I love Sunday brunch. I like to 'get a slow run at the day' (one of my Dad's favorite sayings) on Sunday and eating a meal at 9 am is taking things a little too quickly for my taste. I was in the throes of hollandaise withdrawal and knew that whatever I ate on Sunday needed to include that lovely sauce. I grabbed some frozen crawfish from the restaurant on Saturday night and went to bed with visions of hollandaise and crawfish cakes dancing in my head.
I have tried (unsuccessfully) to make crab cakes in the past and I entered the kitchen on Sunday morning with some trepidation. A recipe on epicurious.com for Baltimore crab cakes looked promising— the cakes sit in the fridge to set and you coat them in breadcrumbs before frying. In the past, the cakes always fell apart in the frying pan and I hoped this technique would be the ticket to a perfect Sunday brunch. It worked like a charm— they held together beautifully and were perfectly golden brown and crunchy.
Crawfish Cakes
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 scallions, thinly sliced
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice plus wedges for garnish
1 1/2 teaspoons blackening seasoning (I use House Bayou Blackening Spice)
1 tbsp chili garlic sauce
1 pound lump crawfish meat, picked over
3 cups bread crumbs, divided
1 tbsp thinly sliced chives
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 tbsp vegetable oil
Preparation
Whisk first 7 ingredients in a medium bowl. Add crawfish; fold to blend. Stir in 1 1/2 cup breadcrumbs, chives, salt, and pepper. Divide into 6 equal portions. Form each into 1"-thick patties. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes (I froze them for 20 minutes).
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place remaining breadcrumbs on a plate. Coat cakes with breadcrumbs. Fry until golden brown and crisp, 3-4 minutes per side. Serve with lemon wedges.
