Summer

Harissa Crab Cakes with Tzatziki Tartar Sauce

by:
October  4, 2022
4.6
5 Ratings
Photo by Cava Grill
  • Makes 5-6 crab cakes
Author Notes

There’s nothing that screams summer more than fresh local blue crabs. It’s just the plain truth. We love the delicate spice harissa adds to this recipe; plus, tzatziki adds a great pronounced tang to this lightened-up (mayo-free) spin on tartar sauce. —CAVA

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Ingredients
  • 1 pound lump blue crabmeat
  • 4 Saltine crackers, crumbled
  • 1 tablespoon fresh minced parsley
  • 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 4-6 shakes Tabasco sauce
  • 1 tablespoon harissa
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 1/3 cup mayo
  • 1/3 cup Greek yogurt
  • 1/2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/8 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
  • 1/2 cup tzatziki
  • 2 tablespoons small-diced pickles or cornichons
  • 1 tablespoon capers
  • 1 teaspoon coarse-grain mustard
  • extra Old Bay, fresh dill, and lemon for garnish
Directions
  1. For crab cakes: Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Gently pick through crab to remove all pieces of shell. Do not break apart large lumps of crab, though. Combine Saltine crackers, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco sauce, harissa, egg, mayo, Greek yogurt, and Old Bay seasoning and gently fold in crab. Don’t overmix. Season with extra salt and pepper to taste.
  2. Form into six cakes. Place on a foil-lined baking sheet, sprinkle with a little extra Old Bay, and bake for about 18 minutes. Turn your oven to broil for 5 minutes to finish them off. Carefully slide your crab cakes off the cookie sheet.
  3. For tartar sauce: Place all the ingredients in a food processor and pulse several times until the pickles are finely chopped and all the ingredients are well mixed (but not pureed).
  4. Serve warm crab cakes with a small dollop of tzatziki tartar, a sprig of dill, and lemon wedge.

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