Crabby Cakes with Remoulade
By Mary McDougall and Carol Van Elderen
These are very light and delicate cakes, somewhat reminiscent of crab cakes, but without the "fishy" taste. They are a bit labor intensive, but do keep well in the refrigerator and reheat well also. They are made on the petite side and would make a wonderful appetizer for a holiday party.
Serves: Makes 18 medium cakes
Prep Time: 60 min
Cook Time: 45 min
Ingredients
Directions
1 Place the tofu in a large bowl and mash with a bean/potato masher. Add the carrots, celery, onion, peppers and tortilla crumbs. Mix well, then stir in the remaining ingredients EXCEPT the panko bread crumbs. Mix until very well combined. Pour the bread crumbs on a large plate.
2 Take a small amount of the tofu mixture and flatten it into about a 2 inch circle in the palm of your hand. Gently dredge each side into the bread crumbs. (Lay the cake on the crumbs, gently lift off and repeat on other side.) Place on a non-stick baking sheet. Repeat until all cakes are on baking sheets.
3 Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
4 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
5 Bake cakes for 20 minutes on the first side, flip over gently and bake an additional 10 minutes. Cakes will still be quite fragile, so be careful when flipping over. Heat a non-stick griddle for about 1 minute, then carefully place a few of the cakes onto the griddle and grill until golden on each side, about 1-2 minutes.
6 Remove to serving platter and keep warm. Repeat until all are grilled. Serve with Remoulade Sauce spooned over the top of the cakes.
7 Remoulade Sauce: Place all ingredients in a food processor and process until finely chopped and quite saucy.
Hints: These cakes are based on a recipe from Sluggo’s in Pensacola, FL. They fry their version in oil, but these are much tastier and delicate. We think the Remoulade Sauce really makes them special, but they could also be served with a cocktail type sauce, if desired. They are quite delicate and fragile to work with, and the first time you flip them over be very careful so they don’t break apart. Mine turned out perfectly flat and browned nicely, but they were a bit hard to work with. The resulting cakes are worth the extra effort though.
Tortilla Crumbs are sold in 12 ounce cans and are made from milled corn and lime. If you can’t find them, process corn tortillas in a food processor until finely ground. Japanese panko bread crumbs are sold in jars in many natural food stores and some Asian markets. Be sure to read the label carefully so you don’t get added oil or dairy. Cajun seasoning can be found in the spice section of most supermarkets, or it may be ordered from Penzey’s. Prepared horseradish is sold in jars in most supermarkets. Be sure to get the kind without oil or cream added.
