Crab Cakes, with a Twist

Any visitor to Maryland will tell you, the crab cakes are amazing! There are however, those who are allergic to seafood, or are looking for more health friendly options. The recipes below are all vegan friendly (yes, no meat and no dairy) but still pack the same flavor that you expect when you think of a Maryland crab recipe.

Black-Eyed Peas & Zucchini Crab Cakes

For the Remoulade:

2 tablespoons vegan mayo

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon Tabasco hot sauce

2 teaspoons capers

For the Breading:

3/4 cup bread crumbs

1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

1 teaspoon onion powder

Freshly ground black pepper

For the Cakes:

1 (15-ounce) can black-eyed peas, rinsed and drained, or 1 1/2 cups cooked black-eyed peas

1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (about 1 average-size zuke)

1/4 cup very finely chopped red bell pepper

1 cup bread crumbs

3 tablespoons vegan mayonnaise

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

1 tablespoon kelp granules or finely ground nori

2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning

2 teaspoons onion powder

salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Olive oil, for frying

Baby arugula leaves, for garnish

Lemon wedges, for garnish

Make the Remoulade: Simply mix everything together in a bowl! Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Make the Breading: In a shallow bowl combine the bread crumbs, Old Bay, onion powder, and a few grinds of black pepper. Set aside.

Make the Cakes: In a food processor, pulse the black-eyed peas until mashed but not pureed-the peas should still be recognizable. Transfer them to a large mixing bowl. Add the shredded zucchini, bell pepper, bread crumbs, mayo, lemon juice, kelp or nori, Old Bay, onion powder, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix everything together until the zucchini releases its moisture and the mixture holds together well. Refrigerate for about 30 minutes.

To make the patties, take a scoop of batter in your hands and form it into a sphere the size of a golf ball. Gently press the ball into a disk about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Toss it in the breading to coat. If the breading isn’t sticking, moisten the patty a bit with water on your fingertips.

Preheat a large nonstick skillet (preferably cast iron) over medium heat. Add a thin layer of olive oil to the pan. In batches, cook the crab cakes until golden brown, about 4 minutes per side. Keep the crab cakes warm on a plate tented with aluminum foil until ready to serve.

Scatter some arugula over the crab cakes and serve with the remoulade and lemon wedges. 1

• This recipe can be a little salty, make sure you taste before adding the salt. Also, refrigerating the patties after forming them will help keep them whole while frying. You can also broil the patties instead of frying.

Palm-Crab Imperial

3 tablespoons vegan butter

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2 cups unsweetened almond milk

1 (14-ounce) jar hearts of palm

1 (6-ounce) jar marinated artichoke hearts, drained, patted dry, chopped

3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1/4 cup chopped pimiento, drained

1/4 cup finely minced scallion

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley

2 tablespoons dry sherry

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon dulse or nori flakes

1 teaspoon vegan Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon dry mustard powder

1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

1/2 teaspoon paprika

Salt and ground pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F. Heat the butter in a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the flour and cook, stirring, until smooth, about 2 minutes. Whisk in the almond milk and bring to a boil. Decrease the heat to medium and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in the hearts of palm, artichoke hearts, half the breadcrumbs, pimiento, scallion, half the parsley, sherry, lemon juice, dulse, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, Old Bay seasoning, half the paprika, and salt and pepper to taste. Mix gently to combine, then taste and adjust the seasonings if needed.
2. Divide the mixture evenly among 4 shallow oval baking dishes or a single 8-inch shallow baking dish. In a small bowl, combine the oil with the remaining bread crumbs and parika, and mix well to coat the crumbs. Sprinkle the crumb mixture evenly over the baking dish(es). Bake until lightly browned and bubling in the center, about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining parsley and serve hot. 2

• I personally find this recipe to not need any additional salt. If you are sensitive to salt, decrease the amount of Old Bay seasoning and omit the salt. Additionally, you can mix regular bread crumbs in with the panko (verify they are vegan first, and only use store bought, homemade are too wet).

For traditional crab recipes, see the article “Maryland Crab Cakes, with Recipes!”

Notes:

1. Moskowitz, Isa Chandra. The Superfun Times Vegan Holiday Cookbook: Entertaining for Absolutely Every Occasion. New York: Little, Brown and Company, 2016.
2. Robertson, Robin. Veganize It!: Easy DIY Recipes for a Plant-Based Kitchen.“Palm Crab Imperial.” New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company, 2017.