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Chef
Ris Lacoste
The 1789 Restaurant
Washington D.C.
Ris
Lacoste is Executive Chef of The 1789 Restaurant. One of her most
prized cooks, Blanca Mejillas, makes these delicious crab cakes
every day. Rumor has it, the recipe came from one of 1789’s
earlier chefs circa 1988. Neale, the restaurant’s purchaser,
claims it has been adjusted with each chef.
As you can see, it’s a family affair!
In addition to the "traditional" crab cake ingredients, these
crab cakes stand out due to a tasty garlic-shallot-chile paste,
which complements the subtle crab flavors, while acting as a thickener.
The 1789 Restaurant's Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes
Yield: Twenty-five 3 1/2-ounce cakes
- 5
pounds jumbo lump crabmeat
- 4
whole eggs
- 2
Tablespoons Dijon mustard
- 4
Tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1/4
cup lemon juice
- 1
1/2 Tablespoons Chesapeake Bay seasoning
- 1/4
teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2
cup fresh parsley, chopped
- 1-1
1/2 cups ground oyster crackers
- Salt
and freshly cracked black pepper
Garlic-Shallot-Chili Paste
- 10
garlic cloves, chopped coarsely
- 5
shallots, chopped coarsely
- 1/2
teaspoon chili powder
- Olive
oil for sautéing
For
the garlic-shallot-chili paste, sauté the shallot and
garlic without browning them and purée in a blender
- can be made ahead and stored (covered) in the refrigerator.
Combine with the chili powder and add a generous amount of
olive oil, stirring constantly. The mixture should have a
burnt orange color and should be very paste-like. Add more
olive oil to make a thicker paste.
For the crab cakes, carefully pick shells from crabmeat and
drain in a colander to remove excess liquid. Gently combine
with garlic-shallot-chili paste and all remaining ingredients.
Season to taste with salt and pepper. Shape into loose cakes
and refrigerate to set a little before sautéing. In
a sauté pan, sauté the crab cakes until golden
brown.
Chef
Lacoste changes the preparation for the crab cakes seasonally.
This spring she is serving the crab cakes with tartar sauce, cole
slaw and potato crisps. In the winter, the sides include celeriac
remoulade, mustard crème fraîche and melted leeks.
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