Crab cakes with chipotle sauce: Tortitas de jaiba en salsa de chipotle

Karen Hursh Graber

Make small crab cakes for appetizers or larger ones for lunch or dinner. They can be assembled ahead of time and refrigerated, covered, for up to 4 hours, then fried before serving. The chipotle sauce can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, covered.

Ingredients

For crab cakes:

• 1 cup masa harina (corn tortilla flour), lightly toasted on a baking sheet in the oven
• 1 pound crab meat
• 3 green onions, both green and white parts, chopped
• 4 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
• 6 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
• 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
• vegetable oil for frying

For the sauce:

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 1 tablespoon chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
• 2 teaspoons adobo sauce from the can (more or less to taste)
• 2 tablespoons chopped green onions (green and white parts)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• salt to taste

For crab cakes: Mix all ingredients, using one half of the masa harina. Shape into patties and coat both sides of patties lightly with the rest of the masa harina.

Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet, add crab cakes and fry for 4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Drain on paper towels.

For sauce: Combine all ingredients and serve with crab cakes.

Makes 4-6 main course servings.