Southwest -style Crab Cakes with avocado crema
Last week I spent several hours working on a different recipe for this column, but for reasons yet known, I couldn’t get it quite right. On Saturday evening I was making crab cakes for my book group, and decided to poll my small cadre of Instagram followers as to which recipe they’d prefer. To my surprise and delight the crab cakes took a decisive victory. In my experience crab cakes can be absolutely decadent, or they can be completely terrible. Of course I like to think mine are the former. The trick to making good crab cakes is to stop thinking of them as cakes. They’re more like crab patties, dredged in bread crumps at the last minute, and pan fried in olive oil just long enough to set the egg batter and impart a golden crisp. The crab will still be juicy and flavorful, with a little bite from the chipotle and jalapeño. I love to finish this recipe with a little avocado crema, which is so smooth and the citrus really brightens the flavor. It’s the perfect compliment the to crispy “cakes”. These crab cakes are best served hot and fresh. You can keep them warm in a 250 degree oven if you’re making a large batch, but don’t wait too long before eating them. If you prefer a bit more spice, add a drop or two of hot sauce right before serving.
