is his specialty but I convinced him to show me how to make them so that I could put the recipe on my blog.  I have to admit that it was kind of strange being on the other side, but it was a lot of fun.  Usually I am the one showing him how I prepare something.  I do think that I drove him crazy with my need to stop and photograph everything but he was a really good sport about it.

Buying the crab in a container saves a lot of time, but feel free to buy fresh crab and pick it over if you prefer.  When I found the container of pasteurized crab at Costco I was skeptical at first, but after opening it I was amazed that it wasn't the mushy mess I feared, but actual pieces of crab.

We are not huge fans of mayonnaise so I decided to use Greek yogurt in its place.  I actually think that the yogurt is a much better fit because not only is it good for you, but the tang of plays nicely off of the crab.  As a binder, and a coating, we used panko which are a Japanese version of breadcrumbs made without the crusts of the bread.  Panko has a lighter texture and give a nice crispy, golden crunch to fried foods.  The good news is that they are healthier because they tend to absorb less oil.

Although the original recipe states that this makes 4 crab cakes we tend to make them slightly smaller so that we end up with 6-8.  Although they look small they are more filling than you realize, especially if you pair them with a nice salad and maybe some rice.

Crab Cakes with Lemon Yogurt Sauce

(Printer Friendly Recipe)

Ingredients 1 pound crab meat (I used a container of Super Lump Pasteurized Crab from Costco) 2 cups panko, divided 1 cup plain Greek yogurt (I used Fage), divided 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander 1/4 teaspoon cayenne 2 tablespoons chopped chives, divided 1 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest, divided 1 teaspoon salt, divided pepper to taste 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice a sprinkle of additional cayenne, if desired lemon wedges to serve, if desired Preparation  Preheat oven to 350°F. In a large bowl mix together crab, 1 cup of panko, 1/4 cup Greek yogurt, egg, coriander, cayenne, 1 tablespoon chives, 1 teaspoon zest, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper.  Form into 4 round cakes and flatten slightly. Place 1 cup panko into a shallow bowl and coat the crab cakes lightly. Heat oil in a 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Cook crab cakes, turning over once (and sides if desired), until golden and just cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes total.  Place in an oven to heat through whilst making the sauce. Stir together remaining yogurt, lemon juice, salt, chives, and lemon zest. Serve crab cakes with sauce.  Makes 4 servings (or more if you make them smaller like I did). Adapted from a recipe found on Epicurious.