This is not only one of my favorite holiday appetizers, but also one of my favorite crab recipes. (Although to see more winning recipes and learn all about cooking with crab, check out the "Crabs Galore" episode!) These delicious goodies deliver everything we love in good crab cakes. They’re full of flavor with just enough well-seasoned binder to hold the lumps of sweet crabmeat together. Instead of pan-fried, they bake in a mini muffin pan (yes, really!), which ensures each one turns out perfectly shaped and golden-brown with no muss and no fuss. You can make both the crab bites and the delicious rémoulade sauce ahead. I promise this sauce is better than anything you can buy bottled.
This recipe is wildly popular each time I serve it to guests, but sometimes I make them for dinner to serve with a simple salad and rolls, which can make a night at home feel like a celebration as well.
Makes 24
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter a 24-cup mini muffin pan or mist it with nonstick cooking spray.
Beat the cream cheese, egg, and sour cream until smooth in a large bowl with a mixer set on low speed. Stir in 1/4 cup of the cheese, 1 tablespoon of the chives, the orange zest, lemon zest, salt, Old Bay and cayenne. Fold in the crabmeat.
Stir together the panko, the remaining 1/2 cup cheese, and the remaining 2 tablespoons of chives in a shallow bowl. Drizzle the melted butter over the crumb mixture and toss to moisten.
Use a 1-ounce spring-loaded scoop (or two spoons) to drop a ping-pong-ball size portions of the crab mixture into the panko mixture, and gently toss until evenly coated to form a light crust. Gently transfer the coated ball into the muffin pan. Repeat to fill the muffin pan.
Bake until the crab bites are set and golden on top, about 30 minutes. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes, run a knife around the edge of each cake to loosen and lift them out. Serve warm with a little Rémoulade Sauce.
The recipe can be made through Step 2 up to one day ahead. Store covered and refrigerated.
The cakes can be baked up to 2 hours ahead. Let the cakes rest on a baking sheet at room temperature and then warm in a 350°F. oven for 6 to 8 minutes.
Makes about 1 1/2 cups
Stir together all of the ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 1 day.
©Copyright 2024 Sheri Castle
Sheri prepares baked crab bites with rémoulade sauce, perfect for holiday celebrations.
Sheri Castle, award-winning food writer and cooking teacher, is known for melding culinary expertise, storytelling and humor, so she can tell a tale while making a memorable meal. Her creative, well-crafted recipes and practical advice inspire people to cook with confidence and enthusiasm. She's written a tall stack of cookbooks and her work appears in dozens of magazines. In 2019, the Southern Foodways Alliance named Sheri among Twenty Living Legends of Southern Food, calling her The Storyteller.
Sheri says that she's fueled by great ingredients and the endless pursuit of intriguing stories, usually about the role that food plays in our lives, families, communities and culture.
When she steps away from the kitchen or a local farm, Sheri enjoys spending quiet time at her home near Chapel Hill. She hails from the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.
In each episode of "The Key Ingredient," renowned food writer and cooking teacher Sheri Castle celebrates beloved ingredients, tracing their journeys from source to kitchen. Sheri introduces us to farmers, chefs and other food experts, sharing stories, recipes and tips along the way. Join Sheri & friends to learn the stories behind some of North Carolina's most beloved ingredients.