The term ‘hunker down’ is fitting for those East Enders who desire to stay in one place and wait out the winter.
Forecasts a week out calling for cyclone bombs, the relentless winter wind, and after-holiday laziness are enough reasons to take shelter and catch up on all the nominated movies and series currently streaming. You’ll need some comfort food, and that’s where a quick recipe that utilizes a kitchen gadget you may or may not have received as a holiday gift comes in handy—the mighty air fryer.
Blue crabs from the Chesapeake Bay rank among the best in the world and MeTompkin blue crab meat is readily available at The Seafood Shop in Wainscott.
Yes, you can make crab cakes with hot oil in a frying pan just as quickly, but opting for less mess and a slightly healthier approach to cooking something crispy in half the time is a win-win.
There are a lot of crab cake recipes out there, and depending on your taste, many call for a bit of heat, whether it’s by adding minced jalapeño or a dash of paprika. To guarantee success, you want to go for the mostly crab approach, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, packed with visible and good quality lump crab meat.
“We carry MeTompkin crab meat made with Chesapeake Bay blue crab this time of year,” says Colin Mather of The Seafood Shop (356 Montauk Highway, 631-537-0633) in Wainscott. The traditional method of handpicking the blue crab is a highly respected skill along the Chesapeake Bay, which may be why the cost is high. Still, it is worth every penny, as removing shells and cartilage is time-consuming, to say the least (save that for the picnic table in the summer after a day of crabbing).
Having friends over? Simply hand-shape the crab mixture into bite-sized balls before frying for a great fancy-toothpick appetizer to share. Don’t forget the lemon wedges (or lime), which will complement the crab with a fresh zing. A good dipping sauce is non-negotiable, and while a classic tartar sauce certainly works, why not try creating unique flavor combos? (Did someone say mayonnaise and chili crunch?!)
Happy air-frying while binge-watching!
Air fryer crab cakes
Ingredients
- 12 oz lump crabmeat, picked over for shell fragments or cartilage
- 1 large shallot, minced
- 1 medium jalapeño peppers, seeds and rib removed, minced
- 3/4 cup seasoned panko breadcrumbs
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 2 tbsp mayonaisse (or tartar sauce)
- 1 medium lemon, zested
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 3 tbsp chopped parsley (or cilantro)
- lemon wedges and tartar sauce for serving
Directions
- Preheat air fryer to 390℉.
- In a medium sized bowl, mix together the mayonnaise, egg, mustard, Worcestershire, shallots, jalapeño, Old Bay, 2 tbsp chopped parsley (or cilantro) and lemon zest.
- Fold in the crab meat and breadcrumbs until evenly combined. Season with freshly cracked black pepper.
- Shape 1 ½ tbsp of crab mixture with your hands into half dollar sized rounds. Place on a parchment lined plate and continue with the remaining crab mixture.
- Spray or wipe the inside of your air fryer basket with canola oil. Add the crab cakes in batches making sure they have space in between them. Lightly spray the tops of the crab cakes with canola oil.
- Cook for 6-8 minutes until crisp and golden brown, checking at 6 minutes to be sure they are not over browning.
- Carefully remove the crab cakes from the air fryer basket to a platter, cover with aluminum foil to keep warm until next batch is ready to be added to platter.
- Garnish with remaining chopped parsley (or cilantro). Serve with lemon wedges, tartar sauce or a chili crunch mayo. Enjoy!
