Broiled Lump Crab Cakes with Green Herb Remoulade
Sweet, delicate lump crab takes center stage in these perfectly broiled crab cakes, finished with a bright green herb remoulade that adds a fresh, zesty kick. A lighter take on a coastal classic that's perfect for summer entertaining.
Yield: 8 appetizer-size crab cakes
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Broiled Lump Crab Cakes
Ingredients
1 lb jumbo lump crab meat, picked over
1 tbsp butter and/or olive oil
½ cup finely diced yellow onion
½ cup finely diced red bell pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 large egg
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
½ tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
1–1½ tsp fresh lemon juice
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
1 tbsp finely chopped chives
½ cup panko breadcrumbs
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Kosher salt, if needed
2 tbsp melted butter and/or olive oil, for brushing
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Method
Heat the butter and/or olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook until softened, about 6–8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Transfer to a plate and allow the mixture to cool completely.
In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the egg, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay, smoked paprika, lemon zest, lemon juice, and black pepper.
Stir in the cooled vegetable mixture, parsley, chives, and panko breadcrumbs until evenly combined.
Gently fold in the lump crab meat, taking care to keep the large pieces intact. Taste a small portion for seasoning if desired and add kosher salt only if needed.
Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Line a sheet pan with parchment paper. Using a medium cookie scoop (#20 or #24), portion the crab mixture onto the prepared pan and gently flatten the tops.
Brush the tops lightly with melted butter and/or olive oil.
Broil 5–7 inches from the heating element for 6–8 minutes, or until the tops are golden brown and the crab cakes are heated through. Rotate the pan if necessary for even browning or finish in a 425°F oven for 2–3 minutes if additional color is desired.
Serve immediately with Green Herb Remoulade and fresh lemon wedges.
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Green Herb Remoulade
Yield: About 1 cup
Ingredients
¾ cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp capers
2 tbsp chopped cornichons (or gherkins)
1 tbsp finely minced shallot
½ small garlic clove
2 tbsp roughly chopped parsley
1 tbsp roughly chopped fresh dill
1 tbsp roughly chopped chives
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Tabasco
1–2 tsp fresh lemon juice
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt, if needed
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Method
Add the parsley, dill, chives, shallot, garlic, capers, and cornichons to the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until finely chopped, scraping down the sides as needed.
Add the mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco, lemon juice, and black pepper. Process until smooth and well combined with a light green color, stopping to scrape down the bowl as needed. The remoulade should retain a slight texture rather than becoming completely puréed.
Taste and adjust with additional lemon juice, Tabasco, black pepper, or kosher salt if needed.
Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to meld.
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Serving
Arrange the warm broiled crab cakes on a platter or individual plates. Top each crab cake with a spoonful or piped dollop of Green Herb Remoulade and garnish with finely chopped chives, parsley, pickled red onion, or micro herbs. Serve with fresh lemon wedges.
English Pea & Basil Purée with Garlic Confit and Pea Pod Stock
A bright spring recipe featuring fresh English peas, basil, lemon, and sweet garlic confit — perfect alongside fish, chicken, pasta, or spring vegetables.
Serves: 4–6
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
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Ingredients
English Peas
2 ½ pounds fresh English peas in pods (yields about 2 cups shelled peas)
Ice water, for shocking
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Pea Pod Stock
Reserved pea pods
4 cups water
1 lemon, peeled into wide strips
1 head garlic, halved crosswise
1 small shallot, sliced
1 small celery stalk, chopped
4–5 parsley stems
1 teaspoon kosher salt
6 black peppercorns
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Garlic Confit
1 whole head garlic, cloves peeled
1 cup olive oil (or enough to fully submerge garlic)
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Purée
2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 shallot, finely diced
2 cups blanched English peas
4–5 garlic confit cloves
½ cup loosely packed basil leaves
¼ cup grated Parmesan
¼ to ½ cup cream or half-and-half
½ to ¾ cup warm pea pod stock
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Kosher salt, to taste
Freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
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Method
1. Shell and Blanch the Peas
Shell the peas and reserve all pods for the stock.
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and prepare an ice bath nearby.
Blanch the peas for 60–90 seconds until bright green and just tender. Immediately transfer to the ice bath to stop cooking.
Drain well and pat dry.
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2. Make the Pea Pod Stock
Rinse the pea pods thoroughly.
In a medium pot combine:
reserved pea pods
water
lemon peel
halved garlic head
shallot
celery
parsley stems
salt
peppercorns
Bring to a gentle simmer and cook uncovered for 30–40 minutes.
Avoid boiling aggressively — the goal is a fresh, green, delicate stock.
Strain and reserve warm.
You should have approximately 2–3 cups of stock.
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3. Prepare the Garlic Confit
Place peeled garlic cloves in a small saucepan and cover completely with olive oil.
Cook over very low heat for 35–45 minutes until the garlic is soft, sweet, and lightly golden.
The oil should barely shimmer — the garlic should confit gently, never fry.
Reserve both the garlic cloves and the oil.
The garlic oil can also be used for:
roasted vegetables
grilled fish
vinaigrettes
finishing pasta
brushing grilled bread
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4. Build the Purée
Heat butter or olive oil in a sauté pan over medium-low heat.
Add diced shallot and cook gently until translucent, about 3–4 minutes.
Add:
blanched peas
garlic confit cloves
Sauté just until the peas are heated through and lightly coated in the aromatics.
At this stage, remove about ½ cup of the sautéed peas and reserve for garnish.
Transfer the remaining pea mixture to a blender with:
basil
Parmesan
cream or half-and-half
lemon juice
½ cup warm pea pod stock
Blend until completely smooth.
Add additional warm stock as needed until the purée reaches a silky, spoonable consistency.
For an ultra-smooth finish, pass through a fine mesh sieve.
Season with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste.
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To Serve
Warm gently before serving. Avoid boiling after blending to preserve the vibrant green color.
Finish with:
reserved sautéed peas
basil leaves
lemon zest
grated Parmesan
garlic confit oil
cracked black pepper
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Recommended Protein Pairings
Seafood
Excellent with:
halibut
cod
branzino
salmon
sea bass
scallops
Best preparations:
pan-seared
roasted
grilled over charcoal
olive oil poached
The sweetness of spring peas pairs especially well with delicate white fish and shellfish.
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Chicken
Pairs beautifully with:
crispy skin airline chicken breast
herb-roasted chicken thighs
grilled lemon chicken
Additional flavors that complement the dish:
mint
preserved lemon
pancetta
spring onions
asparagus
pea shoots
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Other Uses for the Purée
This purée also works well as:
a pasta sauce for fresh tagliatelle or gnocchi
a base beneath lamb or pork
a spread for crostini with ricotta
a spring vegetable soup base
a sauce for risotto
a component in grain bowls with farro or couscous
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Chef Notes
Using the pea pods for stock deepens the flavor while reducing waste.
Basil should be blended briefly to maintain freshness and vibrant color.
For a looser sauce, add more stock.
For a tighter purée, reduce the cream slightly.
Makes 15-20 bites
Rice
1 cup sushi rice
2 cups water
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt (adjust to taste)
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 cups canola or other natural oil
Instructions
Rinse sushi rice under cold water until the water runs clear
Combine rice, water, and solt in pot (or rice cooker), bring to boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 20 minutes
Once cooked, transfer rice to a mixing bowl and cool down slightly
Combine sugar and rice vinegar in a sauce pot and heat until sugar is dissolved, and slowly mix into the rice
Transfer seasoned rice to mini silicone muffin trays or a small sheet tray, press until firmly shaped, and freeze over night
Fry in canola oil (or oil of choice) the next day
Cut into squares or use cookie cutter for small rice circles if using a sheet tray instead of muffin tin
Salmon
12 oz sushi grade salmon
Cilantro
Red Onion
Pickled Ginger
Instructions
Remove skin and bloodline from salmon
Dice until very small pieces of salmon
Mince cilantro, red onion, and pickled ginger and set aside until ready to assemble and serve
Citrus Sesame Ponzu
1 tsp sesame oil
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp ginger
1 stalk lemon grass
1/2 lime juiced
1/2 orange juiced
1 cup tamari (or soy sauce)
1/4 cup honey
Instructions
Toast garlic and ginger in sesame oil in a sauce pot until fragrant
Add remaining ingredients and bring to boil, reduce until slightly thickened and cool
Sriracha Mayo
1 tbsp Sriracha
3 tbsp Kewpie Mayo
1 dash tamari (or soy sauce)
Instructions
Combine all ingredients in mixing bowl and place in a piping bag (or use spoon to drizzle)
Garnish
Furirake (or sliced toasted nori sheets and sesame seeds)
Serrano Pepper sliced very thin
Scallion sliced thin on a bias
Instructions
Toss salmon with a slight drizzle of sesame oil in a bowl to coat and prevent from oxidizing
Add 1 tbsp of ponzu at a time and cilantro, onion, and pickled ginger mixture
Taste for seasoning and adjust the sauce and salt ratio
Place salmon mixture on fried cripsy rice, top with a dirzle of sriracha mayo, serrano, scallion, furikake, and serve
Makes 6-8 servings
Ingredients:
2 cups Basmati or Jasmine Rice
4 cups water or chicken stock
Pinch of saffron
1 tsp salt (season to more or less to taste)
1/2 cup toasted and crushed hazelnuts plus more for garnish
1/2 cup pomegranate seeds plus more for garnish
4 tbsp sherry vinegar
1/2 cup olive oil
4 garlic cloves (thinly sliced)
1/2 inch piece of ginger (peeled and finely julienned)
Mixed herbs minced: dill, parsley, mint
2 tbsp poppy seeds
Directions:
Fry garlic and ginger in olive oil until lightly browned
Pass through the strainer over the bowl to separate the oil from the garlic and ginger to cool
Rinse and cook rice with water or stock and saffron and salt (bring to boil uncovered, adjust heat to low and cover for 10 minutes, remove from heat and keep covered for 10 minutes, remove lid, transfer rice to a sheet tray to cool once cooked)
Toss cooled rice with the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl, including the ginger, garlic, and oil it was fried in
Taste and adjust seasoning with salt, vinegar, or lemon if needed
Plate in serving bowl or platter and garnish with more herbs, nuts, and pomegranate
