Today, it’s raining, therefore it must be Tuesday, ( Tuesday is golf and often rains on a Tuesday) , however we have had the driest April on record , warm sunny days, but here on the top floor, usually windy. However, I don’t mind a bit of rain, it encouraged me to get back into the kitchen.

The defrosted crab meat had to be used. Put aside the idea for Sunday and today it became Crab Cakes. I LOVE Crab cakes, not so easily made here as on the Texas Golf Coast or in Maryland. Maryland crab cakes are famous and made with lump Crab meat. Here I buy Crab meat in a tub from Costco. It is a long life tub, I say Long Life, maybe a couple of weeks, but I nearly always freeze the tub, as I buy it when in Costco, not necessarily because at that point I want to make Crab cakes.

Having defrosted the crab on Sunday, today I gathered together the necessary food items.

My recipe guide for crab cakes comes from Brennan’s, a New Orleans institution for 73 years, and in Houston for 43 as well. With modifications here is my version

NOTE, ABSOLUTELY NO FILLERS, NO BREADCRUMBS,NO POTATOES

1. +/-500 grams crab meat
2. Half a finely chopped red or green pepper
3. 1 onion chopped finely
4. 4 sticks of celery finely chopped
5. 2-3″ of fresh ginger peeled and chopped
6. 4 cloves garlic chopped
7. Small bunch coriander chopped
8. 2 eggs beaten
9. Salt to taste
10. Polenta, or cornmeal as needed
11. 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Chop everything , and mix well together with the beaten egg. Form into cakes, I do so by using a largish pastry cutter and fill it to the brim. Then holding my hand over the bottom so it doesn’t fall out, press or scatter some polenta over the top side, carefully turn over and do the same to the bottom.

Serve warm preferably with some salad and maybe a red pepper mayonnaise.

You can cheat with this or be good and make your own Mayo, but the cheats method is, roast or grill a red pepper, and then purée it in a blender and mix with some mayonnaise, along with a crushed clove of garlic and a dash of Hot sauce such as Sriracha or Tabasco. I have other hot sauces from India and Mexico, many more can be found in either the Indian super market in Hayes or the wonderful Hoo Hing at Hanger Lane. Remember many or rather most of these have a shelf life longer than the best before date.