CAV’S PISTACHIO ENCRUSTED CRAB CAKE

1/3 French white baguette bread

1 whole large egg

4 tablespoons butter

1/3 red pepper

1/3 white Spanish onion

1 1/2 sticks celery

1 pound quality lump crab meat

3/4 tablespoon sriracha hot sauce

3/4 tablespoon Dijon mustard

4 tablespoons cilantro, finely chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Pistachio Rub (see recipe)

Butter for greasing pan

Sriracha Aioli (see recipe)

Frisée lettuce (for garnish)

Remove the crust from the bread and grind in blender with egg. Set aside.

You will make a brunoise with the red pepper, onion and celery. This is a mixture of the vegetables, finely diced or shredded, and then cooked in butter.

Heat butter in a sauté pan and lightly sauté the onions, peppers and celery. Do not cook thoroughly. Cool.

When the vegetables are cool, combine them with the breadcrumb mixture, crab, hot sauce, mustard, cilantro, salt and pepper in a large mixing bowl. Mix with hands carefully, until well combined, taking care not to break up the lumps in the process.

Divide the crab cake mixture into four portions to form four crab cakes.

The preferred way is to use a 2 1/2-inch ring mold to form the cake. Rub the pistachio mixture on the top and bottom. Remove crab cake from the mold.

If you don’t have molds, form four balls and roll them in pistachio rub, then flatten the ball to form a cake.

Either way, it’s best to keep the crab cake at least 1 inch thick and 2 1/2 inches wide.

Place the crab cakes on a baking sheet (pre-greased with butter) and bake in a 425 degree preheated oven for 5 minutes per side for a total cooking time of 10 minutes.

On a plate that is warmed to room temperature, form a circle with the Sriracha Aioli in the center. Place a crab cake on top and garnish with frisée lettuce. Repeat with three crab cakes. Makes 4 crab cakes.