Wolfgang Puck Recipes

Sauteed Crabcakes with Sweet Red Pepper Sauce

	Cut the peppers into a fine dice.
	Shape the patties carefully with a minimum of handling.
	Coat the patties with the breadcrumb and ground almond mixture.

Sauteed Crabcakes with Sweet Red Pepper Sauce

Makes 12 crabcakes

I ate crabcakes for the first time in Chesapeake Bay. To my dismay, I tasted more potato than crab. I took home a few pounds of fresh lump crabmeat, experimented with it, and finally came up with this recipe. If you can’t find fresh crabmeat, you can make this with uncooked shrimp.

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 each medium (about 4 ounces) red, yellow bell peppers, cored, seeded and finely diced
1/2 medium (about 4 ounces) red onion, finely diced
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped jalapeño pepper
2 teaspoons each, chopped fresh chives, chopped fresh dill, chopped Italian parsley
Leaves from 2 sprigs fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 extra-large egg, lightly beaten
1 cup finely ground almonds
1-1/4 pounds fresh crabmeat, any shells removed
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
3 cups mixed greens of your choice, cut or torn into bite-size pieces

In a 10-inch skillet, heat the olive oil. Sauté the diced red and yellow peppers and onion until the onion is translucent and the peppers are tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the peppers and onions with a slotted spoon and transfer to a large bowl and let cool.
To the skillet add the heavy cream and jalapeño and reduce until 1/2 cup remains. Cool and add to the pepper and onion mixture. Stir in the chives, dill, Italian parsley, thyme, salt and cayenne pepper.
Stir in the egg and 1/2 cup each of breadcrumbs, and finely ground almonds. Gently fold in the crabmeat. Mixture will be lumpy. Divide the mixture into 12 and shape into small crabcakes.
Combine the remaining 1/2 cup each breadcrumbs and ground almonds on a flat plate. Dip both sides of each crabcake into the mixture and coat well. Place on a tray and refrigerate, covered, for 1 to 3 hours.
When ready to serve melt the butter and vegetable oil in a large skillet. Over medium high heat sauté half the crabcakes until golden brown, about 4 minutes on each side. Transfer to drain on paper towels. Keep warm in oven at 200° F. If necessary use additional oil and cook remaining crabcakes.

Divide the salad greens among 6 large plates. Arrange 2 crabcakes on the greens, drizzle Sweet Red Bell Pepper Sauce around the greens and on top of crabcakes.

Wine Recommendations:

These crab cakes make a perfect start to a dinner and you need a wine that not just complements them, but also asserts itself quickly. Look for a grassy Sauvignon Blanc from Sancerre or the Loire or one of the new world whites from Australia or New Zealand.