New Year’s Crabcakes

We had these crab cakes at the 2007 New Year’s party at Peter and Kiran Anderson’s house. They asked me to come up with a first course that would incorporate the customary fish that most Danes eat on New Years. They were so yummy served in a puddle of Sweet Thai chili sauce with chives laid across the top for garnish!

½ stick unsalted butter, melted and cooled

4 large eggs, beaten lightly

6 Tbsp. sour cream

¼ cup minced fresh parsley leaves (preferably flat-leaf)

2 Tbsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 tsp. paprika

½ tsp. salt

¼ tsp. cayenne

2 lbs. lump crab meat (use the best crab you can find), picked over to remove shell, etc. (place in paper towels to remove moisture)

2 cups finely processed fresh breadcrumbs

1/3 cup cornmeal

½ cup vegetable oil

Lemon wedges for garnish

In a bowl, whisk together the butter, eggs, sour cream, parsley, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt and cayenne. Gently stir in the crab meat and bread crumbs. Form ½ cup, ¾ inch thick cakes to make 12 crab cakes and place on a parchment covered baking sheet sprinkled with half of the cornmeal. Sprinkle the crab cakes with the remaining cornmeal and chill them, covered in plastic wrap for as little as 1 hour or overnight.

In a large heavy skillet heat the oil over moderately high heat until it is hot but not smoking. Sauté’ the crab cakes in batches, turning them once, for 3 to 4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels. Keep the cooked crab cakes warm in a 200 degrees oven while cooking the remaining crab cakes.