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Crab Cakes (well almost)

This appetizer has drawn rave reviews everytime I've made it. I freely admit to using imitation crabmeat in this recipe. It is less expensive than the real thing and you don't need to worry about the little pieces of shell that invariably need to be removed.

Ingredient List

• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup onion, minced
• 2 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon dry mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 pound imitation crabmeat
• 2-3 cups soda crackers, crushed until the consistency of bread crumbs
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil

Start by separating the pieces of imitation crab and cutting them into smaller chunks. Place these in a food processor and pulse until you have fairly small pieces.

In a large bowl, combine the mayo, onion, eggs, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, salt and cayenne. Add the crab and about 1 cup of the cracker crumbs.

Combine the remaining cracker crumbs and the Parmesan cheese in a pie pan.

Shape the mixture into cakes about 1" thick and 2" around. Dredge each cake through the crumb/cheese mixture and place it on a cookie sheet. Once all the cakes have been formed cover the cookie sheet with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 2 to 3 hours, overnight is even better.

In a cast iron skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in 2 tablespoons of the oil. When the butter/oil is hot add half the 6 or 7 crab cakes and cook over moderate heat until golden and crisp, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Drain the crab cakes on paper towels. Add additional butter and oil to the pan as needed and repeat until the remaining crab cakes are cooked. Keep warm in a low oven or reheat for a minute in the microwave prior to serving.

Makes 20 or so cakes depending on the size your form. Takes 10 minutes to combine the ingredients, another 15-20 minutes to form the cakes, 2-3 hours to chill and 15-20 minutes to cook. Serve with the very tasty remoulade sauce.