It’s the perfect time to fire up the grill and enjoy the warmer weather with family and friends. A family-run business for over 75 years that is renowned as the destination for delivering dream kitchens – both indoor and outdoors – Caplan’s has sponsored a new cooking series that focuses on cooking simple and delicious recipes out- doors. Hosted by acclaimed chefs Rob Rossi and Craig Harding, Open Fire creates delicious, innovative dishes, and one of their favourite recipes is shared with you here.
Ideal for spring, this recipe is light, fresh and versatile. It can be a main dish or served as a fun appetizer. The tomato aioli takes the dish to the next level as it adds a depth of flavour that brings it all together, both as a base for the crab cakes and for the finishing garnish.
Crab Cakes with Tomato Aioli
Ingredients:
Tomato Aioli:
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 Clove of garlic
- 1 tsp Dijon Mustard
- 3/4 cup Olive Oil
- 1 tsp Lemon juice
- Sun dried tomatoes
- Spanish paprika
- Tabasco
Crab Cakes:
- 2 x tins of high-quality cooked crab
- Fresh tarragon
- Old Bay seasoning
- Panko breadcrumbs
- 6 Spears of asparagus
Directions:
- Add 3 egg yolks in a bowl and microplane or finely chop a small clove of garlic into the bowl. Scoop a teaspoon of dijon into the bowl and whisk 3/4 cups of high-quality olive oil slowly. Add 1 teaspoon of lemon juice and continue to whisk. Keep some of the aioli as a reserve for the garnish.
- In the aioli bowl, add the crab and a small amount of fresh chopped tarragon. Add some salt, pepper, and a few dashes of Old Bay seasoning. Add a handful of panko crumbs, which acts as a great filler and keeps the crab mixture together.
- Shape the crab cakes in your hand and sprinkle more panko on both sides. In a pan add some olive oil on medium heat. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side.
- Chop some pieces of asparagus and cook lightly in a pan with salt and pepper and some olive oil for 4 minutes. While they cook, chop a small amount of sundried tomatoes and add to the reserved aioli and add four dashes of tabasco and a sprinkle of Spanish paprika.
- To assemble, place the crab cakes on a plate or platter and add some asparagus pieces on top then add a nice dollop of the tomato aioli with a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt.
Be sure to tune in to Open Fire, airing weekly on TLN, for more recipes.
