Chile-Spiced Crab Cakes with Citrus Aioli

Homemade

crab cakes are always guest-pleasers, and they come together quickly and easily

without too many ingredients. You don’t need to purchase expensive jumbo lump

crabmeat to make cakes—save that for bite-sized appetizers that highlight the

presentation of the crab. Claw meat is less expensive and you can make cakes

with it, but you’ll need to shred large, intact pieces.

I like

using shredded, white, backfin crabmeat for cakes. It’s already just the right

consistency to mix with other ingredients, and it has great crab flavor (comes from the back of the crab's body, like lump meat). Look for shredded backfin

in the refrigerated section of the market—not the tuna aisle.

Shredded, White, Backfin Crabmeat

For this

recipe, I made a garlicky mayonnaise-based sauce with fresh lemon and orange

for cool, creamy, citrusy flavor and texture. It’s a tasty complement to the

meaty richness of the crab cakes.

Tip: The “zest” of the lemon and orange

is the colorful outer peel—not the white pith beneath it. Use a vegetable

peeler to lightly remove small strips of zest from the fruit, then simply give

it a fine chop.

Use a Vegetable Peeler to Peel Zest Finely Chop the Zest

Makes 8

and salt together and place in a bowl.

Stir in the

mayonnaise and next 5 ingredients (through mustard) and season with black

pepper. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. (May be made a few hours ahead.)

Smashed Garlic with SaltChopped Garlic and SaltCitrus Aioli

For the Crab Cakes

Combine the

first 8 ingredients (through chile powder) in a medium bowl and season with

salt and pepper.

Divide the

mixture into 8 equal portions and form each into a patty about 3/4-inch thick. Place

on a plate, cover, and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. (May be made a few hours ahead.)

Heat a

large, nonstick skillet over medium heat and add the olive oil and butter,

swirling to combine. Add the crab cakes and cook until golden brown and just

cooked through, 3-4 minutes per side.

Crabmeat Ready for Other IngredientsIngredients Ready to MixDivide into 8 Portions Crab Cake PattiesCrab Cakes Beginning to Cook Cakes after Turning

Plate the crab cakes and spoon a dollop of citrus

aioli on top of each, or serve the aioli in a bowl alongside.

Chile-Spiced Crab Cakes with Citrus Aioli