CRABCAKES with JALAPEÑO REMOULADE

Ingredients for Crab Cakes

• 1 pound best-quality lump crabmeat (not pasteurized)
• 1 tablespoon butter
• ½ small onion, finely chopped
• ½ poblano chile, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon pure chile powder (like ancho, New Mexico, or chipotle)
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon cayenne
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 teaspoon Creole (or whole-grain) mustard
• Several dashes Louisiana hot sauce
• 1 scallion (white and green part), finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley
• Juice of ½ lemon
• ¾ cup fresh breadcrumbs
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more as needed

Method of Preparation:

• Place the crabmeat in a large mixing bowl and carefully pick through for shell, then set aside.
•  Melt the butter in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, poblano, garlic, salt, chile pepper, black pepper, and cayenne and cook, stirring, until the vegetables are softened but not brown, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer the vegetable mixture to a mixing bowl and set aside to cool for about 15 minutes.
• Add the crab, the egg, mayonnaise, mustard, hot sauce, scallion, parsley, lemon juice, and ¼ cup of the breadcrumbs to the vegetable mixture. Using your hands, gently combine the ingredients.
• Using a 1-cup measuring cup, form the mixture into cakes, packing gently; they should look like hockey pucks, about 2 inches thick with straight sides. Cover the cakes and chill for 20 to 30 minutes, or overnight..
• When you are ready to cook the crab cakes, place the remaining ½ cup of breadcrumbs in a pie tin. Dredge both sides of each cake in the crumbs, shaking off excess. Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking, fry the crab cakes for 4 to 5 minutes on each side, until golden brown. Do not overcrowd the pan—fry in batches if necessary, adding more oil if needed. Serve immediately, with Jalapeño Remoulade.
• Note: Picking Crab Meat: When picking over lump crabmeat for bits of shell or cartilage, take your time and try to keep the crab in big chunks. It will break down a bit when you combine the meat with the other ingredients, so the less handling early on, the better.

Jalapeño Remoulade

For the best results, make this spicy condiment a few hours in advance and then cover and refrigerate, so the flavors have time to develop.

• 1 small jalapeño, stemmed, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 bunch of scallions (white parts only), thinly sliced
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
• 2 teaspoon red wine vinegar
• Juice of 1 lime

Method of Preparation:

• Whisk together all the ingredients in a mixing bowl, cover and refrigerate until needed. Makes about 1 ¼ cups