Asian Crab Cakes with Mango Chutney

These Southeast Asian–inspired crab cakes make such a great impression and I love that I can make them ahead with just a little last-minute cooking. I like to serve them with a simple salad of avocado, red onion, and butter lettuce, tossed with lime juice and olive oil.

Mango Chutney:

1/2 cup sugar

1 mango, pitted, peeled, cut into 1/4-inch dice

1/4 cup unseasoned rice wine vinegar

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

Kosher salt

Crab Cakes:

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 large egg

2 tablespoons Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce

1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh cilantro

1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

1 to 2 teaspoons seeded and finely chopped red jalapeño pepper

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Finely grated zest of 1 lime

1/4 cup finely chopped green onions, white and green parts

1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over for cartilage and shells, well drained

1 1/2 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)

6 tablespoons canola oil

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 English cucumber, sliced into thin rounds, and then into matchstick-size strips

Fresh cilantro sprigs, for garnish

Flakey sea salt, such as Maldon, for garnish

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Directions

PREP TIME

MINS

COOKING TIME

MINS

Serves

Make-Ahead:

The chutney can be made up to 1 week ahead. The crab cakes can be made through step 3 up to 8 hours ahead, covered and refrigerated.

To make the chutney:

Heat a medium heavy saucepan over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the sugar and cook without stirring, tilting the pan as needed so that the sugar cooks evenly, for about 5 minutes, or until it melts into an amber caramel. Do not stir or the caramel will crystallize. Remove from the heat and stir in the mango (the caramel will seize), then the rice vinegar and lime juice. Return to medium heat and stir constantly for about 5 minutes, or until the mango is translucent and the caramel is dissolved and syrupy. Transfer to a bowl and let cool. Season with salt.

To prepare the crab cakes:

In a large bowl, whisk the mayonnaise, egg, fish sauce, ginger, cilantro, sesame oil, jalapeños, salt, and lime zest together, then whisk in the green onions. Add the crabmeat and stir to coat, coarsely breaking apart the crabmeat, leaving small whole chunks in the mixture. Fold in the panko. Cover and refrigerate the crab mixture for 30 minutes so that the mixture is easier to form.

Using about 1/3 cup of the crab mixture for each cake, shape into twelve 3/4-inch thick crab cakes and place on a baking sheet.

To cook the crab cakes:

Preheat the oven to 200°F. Line a baking sheet with paper towels. Heat a large nonstick sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add 3 tablespoons of the oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter and heat until hot but not smoking. Working in two batches, fry 6 crab cakes for about 2 minutes on each side, or until crisp and golden, adjusting the heat as needed to brown evenly without scorching. Transfer to the baking sheet and keep warm in the oven. Wipe out the skillet with paper towels and repeat with the remaining 3 tablespoonscanola oil, 2 tablespoons butter, and 6 crab cakes.

To serve, place 2 crab cakes on each of six plates. Spoon some of the mango chutney over and alongside the crab cakes. Top each with the cucumber and garnish with the cilantro sprigs and sea salt.