Ahh, there’s something about serving crab cakes that usually means there’s something special to celebrate. And those that need to follow a gluten-free diet can certainly celebrate with this recipe from dietitian Gretchen Brown.
Gretchen is an amazing recipe developer and food photographer (you must check out her blog Kumquat – be prepared to drool.) She also a Recipe ReDux member (yay) and new cookbook author! I was thrilled when she asked if I’d review her book. If you have any loved ones who are gluten-free but who also love to eat, Fast & Simple Gluten-Free: 30 Minutes or Less to Fresh & Classic Favorites would make a perfect holiday gift (see giveaway below!)
I really had a hard time narrowing down what I recipe I wanted to test. Even with Gretchen mentioning her favorites, I still couldn’t decide. Coconut, Banana & Macadamia Nut Pancakes? Mango Guacamole? Red Curry Chicken Soup? Triple Chocolate Fudge Brownies? I ended up just randomly opening the book and landed on page 56 – Classic Crab Cakes.
Since I don’t need to follow a gluten-free diet, I really take for granted all the staple dishes I don’t have to think twice about – crab cakes being a prime example. While the best crab cakes have limited fillers, you do need something to hold the cake together and the classic recipe uses some type of bread crumbs or crackers, usually made from wheat.
Gretchen’s recipe calls for gluten-free breadcrumbs and she suggested the Glutino brand, which are made from cornmeal – For these crab cakes, a little bit is added to the crab to make a binder while the rest is used as a coating. They really crisped up nicely during cooking.
Final result: thumbs up from me, my parents and even my husband (a.k.a. Mr. Picky.)
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{Gluten Free} Classic Crab Cakes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Classic crab cakes go gluten-free with cornmeal bread crumbs in this delicious and elegant recipe from cookbook author & dietitian Gretchen Brown.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons (12 g) chopped scallions
- 2 tablespoons (6 g) chopped parsley
- 1/4 teaspoon paprika
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 3 tablespoons (42 g) mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon (11 g) Dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 large egg
- 1 pound (455 g) lump crabmeat, drained and shell pieces removed
- 1 1/4 cup (145 g) gluten-free bread crumbs, such as Glutino, divided
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) olive oil, divided
- Lemon slices, for serving
Instructions
- Combine scallions, parsley, paprika, salt, cayenne pepper, mayonnaise, mustard, lemon juice and egg in a medium bowl. Stir in the crabmeat and 1/2 cup (60 g) bread crumbs. Shape the mixture into 8 equal patties. Dredge the patties in the remaining bread crumbs
- Heat 1/4 cup (60 ml) oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Add 4 crab cakes to the pan; cook for 3 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove from the pan and keep warm. Repeat with the remaining oil and crab cakes. Serve with lemon slices.
Notes
Reprinted with permission from Fast & Simple Gluten-Free: 30 Minutes or Less to Fresh and Classic Favorites, by Gretchen F. Brown, copyright 2012. Published by Fair Winds Press.