Kilkeel Crab Cakes
Crisp, golden patties of sweet Kilkeel crabmeat and creamy mashed potato, lightly seasoned with fresh scallions and pan-fried in butter.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
- 360 kcal
Equipment
- •Saucepan
- •Potato masher
- •Mixing bowl
- •Frying pan
- •Fish slice
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 360 kcal
- fat
- 18 g
- carbs
- 32 g
- fibre
- 3 g
- protein
- 18 g
- calories
- 360 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Place peeled potatoes into a saucepan of cold salted water, bring to the boil, and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes.
- 2
Drain the potatoes thoroughly and mash until smooth, then leave to cool completely in a wide mixing bowl.
- 3
Flake the picked crabmeat gently into the cooled mashed potato, checking carefully for any stray bits of shell.
- 4
Add the sliced scallions, chopped parsley, lemon zest, salt, white pepper, and one beaten egg to the bowl.
- 5
Mix the ingredients gently with a fork until just combined, keeping plenty of texture in the crabmeat.
- 6
Shape the mixture into eight equal round patties using your hands, then chill in the fridge for 20 minutes.
- 7
Dip each chilled patty into the remaining beaten egg, then coat evenly on all sides with dried breadcrumbs.
- 8
Heat the butter and vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until hot and sizzling.
- 9
Fry the crab cakes in batches for 4 to 5 minutes per side until crisp and deep golden brown.
- 10
Drain briefly on kitchen paper and serve hot with fresh lemon wedges.
Chef's tips
Ensure the mashed potato is completely cold before mixing so the cakes hold their shape during frying. A blend of white and brown crabmeat gives the best balance of sweet flaked meat and deep seafood flavour.
Ingredient substitutions
- dried breadcrumbs → gluten-free breadcrumbs for a wheat-free coating
- picked crabmeat → well-drained tinned crabmeat or flaked cooked smoked haddock
Storage
Store cooked crab cakes in an airtight container in the fridge for up to two days.
Reheating
Reheat on a baking tray in a preheated oven at 180C for 10 to 12 minutes until heated through and crisp.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Working with warm mashed potato, which makes the mixture overly wet and impossible to shape cleanly.
- •Overmixing the bowl, which pulverises the delicate crab chunks into mush.
- •Frying in an insufficiently heated pan, which makes the breadcrumb crust absorb excess grease.
Serving suggestions
Cooked Kilkeel Crab Cakes?
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