Crab Cakes

Crab Cakes with Old Bay Donkey Sauce Recipe from Foodnetwork

Ingredients

• For the Crab Cakes:
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped shallot
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped celery
  • 1/4 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
  • 1/3 cup panko
  • 2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat
  • 1 large egg, beaten
  • 1/2 cup Donkey Sauce (recipe below)
  • 4 teaspoons minced fresh chives
  • 4 teaspoons minced fresh basil
• For the Sauce:
  • 2/3 cup Donkey Sauce (recipe below)
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives
  • 1 tablespoon minced fresh basil
  • 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
  • Lemon wedges, for serving
• Donkey Sauce Ingredients:
  • 2 heads garlic
  • Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon yellow mustard
  • 4 dashes of Worcestershire sauce

Directions

Make the Crab Cakes:

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot, celery, and bell pepper. Cook until just tender, 3 to 4 minutes.
2. Stir in the panko, 1 teaspoon Old Bay, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Cook until the panko is lightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool.
3. Add the crabmeat, beaten egg, Donkey Sauce, chives, basil, and the remaining 1 teaspoon Old Bay to the bowl. Fold together until well combined, breaking up some of the crab.
4. Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. Using a 1-ounce scoop, mound balls of the crab mixture (18 to 20 balls) on the baking sheets, 2 inches apart. Flatten them slightly and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
5. Bake, rotating the pans halfway through until the crab cakes are golden brown and cooked through; 15 to 18 minutes.

Make the Sauce:

1. In a medium bowl, combine the Donkey Sauce, lemon juice, chives, basil, and Old Bay. Stir to mix.
2. Serve the crab cakes with the sauce and lemon wedges.

Make the Donkey Sauce:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice off about 1 inch of the pointed top of each garlic head so the cloves are slightly exposed. Place the garlic heads on a sheet of foil and drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Tightly wrap the garlic in the foil and place it on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast until the garlic is very tender and soft, 35 to 40 minutes.
3. Squeeze out 1/4 cup of the roasted garlic cloves (reserve the rest for another use) and mash thoroughly.
4. In a medium bowl, combine the mashed garlic with mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Mix thoroughly. Refrigerate until ready to use.