Spring is the time to get your cooker out and start grillin’. But that doesn’t mean it has to be pork or beef. These Cedar Planked Crab Cakes created with a homemade mayo fits the bill and they’re bursting with flavor.
- 1 lb. of hand-picked lump crab meat
- 3 limes
- 3 eggs
- 1 1/4 cups of canola oil
- 2 tablespoons smoked paprika
- 2 tablespoons minced fresh garlic
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
- 2 roasted red bell peppers
- 2 tablespoons chopped scallions
- Sriracha to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 pre-soaked cedar plank (one to two hours prior to cooking)
Let’s start with our foolproof, homemade mayo. Use a narrow glass or jar that’s just large enough for an immersion mixer’s head to fit inside. (This is important! We used a tall tea glass.) To the glass or jar, add two of your eggs (the whole egg), 2 cups of canola oil, zest from one of your limes, juice from two limes and your garlic. Blend the mixture by moving the head of your immersion mixer up and down until you have a nice, creamy texture. You can add other fresh herbs to this mayo recipe prior to blending for other dishes. The taste of homemade mayo makes a big difference.
Now, let’s get to work on our crab cakes. Take half of your homemade mayo and add it to a medium bowl. Add your lump crab meat, one egg, breadcrumbs, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, chopped scallions and kosher salt to the bowl. Mix the ingredients well with your hands. Place plastic wrap over your bowl and place the bowl in the refrigerator for two hours in order for the flavors to develop.
In a small bowl, add the rest of your mayo, the roasted red peppers (deseeded), smoked paprika and Sriracha to taste. Blend well and refrigerator for an hour.
Set your Goldens’ Cast Iron Cooker up for direct heat according to the configuration shown to the left and bring the temperature up to 400 degrees.
After your crab mixture is done sitting in the refrigerator, form the mixture into patties. Place the patties on your pre-soaked cedar board. Carefully place the cedar boards directly on the grates and close the cooker’s dome.
Cook for about 30 minutes (depending on the size of your patties) until they are done. They will have a beautiful, golden brown color. Carefully remove the cedar plank from the cooker. Allow the crab cakes to sit on the plank for 10 minutes. Using a spatula carefully remove the crab cakes. Serve them with lime slices and a small bowl of remoulade for dipping.
Cedar planks are a quick and easy way to infuse food with a wonderful smoky flavor. When cooking on planks, keep a water bottle on hand should the plank catch on fire. Did you know you can reuse cedar planks? If you still have wood left (charred is still okay), clean the cedar plank with soap and water, pat dry and store in a cool, dry area. When it is time to grill again, re-soak the plank in water and start cooking.
