CRAB CAKES WITH LEMON DILL SAUCE

Crab Cakes with Lemon Dill Sauce image

Yield serves 4

Number Of Ingredients 21

3 tablespoons butter
1 reen onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped red bell pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
Cayenne pepper
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh parsley
1 pound white or claw crabmeat, picked free of any bits of shell
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 small garlic clove, minced
(about 1 1/2 cups)

Steps:

Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a heavy skillet over medium heat. Sauté the onion, bell pepper, and garlic in the butter until the pepper is limp, about 3 minutes. Add the cream, mustard, and cayenne to taste, and mix well. Add 1/2 cup of the breadcrumbs, the egg, and the parsley, and mix well. Gently fold in the crabmeat.
Form the mixture into 8 patties, about 1/2 inch thick. Combine the remaining 1/2 cup breadcrumbs and the Parmesan in a bowl; pat this topping onto both sides of the patties. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 hours.
Combine the oil and the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter in the skillet. Sauté the crab cakes in the hot oil-butter mixture for about 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Or, place the crab cakes on a baking sheet, drizzle with the oil and butter mixture, and bake at 400 degrees for 7 to 10 minutes, turning once.
Spoon a dollop of Lemon Dill Sauce alongside each crab cake, and serve the remaining sauce separately.
Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and stir well. Refrigerate until chilled; the sauce will thicken as it chills.