Crab Cakes with Cilantro-Sour Cream Sauce

Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 15 min
Servings: 4
Yield: 4 servings

Description

Fry these crab cakes briefly in the skillet and finish them in the oven, freeing you up for last-minute dinner party preparations. Pair with a homemade cilantro-sour cream sauce.

Ingredients

2 large eggs, beaten
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
1/4 cup diced red onion
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 pinch cayenne pepper
freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 pound fresh crabmeat, well picked over
2 cups dry bread crumbs, divided
Sauce:
1 1/3 cups sour cream, or more to taste
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup minced red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 teaspoons finely chopped fresh cilantro
1 pinch cayenne pepper
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup corn oil for frying

Directions

1 Put eggs, lemon juice, mayonnaise, bell pepper, onion, cilantro, salt, cayenne pepper, and black pepper in a mixing bowl and mix well. Gently fold in crabmeat and 1/2 of the bread crumbs.
2 Form crabmeat mixture into 8 patties. Coat both sides in remaining bread crumbs. Place patties on waxed paper and freeze for 15 minutes.
3 Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
4 Prepare the sauce: Mix sour cream, mayonnaise, bell pepper, garlic, lemon juice, cilantro, and cayenne pepper together in a bowl. Season with salt and black pepper.
5 Heat 1/2 of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Carefully add patties to hot oil in batches. Fry until golden, about 30 seconds on each side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to drain. Repeat with remaining patties, adding remaining oil as needed.
6 Transfer patties to a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center of a patty should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).
7 Serve patties with sauce.