Central Market's Pan-Fried Hatch Crabcakes

Recently, a friend from work, JoAnn, told me about a wonderful recipe she used for crabcakes.  It called for roasted Hatch peppers - I was intrigued!  She promised to bring me a copy of the recipe.  Lo and behold, sweet JoAnn not only brought a copy of the recipe but a bag full of roasted Hatch peppers!  Now I love foodies - everyone knows that.  But foodies who provide ingredients?  Top of the list!  Not as spicy as, say, a jalapeno but these peppers definitely have a bit of a kick to them.  And what a great addition to these crabcakes.  Not so hot as to overpower the delicious chunks of crab but another nice flavor element to the cakes.  I didn't have any Old Bay seasoning that the recipe called for (I thought I did or I would have picked some up), so I just omitted it and decided not to sub anything for it.  The crabcakes were great!  I can see making these in a miniature version as appetizers.  Tonight, however, I served them over an undressed bed of arugula which went perfectly with the cakes.  I halved the recipe, eating TWO for dinner, with two more leftover for a hoity-toity lunch at work tomorrow!  Thanks, JoAnn!

Central Market's Pan-Fried Hatch Crabcakes

1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over to remove cartilage or shell
4 green onions, green part only, minced
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon chopped fresh cilantro
1-1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning (I omitted)
4 tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup roasted Hatch peppers, peeled, seeded and diced (roasted poblanos would substitute nicely here)
1/4 cup mayonnaise
salt and pepper to taste
1 large egg
2 cups panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1/2 cup vegetable or peanut oil for frying

Gently mix the crabmeat, scallions, herbs, Old Bay seasoning, bread crumbs, diced peppers and mayonnaise in a medium bowl, being careful not to break up the lumps of crab too much.


Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Carefully fold in the beaten egg with a rubber spatula until the mixture clings together.  Divide the mixture into cakes based on the size you desire, making sure that all cakes are about the same thickness.  Place the formed cakes on platter and cover with plastic wrap.  Chill in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.  Just before cooking, remove the cakes from the fridge.  Place the panko in a shallow dish and dredge the crabcakes in it.  Gently shake off any excess.  Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking.  Gently lay the crabcakes in the skillet.  Pan-fry until the outsides are crisp and browned, about 4 minutes per side.   Drain the cooked crabcakes on paper towels and serve immediately. (Recipe suggest serving the cakes with a pepper-spiked aioli.)