Recipe: Dungeness Crab Cakes

It is only fitting that Cafe del Rey, in Marina del Rey, would have some seafood recipes in its repertoire. These crab cakes are just a little bit exotic -- give them a whirl when you're in the mood to impress!

Dungeness Crab Cakes
Makes 6-8 crab cakes
2 lb Dungeness Crab Meat
1 Cup Aioli (recipe below)
2 Tbsp Saffron Lemon Juice (recipe below)
½ Cup minced shallots
1 Cup small diced leeks
1 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce
½ Tbsp Tabasco
1 ½ Cups panko
Minced tarragon
Minced chives
Kataifi (Middle Eastern pastry threads), or shredded phyllo dough
Salt and Pepper

In a large bowl, combine the aioli, lemon juice, Worcestershire, tarragon, lemon zest, chives, Tabasco, salt, and pepper. Sauté leeks until they are soft; cool down then add to mixture.

Add crab meat to mixture. Slowly add panko until mixture comes together, then form 3 oz cakes and wrap them in Kataifi.

Once the crab cakes are formed, sauté them over medium heat to get golden brown color on both sides and finish in oven for 5 minutes at 375 degrees.

Saffron Aioli
2 Cups Canola Oil
¼ cup Saffron Lemon Juice (combine 1 Tbsp Saffron with 1 Cup Lemon Juice)
5 Egg Yolks
Water
Salt/Pepper

Place the eggs yolks along with the saffron lemon juice, water and salt and pepper into a large container and mix, using the hand mixer. Slowly add the oil into the mixture while blending.