INGREDIENTS
1 pound lump crabmeat, well drained and picked over
1/4 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons minced chives
2 teaspoons fresh lime juice
1/2 teaspoon honey
4 teaspoons Asian red chili sauce
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 ripe mango, peeled and cut into chunks
1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
All purpose flour for dredging
3 large eggs, beaten
2 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs) or other dry bread crumbs
1 cup packed micro greens or mesclun
DIRECTIONS
In a large bowl, combine the crabmeat with the mayonnaise, chives, lime juice, honey and 1 tablespoon of the chili sauce; season with salt and pepper. Stir well to break up some of the crabmeat. Form the mixture into 8 crab cakes, packing them firmly. Put the crab cakes on a baking sheet and refrigerate until firm, about 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a blender, puree the mango with 1 tablespoon of the oil and the remaining 1 teaspoon of chili sauce until smooth. Scrape the mango puree into a small bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Put a handful of flour into a medium, shallow bowl. Put the eggs in another shallow bowl and the panko in a third bowl. Take a crab cake in your hand and carefully dust it all over with flour, shaking off any excess. Dip the crab cake in the beaten egg and then coat it well with the panko. Repeat with the remaining crab cakes.
In a medium skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the vegetable oil until shimmering. Add 4 of the crab cakes to the skillet and cook them over moderately high heat until they are browned and crisp, about 3 minutes per side. Drain the crab cakes on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil and 4 crab cakes.
Drizzle 4 plates with the mango puree and set 2 crab cakes on each plate. Mound the micro greens alongside and serve right away.
Make Ahead:
The formed crab cakes and the mango puree can be refrigerated overnight. Bring the mango puree to room temperature before serving.
Suggested Pairing:
A flavorful Finger Lakes Riesling from New York will complement the sweetness of the crabmeat and mango puree in this recipe.