Phil's International Flair

Philip R. Gantt

Welcome to Seasoned Cooking and to Phil's International Flair!

I had the opportunity to visit North Carolina recently to attend a trade show. One of the benefits of traveling is that you get to sample the local cuisine of the area that you are visiting. My colleagues and I found a nice little bistro that served lobster and crab cakes as an appetizer. I must say, they were delicious and a step above the usual crab cakes that you may find!

Crab cakes are popular in many areas of the United States, particularly near fishing ports on both the east and west coasts, and even extending into the southern coastal states. However, you don't need to be near the coast to enjoy crab cakes. You can make crab cakes with canned crab as well as fresh.

I made crab cakes for guests recently and added cocktail shrimp to the mixture. I thought they turned out pretty well, so I'm posting the recipe here for readers to enjoy as well.

Now, on to the recipe! Be well, and good eating!

Shrimp and Crab Cakes

You may serve these as a main course or as an appetizer. Either way, they are very good and a bit on the rich side when served with the Lemon Cream Sauce.
  • 1/2 lb. crab meat, fresh cooked preferred or 2 cans
  • 1/2 lb. cocktail shrimp meat
  • 2 large eggs
  • 2 Tbsp. mayonnaise
  • 1 Tbsp. mustard
  • 1/2 tsp. horseradish (optional)
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/8 tsp. pepper
  • Dash of Tabasco sauce
  • 1 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley
  • 1 cup bread or cracker crumbs (I prefer Ritz crackers)
  • 1/3 cup cream
  • Sprinkling of paprika
Lemon Cream Sauce
  • 2 Tbsp. flour
  • 2 Tbsp. butter
  • Zest from 1 lemon
  • Juice from 1 lemon
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • 1/2 cup cream
  • 1 Tbsp. finely chopped parsley

Drain and then mix the cocktail shrimp and crab meat in a bowl with the eggs. Add the mayonnaise, mustard, Tabasco, salt and pepper. Add half the bread or cracker crumbs, parsley and cream. Mix well and then form or mold into patties approximately 1 inch thick and 2 inches in diameter. A small bowl makes a useful mold for these. Pat the remaining crumbs on the surface of the cakes and bake or broil at 375 degrees in the oven until browned on top, approximately 12 minutes. Alternately, the cakes may be deep fried until golden brown.

To make the sauce, form a roux by heating two tablespoons of butter with two tablespoons of flour in a sauce pan or small skillet. Add half a cup of white wine and the juice of 1 lemon. Simmer until thickened. Add cream, salt, the zest from 1 lemon and chopped parsley. Simmer until the desired thickness is obtained, adding a little more cream or wine if necessary.

Drizzle serving dishes with Lemon Cream sauce and place the crab cakes on top. Finish with a garnish of sprinkled paprika and a pinch of finely chopped parsley. Serve and enjoy!

  • Yields: 5 servings
  • Preparation Time: 40 minutes