Classic Crab Cakes
Crab cakes are one of those foods I save for special occasions. I had a good friend over for dinner last night. I wanted to make something special- so I made him crab cakes. He loved them.
The secret to crab cakes it adding just enough ingredients to hold the crab meat together, without losing the beautiful texture of the crab in the process. These crab cakes did all that.
I used a little sour cream to help hold them together and to add moisture. I know many who prefer mayo as a binder. Either works, I just like sour cream.
I have pan-fried them in the past, but decided to bake these in the oven. Either method works. It just comes down to what you prefer. By baking them, I had more time to get the rest of the dinner together. We had them with a veggie frittata , coleslaw and watermelon. I was making the frittata on top of the stove. It was a truly special meal.
Classic Crab Cakes
2 eggs
2 T. sour cream or Greek yogurt
1 t. thyme
1 t. lemon juice
½ t. cayenne pepper
½ t. dry mustard
Salt to taste
¼ c. fresh chopped parsley
¼ c. fresh chopped green onions or chives
About ½ c. breadcrumbs
1 lb. lump crab meat
Olive oil
Mix all the ingredients together, except oil. Start with about ¼ cup of the breadcrumbs and add just enough to hold the mixture together. Mixture will be crumbly. Form into patties- you can make 4 large or 8 small.
You can cook them one of two ways.
To bake: Place the crab cakes on a lightly oiled baking sheet and brush the cakes with a little more oil. Bake in a preheated 450- degree oven for 15 – 18 minutes, for small cakes. Bake 20-24 minutes for large cakes. Turn them once during baking to brown both sides.
To pan fry: Heat skillet to medium hot. Add oil and gently add the cakes. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crispy. Turn once, carefully, to brown on both sides.
Crab Rangoons – Baked!!
Crab Rangoons
I love crab rangoons but I don’t always feel like frying them. You don’t have to. You can bake them and still end up with crispy wontons filled with creamy, crabby goodness. Easier than frying if you have a lot of people or just aren’t in the mood for frying.
Crab Rangoons
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 (6 ounce) can crabmeat, drained and flaked
2 green onions with tops, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon soy sauce
48 wonton wrappers
Directions
Preheat an oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C). Lightly spray baking sheet with cooking spray. Combine garlic, cream cheese, crab, green onions, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce in a bowl. To prevent wonton skins from drying, prepare only 1 or 2 rangoon at a time. Place 1 teaspoon of filling onto the center of each wonton skin. Moisten the edges with water and fold the wonton skin diagonally to form a triangle, pressing edges to seal. Arrange the rangoon on the baking sheet and lightly spray with cooking spray.
Bake in the preheated oven until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes.
Won Ton Appetizers
Won Ton Appetizers
For a recent Chinese New Year dinner I was in charge of appetizers. I ended up using won ton wrappers for 3 different dishes. I made Sesame Spinach, Honey-Ginger Chicken and Crab Rangoons. I wrapped each of them up differently so they would look nice on the platter and be easier to identify. Serve with assorted dipping sauces and soy sauce.
Sesame Spinach Triangles
oil
1 small onion, chopped fine
12 oz. fresh spinach, cooked, chopped and drained or 1 (10 oz.) box frozen spinach, thawed, cooked and drained
1/2 c. chopped water chestnuts
2 T. oyster sauce
2 t. sesame oil
1 t. hot sauce
won ton wrappers
Heat oil in skillet and cook onion until tender. Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining ingredients, except won ton wrappers. Adjust seasonings, if needed. Allow mixture to cool. Place 1 tablespoon of the filling in the center of a won ton wrapper. Moisten edges with a little water and fold over to form a triangle. Press to seal edges. Place filled triangles in 375 degree oil and fry for about 2 minutes or until golden.
Honey Ginger Chicken Won Tons
1 c. cooked diced chicken- I used thighs
1/4 c. minced celery
1/4 c. mayo
2 T. honey
2 T. dried minced onion
1 T. hoisen sauce
1 t. fresh grated ginger
salt and hot sauce to taste
won ton wrappers
Combine all ingredients, except the wrappers, and mix well. Place 2 teaspoons of filling in the center of each won ton wrapper. Moisten edges with a little water. Fold in 2 corners to meet in the middle. Starting at one of the remaining corners fold up and over and form into a roll. Press to seal edges. Fry in hot oil ( 375 degrees) for 1-2 minutes or until golden brown.
Crab Rangoons
1 clove garlic, minced
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1 (6 ounce) can crab meat, drained and flaked
2 green onions with tops, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon light soy sauce
won ton wrappers
Combine all filling ingredients and chill until ready to use. Place 2 teaspoons of filling onto the center of each wonton skin. Moisten the edges with water and bring 2 corners together. Bring the other 2 corners up and press all together to seal. Press all seams to seal. It should look like a little bundle. Fry in hot oil until golden brown, about 1-2 minutes.
Sesame Spinach Triangles
Honey Ginger Chicken Won Tons
Crab Rangoons
