When the weather reaches summer temps in Napa, nothing tastes better than crisp and cool white wine paired with a light but satisfying bite of seafood. For this recipe, lump crabmeat is mixed with just enough breadcrumbs and mayo to hold it together, and then it’s coated with more breadcrumbs and fried to golden brown. A mixture of sour cream and horseradish makes for a lovely accompaniment.
Ingredients:
½ cup sour cream
½ cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons drained bottled horseradish
1 pound lump crabmeat, free of shell
1 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 scallions including green tops, chopped
¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
pinch cayenne
salt and pepper
In a small bowl, combine the sour cream, ¼ cup mayo and the horseradish.
In a large bowl, combine the crabmeat, the remaining ¼ cup mayo, ¼ cup of the breadcrumbs, the scallions, parsley, cayenne, salt and pepper. Shape the crab mixture into 8 patties. Coat the patties with the remaining ¾ cup bread crumbs and pat off the excess.
In a large nonstick frying pan, heat the oil over moderate heat. Working in batches if necessary, fry the cakes until golden brown and crisp, about 2 minutes. Turn and fry until golden brown on the other side, about 2 minutes longer.
Drain on paper towels. Serve with horseradish cream.
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