Crab Cakes with Lemon Garlic Sauce

 I'm Ready! Are you ready?

For the end of summer parties, the last few trips to the beach, for you to put your sunglasses somewhere you'll forget by next summer, are you ready my friends?

I am ready. I am ready for it to not be sticky hot and the sun to just be warm enough for a light jacket. No more sitting outside and sweating. No more bringing an extra shirt in your bag just in case you sweat through the one you are wearing (does anyone else do this?). 

It is time to enjoy the last of the summer flavors one very important one being CRAB. 

 Crab is something I assume everyone likes but I realize that there are those that are not a fan of anything found inside of a shell. I get it. I really do. I just feel sorry for you. 

I have eaten my fair share of crab over the years but admittedly about 5 minutes into eating whole crabs or crab legs I am so very over having to break into them and get messy. I would rather this be done for me. I know I know, that is the fun part and I should work for my food. But I really just hate doing it. 

But what I do love is a good crab cake. Made with fresh lump crab. I usually don't make crab cakes because they are just so wonderful when you are eating out. But I wanted to give it a go. And I wanted to make it pretty "healthy" not loaded with lots of mayo. So I found a recipe that I decided to work off of and think they turned out great. Have it a go...and then invite me over. 

 Because thinking about eating crab makes me think of people on the beach I had to put together a little beach-style playlist for you all. Here it is...

Down the Shore (Spotify Link)

Jimmy Cliff - I Can See Clearly Now

Bob Sinclar & Gary Pine - Love Generation

Jimmy Cliff - Wonder World, Beautiful People

Peter Tosh - Get Up Stand Up

Sophia George - Girlie Girlie

Alicia Keys - No One (Curtis Lynch Reggae Mix)

Jimmy Cliff - Reggae Night

The Pioneers - Let Your Yeah Be Yeah

The Clash - Police & Thieves

Shabba Ranks - Mr. Loverman

Bob Marley & The Wailers - Dancing Shoes

Ziggy Marley - Dragonfly

Johnny Nash - Let's Be Friends

Ini Kamoze - Here Comes The Hotstepper

The Clash - Rubber Dub

Burning Spear - Marcus Garvey

Gregory Issacs - Cream of the Crop

The Clash - Pressure Drop

The Police - Walking on the Moon

Toots & The Maytals - Reggae Got Soul

Bob Marley & The Wailers - Sun is Shining

Crab Cakes

Adapted from Cooking Light
1 lb. lump crab meat, picked over for shell fragments
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 jumbo egg
2 Tbls finely snipped fresh chives
1 Tbls chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 Tbls mayonnaise
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 Tbls fresh lemon juice
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp garlic salt
 1/8 tsp ground red pepper

Combine egg, parsley, chives, mayo, lemon zest and juice, black pepper, ground red pepper, and garlic salt in a bowl, mix together. Add panko and crab, tossing gently to combine. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes.

Fill a 1/3-cup dry measuring cup or ring mold with crab mixture. Invert onto work surface; gently pat into a thick patty. Repeat procedure with remaining crab mixture, forming about 8 cakes.

Heat 1 1/2 teaspoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a couple crab cakes to the pan and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until bottom is golden brown. Carefully turn cakes; cook 4 minutes or until golden brown and crab cakes are heated through.

Remove cakes from pan; keep warm. Repeat with remaining crab cakes, adding additional oil to the pan as necessary. Whip up lemon garlic sauce to serve (recipe below).

Lemon Garlic Sauce
1/2 cup mayo
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 garlic cloves, mashed into paste
1 tsp fresh chives
dash of old bay seasoning

Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl with a whisk until desired consistency is reached. If you like thick sauce you may want to add less lemon juice or more if you like a thinner sauce.