This recipe pulls together in minutes with most of the ingredients right from your pantry. The cake is packed with sweet crab meat tossed with bread crumbs, egg, Worcestershire, mayo and mustard. Drizzle these sliders with your favorite lemon aioli (see below). I’ve combined mayo, lemon and added a kick of siracha. Serve with your favorite toppers….like tomato, lettuce and red onion. Crab cakes can be broiled, baked, **sautéed or fried. I tried baking and sautéing. Verdict…..saute them!!!
Crab Cake Sliders
Serves 9 to 15 sliders (depending on size)
18 mini potato buns
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus more for brushing
1 large egg
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
Kosher salt
1 pound lump crabmeat, picked through
10 strips bacon (optional)
Finely grated zest of 1 lemon
Freshly ground pepper
Diced red onion, sliced tomatoes and lettuce leaves, for topping
Pickles, for serving (optional)
Tear 2-3 buns into small pieces to make about 3/4 cup; put in a medium bowl.
Whisk 2 tablespoons mayonnaise, the melted butter, egg, Old Bay, Worcestershire sauce, mustard and 1/4 teaspoon salt in another bowl.
Add the mayonnaise mixture to the bun pieces and stir to combine; let sit 10 minutes, then gently fold in the crabmeat.
Brush a baking sheet with butter. Tightly pack the crab mixture into 15 small patties (I made 9 to match the size of the slider buns) and arrange on the prepared baking sheet; refrigerate at least 1 hour or overnight.
Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Arrange the bacon on a rimmed baking sheet in a single layer and bake until golden and slightly crisp, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate, reserving 1 tablespoon of the drippings. Break each piece of bacon into thirds; set aside.
BROILING METHOD
Preheat the broiler. Arrange the remaining 15 buns cut-side up on a baking sheet; brush with butter and broil until golden. Transfer the crab cakes to the broiler and cook, rotating the pan as needed, until golden and warmed through, about 6 minutes.
SAUTEING METHOD
**1 tablespoon butter (I used ghee) and 1 tablespoon of canola oil in a frying pan over medium heat. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown.
Spread the cut sides of the buns with some of the lemon mayonnaise. Sprinkle with diced red onion. Serve the crab cakes on the buns with tomatoes, lettuce and the bacon. Serve with pickles.
Lemon Aioli:
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tablespoon chopped chives
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
In a medium bowl, mix all the ingredients together.
Adapted from: Food Network
