The Perfect At-Home Valentines Day Dinner: Texas Crab Cakes with Cilantro-Lime Remoulade #valentinesathome #crabcake

Valentines Day is coming up next week! The idea of fighting crowds to dine out isn't your idea of a romantic atmosphere, you say? Then stay home...and make your sweetie my Texas Crab Cakes with Cilantro-Lime Remoulade instead! These tasty crab cakes feature sweet jumbo lump crab and very little binder -- I wanted the crab to be the star of the show. To accompany these flavorful crab cakes, I made a super quick remoulade sauce with cilantro and lime. I'm not kidding when I say these crab cakes are over-the-top good...and perfect for an at-home Valentines Day celebration!

Texas Crab Cakes with Cilantro-Lime Remoulade

a Weekend Gourmet original

Ingredients (makes 6 crab cakes):

For the crab cakes:

• 1 lb. jumbo lump crab meat, picked over to ensure any cartilage and/or shell is removed
• 1/2 cup cracker crumbs [NOTE: I used 12 buttery round crackers]
• 2 green onions finely sliced
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 cup good-quality mayonnaise
• 1 tbs. Creole mustard (or any grainy mustard)
• Juice from half of a large lime
• 1 tsp. hot sauce to taste [NOTE: I used Crystal hot sauce]
• 2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
• 1 tbs. Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp. sea salt and 1 tsp. fresh ground pepper 
• 1/3 cup olive oil for frying the crab cakes

For the quick remoulade:

• 1/2 cup good quality mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup ketchup
• 2 tbs. Creole mustard (or any grainy mustard)
• Juice from half of a large lime
• 2 green onions, thinly sliced
• 1 tbs. hot sauce
• 1 tbs. Creole seasoning
• 1 tbs. choppe cilantro

Directions:

Step 1: Add the egg, mayo, mustard, juice of half a lime, hot sauce, Worcestershire, Old Bay seasoning, and salt & pepper to a small mixing bowl. Use a small whisk to completely incorporate the ingredients into a smooth emulsion. Set aside.

Step 2: Add the crab meat, green onion, and cracker crumbs to a large mixing bowl. Add the reserved wet ingredients, and use a sturdy spoon to completely incorporate all of the ingredients. Be sure to combine the ingredients carefully so you don't break up the large lumps of crab. Use pristinely clean hands to form the mixture into six crab cakes. Refrigerate the formed crab cakes for at least 30 minutes -- but 1-2 hours is best if you have the time. 

Step 3: When the crab cakes have chilled, heat the olive oil in a large non-stick skillet over med-high heat for 5 minutes. Add the crab cakes and reduce the heat to medium. Cook the crab cakes for 4 minutes per side. The crab cakes should be golden-brown on each side. Place the cooked crab cakes on paper towels to remove any excess oil. Just before serving, sprinkle the warm crab cakes with additional dried cilantro and Creole seasoning.

Step 4: While the crab cakes are chilling in the fridge, you have a pocket of time to make the remoulade sauce. Add the mayo, ketchup, mustard, green onions, juice of half a lime, hot sauce, Creole seasoning, and cilantro to a small mixing bowl. Whisk until the ingredients are incorporated and a sauce forms. To serve, spread 2 tbs. of the cilantro-lime remoulade in the center of a small serving plate. Top the remoulade with one or two warm crab cakes. 

These crab cakes are definitely indulgent...but they are truly amazing! A crispy exterior gives way to a slightly creamy interior with *huge* lumps of crab that have just enough binder to hold them together. Creole mustard, green onion, hot sauce, and Old Bay provide the perfect amount of seasoning that doesn't overwhelm the sweet crab. The homemade remoulade is tangy and spicy -- with a nice punch of cilantro. These crab cakes are definitely the star of the show, so I serve them with a simple Caesar salad and warm garlic bread on the side.

I hope you'll give these indulgent crab cakes a try...if you do, let me know what you think! Instead of dining out for Valentines Day...why not open a nice bottle of wine, put on some romantic music, light the fireplace, and enjoy a relaxing celebration at home! 

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