Crab Cakes with Lemon Dill Sauce

I recently heard that the crabs have become more abundant in the Chesapeake Bay this year. So I am already getting my mouthwatering recipes together. Here is a favorite that my cousin Leanne first shared with us.

1 Tablespoon butter
1 green onion, finely chopped
1 clove garlic, pressed
2 Tablespoons red bell pepper, finely chopped
Cayenne pepper to taste
3 Tablespoons heavy cream
1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 egg
½ teaspoon minced parsley
½ cup bread crumbs
1 pound white or claw crab meat, picked through for shells

Topping:
½ cup bread crumbs
¼ cup grated parm cheese
2 Tablespoons oil
2 Tablespoons butter

Saute onion, garlic and bell pepper in butter until pepper is limp, about 3 minutes. Add cayenne, cream and mustard. Mix well. Add egg, parsley and bread crumbs. Mix well. Gently fold in crab.
Form into 8 patties, about ½ inch thick. Combine bread crumbs and parm cheese. Pat topping onto both sides of patties. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
Combine oil and butter in heavy-bottomed or electric skillet. Saute crab cakes in hot oil/butter mixture for about 3 minutes on each side. Or, place patties on cookie sheet. Dribble with oil and butter mixture. Bake at 400 degrees for 7-10 minutes.
Serve with lemon dill sauce.
Makes 8.



Lemon Dill Sauce

1 cup mayonnaise
¼ cup buttermilk
2 Tablespoons chopped fresh dill (a must)
1 Tablespoon minced parsley
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon grated lemon peel
1 small garlic clove, minced

Combine ingredients. Chill. Mixture will thicken as it chills. Place a dollop beside crab cakes. Pass extra sauce.