Panko-crusted Crab Cake Bites with Roasted Pepper-Chive Aioli

Notes: The Japanese-style coarse bread crumbs called panko are available in many well-stocked supermarkets and in Asian grocery stores. You can make the aioli up to 2 days ahead and the crab cakes through step 3 up to 4 hours ahead; in both cases, cover and chill.

Yield
Makes 24 crab cakes; 8 servings
Ingredients
* 12 ounces shelled cooked crab
* 1/4 cup finely diced celery
* 1/4 cup minced fresh chives
* 1/4 cup mayonnaise
* 1 large egg
* 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
* 1/4 teaspoon hot sauce
* 1 1/4 cups panko (see notes) or fine dried bread crumbs
* Roasted Pepper-Chive Aioli (recipe follows)
* Fresh chives, rinsed and cut into 1-inch lengths


Preparation
1. Sort through crab and discard any bits of shell.

2. In a large bowl, combine celery, minced chives, mayonnaise, egg, mustard, and hot sauce; mix well with a fork. Add crab and 1/4 cup panko; stir gently just to mix.

3. Put remaining 1 cup panko in a shallow bowl. Shape crab mixture into 24 cakes, each about 2 inches wide and 1/2 inch thick. Turn each cake in panko to coat on all sides, pressing gently to make crumbs adhere. Place cakes slightly apart in an oiled 12- by 17-inch baking pan.

4. Bake in a 475° regular or convection oven until golden brown, 15 to 18 minutes. With a spatula, transfer crab cakes to a platter. Spoon a dollop of Roasted Pepper-Chive Aioli onto each cake. Garnish platter with fresh chives. Serve hot.

Roasted Pepper-Chive Aioli. In a small bowl, mix 1/3 cup mayonnaise, 1/4 cup chopped drained canned roasted red peppers, 1 tablespoon minced fresh chives, 2 teaspoons lemon juice, and 1 teaspoon minced garlic. Makes about 1/2 cup.

Nutritional Information
Calories: 206 (61% from fat)
Protein: 11g
Fat: 14g (sat 2.2)
Carbohydrate: 7.6g
Fiber: 0.5g
Sodium: 290mg
Cholesterol: 79mg

source by:myrecipes.com
recipes by:Sunset
photo:James Carrier