Thai crab cakes are often served as an appetizer or main course and are typically accompanied by a dipping sauce, such as a spicy chilli sauce or a sweet and sour sauce.The trick is to use mayonnaise to bind the ingredients and to try and use the freshest produce as possible in the recipe.Crab meat is usually reasonably priced and don't worry about whether the Crab meat is fresh or tinned, or if there is brown meat – it should all taste just as good at the end. Panko should be available in most supermarkets, but if you can't find any – grind some sesame seed crackers into crumbs and use those instead.Crab meat is a good source of protein, vitamin B12, and other nutrients. It is also low in fat and calories, making these thai crab cakes a healthy choice for many people.
Ingredients
- 240 g crab meat
- 3 spring (green) onions
- 3 kaffir lime leaves (or zest of 1 lime)
- 1 fresh red chili (or ½ tsp. dried crushed chili)
- a pinch of coriander (optional)
- 1 tbsp lime juice
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 eggs
- 2 tsp mayonnaise
- 1¾ cups panko (japanese)
- breadcrumbs
- ½ garlic salt (or 1/4 tsp. salt)
- approx. 1 cup oil (for frying)
- Thai sweet chili sauce (optional)
Instructions
Preparation
- There isn't much preparation needed; all you need to do is finely chop the fresh chili, de-stalk and finely slice the lime and finely slice the spring onions.
Method
- Place the crab meat, spring onions, coriander (If used), lime, chili, fish sauce, 1 lightly beaten egg, mayonnaise and a ¾ cup panko in a bowl together and mix by hand or in a food processor.
- Add up to ¼ cup more panko and briefly blitz or stir to combine. You want the mixture to be moist enough to form cakes, but not so moist that it falls apart. Add more panko until you can form cakes easily in your hands.
- Pat mixture into cakes (I usually make them 2 to 3 inches in diameter). Place on a clean plate.
- Now pour ¾ cup panko into a mixing bowl and add the garlic salt, stirring to mix. In a separate, smaller bowl, break the other egg and briefly whisk.
- Dip the crab cakes first into the egg, then roll in the panko mixture to cover. Set on a clean surface.
- Pour oil into a small frying pan or wok set over medium-high heat (oil should be 1 inch deep). Heat for 1 minute or longer. To test if oil is hot enough, drop in a few panko crumbs – if they begin to sizzle right away, the hot is ready. Carefully place crab cakes in the hot oil. Reduce heat slightly to prevent overheating and splattering. Fry crab cakes 1-2 minutes per side, or until golden brown.
- Serve with Thai sweet chili sauce and the salad.
