PALEO CRAB CAKES WITH LEMON VINAIGRETTE

Crab cakes used to be one of the dishes my grandma would request I make for her pretty frequently. I shouldn't say "request", since she would buy all of the ingredients ahead of time and have them laid out on the counter when I showed up at her house. That was her way of "hinting" that she would like crab cakes. Luckily I love crab cakes so I never minded making (and eating) them!
Before paleo I would use breadcrumbs in my crab cakes, but now I find that almond flour works just as well. If your mixture seems a little too wet, just add a small amount more almond flour and make sure to dust the cakes with almond flour before cooking.
These crab cakes have a lot of flavor and taste great over a little baby arugula and drizzled with a lemon vinaigrette. Prepare the vinaigrette first before you cook the crab cakes, because you will want to serve those right away once they are done cooking. If you would rather bake the crab cakes, you can put them on a baking sheet in the oven at 400F for about 10 minutes, flip them over gently and then bake for another 5 mintues or until golden brown on both sides.
Before paleo I would use breadcrumbs in my crab cakes, but now I find that almond flour works just as well. If your mixture seems a little too wet, just add a small amount more almond flour and make sure to dust the cakes with almond flour before cooking.
These crab cakes have a lot of flavor and taste great over a little baby arugula and drizzled with a lemon vinaigrette. Prepare the vinaigrette first before you cook the crab cakes, because you will want to serve those right away once they are done cooking. If you would rather bake the crab cakes, you can put them on a baking sheet in the oven at 400F for about 10 minutes, flip them over gently and then bake for another 5 mintues or until golden brown on both sides.
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Ingredients:
VINAIGRETTE:
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
- 1 tsp. prepared ground mustard
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. raw honey, warmed if solid
CRAB CAKES:
- 1 pound lump crab meat
- 1/3 cup chopped green onion
- 1/3 cup white onion, chopped small
- 1/2 cup red and yellow bell pepper, chopped small
- 2 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 large egg, whisked
- 1/3 cup paleo mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 tsp. prepared yellow mustard
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/3 cup almond flour (plus extra for dusting)
- 4 Tbsp. lard/bacon fat or tallow (for cooking the crab cakes)
SALAD:
- 6 cups baby arugula, rinsed and dried
- 1 lemon, quartered (for serving)
Equipment:
- Large mixing bowl
- Large skillet
- Spatula
- Paper towels
- Plate
Directions:
TO MAKE DRESSING:
1. Whisk all ingredients together until well blended and place in fridge until ready to serve.
TO MAKE CRAB CAKES:
1. Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl (other than the coconut oil or bacon fat). Mix very gently until combined, adding a little more almond flour if the mixture is too wet. Shape into cakes and dust lightly with additional almond flour.
2. Heat the lard/bacon fat or tallow in large skillet over medium-high heat and allow the fat to get hot. Cook the crab cakes in batches for about 3-5 minutes on each side or until browned, turning them over very gently once during cooking. 3. Place on a plate covered in paper towels and finish cooking the rest of the crab cakes. Serve immediately.
TO ASSEMBLE:
1. Place one cup of arugula on the plate and top with 2-3 crab cakes. Drizzle a portion of the vinaigrette over the crab cakes and serve with a lemon wedge.
VINAIGRETTE:
- 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 3 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1/2 tsp. lemon zest
- 1 tsp. prepared ground mustard
- 1/2 tsp. onion powder
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. raw honey, warmed if solid
CRAB CAKES:
- 1 pound lump crab meat
- 1/3 cup chopped green onion
- 1/3 cup white onion, chopped small
- 1/2 cup red and yellow bell pepper, chopped small
- 2 Tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
- 1 large egg, whisked
- 1/3 cup paleo mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 tsp. prepared yellow mustard
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder
- 1 tsp. sea salt
- 1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1/3 cup almond flour (plus extra for dusting)
- 4 Tbsp. lard/bacon fat or tallow (for cooking the crab cakes)
SALAD:
- 6 cups baby arugula, rinsed and dried
- 1 lemon, quartered (for serving)
Equipment:
- Large mixing bowl
- Large skillet
- Spatula
- Paper towels
- Plate
Directions:
TO MAKE DRESSING:
1. Whisk all ingredients together until well blended and place in fridge until ready to serve.
TO MAKE CRAB CAKES:
1. Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl (other than the coconut oil or bacon fat). Mix very gently until combined, adding a little more almond flour if the mixture is too wet. Shape into cakes and dust lightly with additional almond flour.
2. Heat the lard/bacon fat or tallow in large skillet over medium-high heat and allow the fat to get hot. Cook the crab cakes in batches for about 3-5 minutes on each side or until browned, turning them over very gently once during cooking. 3. Place on a plate covered in paper towels and finish cooking the rest of the crab cakes. Serve immediately.
TO ASSEMBLE:
1. Place one cup of arugula on the plate and top with 2-3 crab cakes. Drizzle a portion of the vinaigrette over the crab cakes and serve with a lemon wedge.