Dinner DeeAs recipe: Ultimate Crab Cakes

Taste the best of the Gulf Coast! 🦀 In this episode of Dinner DeeAs, we head to Crystal River with Chef Richard Wiggins, owner of Katch Twenty-Two. Chef Richard shows us how to make restaurant-quality Super Lump Crab Cakes that are heavy on the crab and light on the filler, paired with a vibrant, smoky side of Corn Maque Choux.

Click here to download a printable copy of the recipes below.

On the Southern Staples Menu:

• Coastal Crab Cakes: Learn the secret to a perfect bind using Duke’s Mayo, Old Bay, and Dijon mustard. Chef Richard explains why Super Lump crab is the best affordable secret for home cooks—tasting just as sweet as Jumbo Lump for half the price!
• Corn Maque Choux Relish: A smoky, sweet Cajun classic. This side dish features rendered bacon, bell peppers, onions, and jalapenos.
• Zesty Remoulade Sauce: Move over tartar sauce! This elevated version features chopped cornichons, capers, and a heavy hit of blackening seasoning.
• Arugula & Roasted Beet Salad: A fresh finishing touch with goat cheese, shaved radishes, and toasted pistachios, dressed in a quick "Broken" Orange Vinaigrette.

Chef Wiggins' Pro Tips:

• The Bacon Freeze: Discover why putting your bacon in the freezer for a few minutes makes it safer and easier to achieve a perfect, uniform dice.
• The "Fold, Don't Stir" Method: How to incorporate your crab meat into the base without breaking up those beautiful, sweet lumps.
• Plating with Height: Learn the "trick of the trade" for using your corn relish as a foundation to give your crab cakes impressive visual height on the plate.

CONNECT WITH US:

• Visit Katch Twenty-Two in Crystal River: https://www.katchtwentytwo.com/
• E-mail us your pictures: DinnerDeeAs@fox.com
• Follow us on Instagram: @DinnerDeeAs

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Katch Twenty-Two Crab Cakes

Ingredients

• ⅔ cup mayonnaise (Chef Richard recommends Duke’s)
• ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
• ½ tsp Dijon mustard
• 1 lb Super Lump Crab Meat (or Jumbo Lump for sweeter, premium option)
• 2 oz panko bread crumbs (plus extra for dusting)
• blended oil (for searing)

Directions

1. In mixing bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay, and Dijon mustard. Taste mixture; it should be slightly salty as it provides seasoning for the crab.
2. Place crab meat in separate large bowl. Gently fold in about 5 oz of crab mayo mixture.
3. Add panko bread crumbs and gently "fold" mixture by hand. Be careful not to break up large crab lumps.
4. Hand-form mixture into patties (roughly size of tennis ball or 4 oz).
5. Lightly dust outside of each cake with extra panko.
6. Pro-Tip: Place cakes in fridge for about 20 minutes to firm up; this prevents them from breaking apart in pan.
7. Heat pan with blended oil over medium-high heat. Sear crab cakes until golden-brown on both sides.
8. Transfer cakes to sheet tray and finish in 350° F oven for 8–10 minutes (internal temp of 110° F–120° F).

Corn Maque Choux (Corn Relish)

Ingredients

• ¼ lb bacon (Chef recommends partially freezing before dicing)
• 1 tbsp oil (to start the pan)
• ½ yellow onion, finely diced
• 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
• ½ jalapeño pepper, seeds removed and finely diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 can corn kernels, drained
• 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions

1. Finely dice partially frozen bacon. This "chef trick" makes bacon firmer and safer to cut into perfect dice.
2. Heat pan over medium heat with splash of oil and add bacon. Cook until it about halfway rendered (not yet crispy).
3. Add diced onion, bell pepper, and jalapeño to bacon and fat. Sauté for about two minutes.
4. Add minced garlic and drained corn. Continue cooking for another two minutes until vegetables are tender but corn is still bright.
5. Finish by stirring in fresh parsley and seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.

Remoulade Sauce

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 ½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
• 2 tbsp finely chopped cornichons
• 2 tbsp chopped capers
• 1 ½ tsp blackened seasoning (Chef recommends Chef Paul Prudhomme’s)
• zest and juice of ½ lemon

Directions

1. Add mayonnaise to bowl and whisk in Worcestershire sauce and fresh parsley.
2. Stir in chopped cornichons and capers.
3. Add blackened seasoning. (add a little extra for deeper color and kick).
4. Roll lemon on counter to release juices, then add zest and the juice to bowl.
5. Whisk until smooth and set aside to serve over crab cakes.

Arugula Salad & Broken Orange Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• ½ oz olive oil
• zest and juice of 1 orange
• ½ oz honey
• ½ oz diced shallots
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 oz baby arugula
• 2 ½ oz roasted beets, cubed
• 1 ½ oz goat cheese
• 5 slices shaved radish
• ½ oz toasted pistachios

Directions

1. In small bowl, combine olive oil, orange zest, orange juice, honey, shallots, and red wine vinegar with salt and pepper. Whisk briefly; this is a "broken vinaigrette," meaning it is meant to stay separated rather than emulsified.
2. In separate bowl, toss arugula with small amount of vinaigrette and pinch of salt.
3. Garnish plate by layering dressed arugula, roasted beets, goat cheese, radishes, and toasted pistachios.

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