Crab Cakes with Corn and Avocado Salad

Crab Cakes

1 lb lump crab meat
4 medium scallions, sliced thinly
2 tblsp chopped fresh Italian parsley
1-1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 large egg
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/2 cup panko crumbs
1/4 cup vegetable oil

(note: if you can't get fresh lump crab, Costco sells 1 lb cans of Phillips brand lump crab for a very reasonable price, and it works beautifully in this recipe.)

Gently mix crab meat, scallions, parsley, Old Bay, bread crumbs and mayonnaise, being careful not to break up the crab meat. Gently fold egg into mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Divide mixture into 6 equal portions and form into cakes. Place on cookie sheet covered with waxed paper or parchment paper. Cover with another sheet of waxed paper or parchment paper. Chill for at least 30 minutes, up to 24 hours.

Put panko crumbs on a flat plate or pie plate. Press crab cakes on both sides into panko crumbs. Heat oil in non-stick pan over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Fry crab cakes until hot through, crisp and golden brown, about 5 minutes each side.

Corn and Avocado Salad

2 ears fresh corn; steamed, roasted or grilled, then cut from the cob
1 ripe avocado, diced
2 Roma tomatoes, seeded and diced
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 handful fresh cilantro, finely chopped
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice
1 scallion, green and white, thinly sliced
Kosher salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients. Chill.

I took two ears of white corn and trimmed the tops and bottoms, then grilled over high heat on the gas grill, in their husks, for about 20 minutes, turning every five minutes, until the husks were charred. Cooled until I was able to handle them, then stripped the husks and silk, then cut the corn from the cob, then added to the bowl after the kernels cooled.

Grilling added a bit of smokiness to the corn. I think next time I'll shuck the corn and grill, letting the corn brown a bit. But this version was pretty good; the corn was sweet but still crisp, and it went beautifully with the crab cakes.