Crab Cakes with a Rice Noodle Salad
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Crab Cakes
250g white crabmeat
1 red chilli (deseeded & finely chopped)
2 garlic cloves (crushed)
5 spring onions (finely chopped)
1 thumb of ginger (peeled & finely chopped)
1 lemongrass stalk (peeled & finely chopped)
1 lime (zested)
1tbsp coriander (finely chopped)
75g white or panko breadcrumbs
1½tbsp mayonnaise
1 egg (beaten)
Vegetable oil (for frying)
Rice Noodle Salad
150g rice noodles (dried)
150g mangetout
200g baby corn (halved lengthways)
150g edamame beans (fresh or frozen)
1 Chinese leaf head or cabbage (finely sliced)
2 red chillies (deseeded & finely chopped)
1 thumb of ginger (peeled & finely chopped)
2 garlic cloves (crushed)
A handful of coriander & mint (finely chopped)
A handful of salted peanuts (chopped)
Dressing
1tbsp sweet chilli sauce
1tbsp rice wine vinegar
1tbsp fish sauce
2tbsp soy sauce
1tbsp sesame oil
1-2 limes (juiced)
1tsp honey
Prep all the ingredients for the crab cakes first, if you have a food processor or blender, then I would suggest blending together the chilli, garlic, spring onions, ginger, lemongrass, lime zest and coriander to save time chopping everything by hand. Combine these ingredients in a bowl with the crab, breadcrumbs, mayo and egg and mix together well, the crab is naturally quite salty so I wouldn’t add too much seasoning. If the mixture feels too wet, add more breadcrumbs.
With lightly oiled hands, make 12 balls (each 5-6cm diameter) squeeze tightly to form the ball and place on a tray/plate. Cover with cling film and place in the fridge until you’re ready to fry (these can be made a few hours in advance).
Meanwhile, make the rice noodle salad. First soak the dried rice noodles in boiling water (check packet for amount of time) and drain in cold water, place in a large bowl. Next, blanch the mangetout, baby corn and frozen edamame (if you’re not using fresh) for a few minutes in boiling water. Again, drain in cold water then add to the rice noodle bowl. If you prefer Chinese leaf/cabbage cooked, then quickly pan fry with some vegetable oil for a few minutes until it has softened and add to the large bowl.
Either using a blender or by hand, prep the chillies, ginger and garlic then place in with the noodles and veg. Finally add in the dressing ingredients to the bowl and mix well - add more lime/soy/honey to taste! Top with the chopped coriander, mint and peanuts to serve.
Finally, in a large frying pan, coat the base of the ban with vegetable oil, just a very shallow layer. Place on a high heat and once the oil is hot add the crab cakes (you may need to work in batches depending on the size of your pan). Pat the crab cakes down into patty shapes either using your hand or a fish slice, and cook on both sides until golden brown.
Serve the crab cakes hot with the cold rice noodle salad, a side bowl of sweet chilli sauce and a slice of lime for extra seasoning!
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