2# whole dungeness crab, or substitute 10-12 oz of cleaned crabmeat.
3 oz fresh scallops
½ tsp sea salt
4 oz heavy cream
2 tsps dijon mustard
1 tsp chopped cilantro
sea salt to taste
fresh ground white pepper to taste
pinch cayenne pepper
¼ cup grapeseed oil
Crack and clean the whole crab removing all the shells and keeping only the meat. Place the crabmeat into a mixing bowl and keep refrigerated. A two-pound crab should yield approximately 10-12 ounces of cleaned crabmeat.
Place the scallops into a blender with the ½ teaspoon of salt and a pinch of fresh ground white pepper. Turn on the blender and slowly add the heavy cream in a steady stream. Stop the blender and scrape down the sides of the blender with a rubber spatula, blend the mixture one more time to make sure the scallop mousse is a nice homogeneous mixture. Set aside.
In the mixing bowl with the crab, add the dijon mustard and the cilantro and lightly toss the crab to evenly disperse the ingredients. Next, add the scallop mousse and again mix lightly as to not break up the crab, but you want the mousse to be evenly mixed through out the crab. Taste the mixture and season to taste with sea salt, fresh ground white pepper and a pinch of cayenne.
Form the cakes into a free form shape about 1 oz. each and place on a lightly oiled baking dish. They can be made up to this stage several hours in advance and kept in the refrigerator.
Before serving, turn the broiler on high and allow it to heat up. Lightly brush the tops of the crab cakes with grape seed oil and place under the broiler for 3-5 minutes until they begin to lightly brown on the top and are heated through. Remove from the broiler, and with a spatula place on a serving platter or plate each serving individually. Serve with a saffron aioli and lightly dressed mixed green and herb salad.
Saffron Aioli
Serves 6
1 egg yolk
2 tsps dijon mustard
1 tsp champagne vinegar
½ tsp fresh squeezed lemon juice
1/8 tsp saffron
¼ tsp sea salt
pinch cayenne
½ cup grapeseed oil
Place all the ingredients into a blender except the grapeseed oil. Turn on the blender and slowly add the grapeseed oil in a slow steady stream until all the oil is incorporated and you have a nice emulsified mixture. Check the seasoning and adjust accordingly. Refrigerate until ready to use.
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