Wonders of Wine and Food

 

Wine and Crab Cakes

Oh these delicious Crab Cakes. Crab cakes combine light, sweet crabmeat with crispy, fried crumbs and rich cream sauces.

The earliest use of the term "crab cake" is commonly believed to date to Crosby Gaige's 1939 publication New York World's Fair Cook Book in which they are described as "Baltimore crab cakes," earlier usages can be found such as in Thomas J. Murrey's book Cookery with a Chafing Dish published in 1891.

There are various recipes associated with Crab Cakes. A crab cake is a variety of fishcake popular in the United States. It is composed of crab meat and various other ingredients, such as bread crumbs, mayonnaise, mustard (typically prepared mustard, but sometimes mustard powder), eggs, and seasonings. It is then sautéed, baked, grilled, deep fried, or broiled. Crab cakes are traditionally associated with the Chesapeake Bay, in the state of Maryland.

The sides accompanying crab cakes are usually french fries, coleslaw, potato salad, or macaroni salad. Restaurants serve crab cakes with a lemon wedge and saltine crackers and sometimes with other condiments.

Cape Breton snow crab cakes make for a delicious light dinner and are so quick to put together.Snow crab doesn’t make reference to its geography in snowy Canada, but instead the snowy white colour of its meat when cooked.

Snow crab shells are easy breakable.

Ingredients*

1.5 cups cooked snow crab meat

1/2 cup red pepper minced.

1/4 cup green onion, minced

2 tbsp fresh dill

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 egg white

1/2 cup panko, half for mix and half for breading cakes

1 tsp Old Bay seasoning

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Mix all ingredients well, remember to keep 1/4 cup panko crumbs aside.

Form into 12 cakes and roll in panko crumbs.

Heat skillet over medium heat with a bit of vegetable oil. Add snow crab cakes, but do not crowd skillet as you'll need to gently flip after 1-2 minutes or when golden on each side.

Garnish with chopped dill and serve with sriracha dipping sauce.

The Wines 

Pairing wine with crab cakes can enhance their taste and make the experience even more delightful. The right wine can balance the richness of the crab meat and the seasoning, making each bite a flavor explosion.

1. A nice Sparkling wine is always a good idea. Nova Scotia has some outstanding world class Sparkling Wines.

2. Sauvignon Blanc. If your cakes have lots of herbs or fruity dipping sauces, the super aromatic and tropical-fruited style of Sauvignon Blanc works well. This wine is also great when the cakes have a little extra heat from jalapeños or Asian chile sauces.*

3. Pinot Blanc is also a good idea as is Petite Milo.

4. The all dependable Chardonnay.

Although white wine is usually the wine of choice for these types of dishes, you’d be surprised to find that mild-bodied red wines like Pinot Noir pairs well with crab cakes.

* baconismagic.com ~ Kristin Donnelly