Crab Cakes with Roasted Veggies and Tangy Butter Sauce

While making the weekly meal plan and checking the sale pages, I noticed that crab meat was on sale. We hadn't had shellfish, let alone crab, in quite a while. Now, I don't know about you, but the first recipe that jumps into my mind when I think about crab is crab cakes.

I love homemade crab cakes. I used to get them in restaurants, but time after time, my entree would arrive, and I'd be eating a mushy cake of breading with a little crab meat mixed in. Yuck. Making them at home ensures that I get a crispy crab cake with a little breading mixed in.

The original recipe is from a 2008 issue of Cooking Light. It's lower in calories and fat than typical crab cakes. I was used more oil than the recipe stated, since my skillet options are small or huge. I also coated my veggies in about 2 tablespoons of oil before roasting them. I omitted the haricot verts (green beans), because, well, I forgot to buy them when I went grocery shopping. Oops.

The Mister and I both loved this whole recipe. Lots of crab, little filler. The roasted veggies were delicious. And the tangy butter sauce was delicious and complemented the crab cakes perfectly. These will definitely make an occasional repeat appearance on our menu.

Crab Cakes with Roasted Vegetables and Tangy Butter Sauce
Slightly adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients
For the crab cakes:

¼ of a red onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoon mayonnaise
2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
¾ teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 pound lump crabmeat, drained and shell pieces removed
1 ½ cups panko crumbs, divided
Olive oil for pan frying
Cooking spray

For the roasted vegetables:

12 ounces baby carrots
5 small red potatoes, quartered
4 medium shallots, quartered
2 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon kosher salt

For the sauce:

⅔ cup lower-sodium chicken stock
3 tablespoon chopped shallots
2 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoon butter

Directions

Make the crab cakes: In a medium mixing bowl, combine the red onion, parsley, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Old Bay seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, and egg whites. Gently fold in the crab meat, then gently stir in ¾ cup of the panko crumbs. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
Roast the veggies: Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Line a sheet pan with tinfoil. Arrange the vegetables in a single layer on the sheet pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the veggies, then sprinkle on the salt. Toss until everything is evenly coated. Roast the veggies for 30 minutes, flipping halfway through the cooking time.
Cook the crab cakes: Pour enough olive oil in a large skillet to thinly coat the bottom of the pan. Heat over medium heat. Place the remaining panko crumbs in an event layer in a pie plate. Divide the crab cake mixture into 8 portions (about a third to half of a cup of mixture each) and shape into patties. Coat both sides in panko crumbs, then place four of the patties in the skillet. Cook until golden brown on the bottom (about 5 to 7 minutes), then carefully flip and cook another 5 to 7 minutes. Remove to a plate, and repeat with the remaining four patties, adding more oil to the pan if needed.
Cook the sauce: In a small saucepan, bring the chicken broth, shallots and white wine vinegar to a boil. Cook for 4 minutes, until reduced. Remove from the heat and add the butter. Swirl the pan until butter is incorporated.
Serve two crab cakes per person, topped with sauce, and vegetables on the side.