Real African Dishes: [MC-AllEthnic-Recipes] Caribbean Coconutty Crab Cakes - 1 pt ; 3g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber

Saturday, January 8, 2011

[MC-AllEthnic-Recipes] Caribbean Coconutty Crab Cakes - 1 pt ; 3g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber

* Exported from MasterCook *

Coconutty Crab Cakes - 1 pt ; 3g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber

Recipe By :
Serving Size : 7 Preparation Time :0:00
Categories : LowCal (Less than 300 cals) LowerCarbs
LowFat (Less than 20%) Seafood

Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method
-------- ------------ --------------------------------
7 ounces picked white crab meat
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut
1 tablespoon chopped jalapeno peppers -- drained from a can or jar
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons rice vinegar -- plus more for serving
For frying: -- oil

Put the crab meat in a bowl and check for any bits of stray shell which should be removed, then mix the crab meat, flour, and coconut in a bowl.

Add the jalapeno, cilantro, and 2 teaspoons rice vinegar and mix well, patting down in the bowl to form a compact layer at the bottom.

Cover and leave in the refrigerator to set for 1 hour.

Heat enough oil in a frying pan to cover the bottom of the pan in a shallow layer.

Take the crab mixture out of the refrigerator and scoop out tablespoonfuls - using a tablespoon measure with a rounded bowl shape - pressing the mixture into the measure and then easing out the mound into the hot oil.

You will only be able to make 4 or 5 at a time comfortably, however big your pan, as the first crab cake to go down will need to be turned over just about the time you've added the fourth or fifth. Remember that the crab is already cooked, so really you're just cooking until the cakes are crisp and golden on the outside and heated right through inside. About 1 minute a should be fine.

Remove them to some sheets - double thickness - of paper towels (lining a board, a cookie sheet, or a plate) and blot them as you go. To keep the cooked crab cakes warm, carefully transfer them to a wire rack, put the rack over a cookie sheet, and hold them in an oven preheated to 225F for up to 20 minutes.

Serve with a little more rice vinegar sprinkled on as you eat.

The crab mixture can be made up to 1 day ahead. Keep covered in the refrigerator until needed, then cook as instructed in the recipe.

The crab cakes can be frozen up to 1 month BUT ONLY if the crab meat has not been previously frozen (check with fish seller if you are not sure). Do no re-freeze previously frozen crabmeat. Spoon dollops of crab mixture onto cookie sheets lined with plastic wrap and flatten slightly. Cover with layer of plastic wrap and freeze until solid then transfer to airtight container. Fry directly from frozen, in about 1/2 inch depth oil, over medium heat and allowing 1-2 extra minutes cooking time per side. Reduce heat if crab cakes are browning too quickly, and check they are hot right through. Blot and transfer to wire rack, and keep warm as directed in recipe.

Makes 14 cakes, serving 7 with 2 cakes each

AuthorNote: Food obsession has its uses, not least that I am always thinking about how I could put any ingredient in the house to good service. I often put breadcrumbs in crab cakes, but it occurred to me one day that unsweetened shredded coconut might well do the same job, absorbing moisture and helping the cakes to set. It does, and rather better than the breadcrumbs: I like the faint tropical hint, like the memory of a Caribbean sky, and the less heavy, tender texture it lends the little patties.

You could serve lime wedges to squeeze over these crab cakes as you eat, and it certainly would look prettier, but for me, rice vinegar has the edge, to undercut the faint sweetness of the (albeit unsweetened) coconut.

ChupaNote: I prefer cornstarch (or cornflour) to the flour. These seemed a little bland; add a little lime zest and red pepper flakes for zip.

If you want to reduce the fat, make one big cake in a pie plate and bake. Grease a glass pie plate with butter or butter flavored olive oil spray. Pat crab mixture in place. Spray top of fish cake with butter spray and bake in a preheated 350F oven until golden. Careful not to over cook.

Description:
"1 pt"
Cuisine:
"Caribbean"
Source:
"Nigella Kitchen: Recipes from the Heart of the Home by Nigella Lawson, 2010"
S(Formatted by Chupa Babi):
"Jan 2011"
Yield:
"14 cakes"
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Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 44 Calories; 1g Fat (19.4% calories from fat); 6g Protein; 3g Carbohydrate; trace Dietary Fiber; 12mg Cholesterol; 238mg Sodium. Exchanges: 0 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Vegetable; 0 Fruit; 0 Fat; 0 Other Carbohydrates.

Nutr. Assoc. : 26117 0 0 0 0 0 0