Crab cakes are a tasty addition for any romantic dinner for two.  Add in the flavors of ginger and red chili paste to transport your taste buds across the seas to Hong Kong.  The crab cakes can easily be prepared and stored in the freezer the night before your Valentine’s day dinner.  Bok Choy is a chinese cabbage that should be available in your local supermarket.  Substituting a head of regular or Napa cabbage is acceptable just make sure to cut out the white core as it can be very bitter.  Serve with jasmine rice.

Baby Bok Choy

Bok Choy
Peanut oil
2 inch piece fresh ginger
2 heads baby bok choy, halved lengthwise
1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup oyster sauce
juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tablespoons brown sugar
Toasted sesame seeds, cilantro, and green onion to garnish

Saute the garlic and ginger in a tablespoon peanut oil for a few minutes. Remove from heat. In a mixing bowl, combine the crabmeat, bread crumbs, green onion, mayonnaise, chili paste, lemon juice and egg white.  Scrape the garlic-ginger oil into the bowl; season with salt and pepper. Fold the ingredients together gently but thoroughly, taking care not to mash the crabmeat.  Using your hands, form the mixture into 4 crab cakes; they should be moist and just hold together. Put the crab cakes on a plate, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate while preparing the bok choy. I’ve always found that crab cakes hold together better if you freeze them for an hour before cooking them rather than refrigerating.

If using Napa or regular cabbage, cut the heads into quarters lengthwise (from stem to top) and remove the white core.  Slices the quarters into thin strips from top to bottom.  If this seems like too much work, sub in a bag of cole slaw mix from the produce section.

Coat another skillet with 4 counts peanut oil and bring it to a slight smoke over medium heat.   Fry the crab cakes until brown, about 5 mins. on each side, turning carefully with a spatula.  Serve the crab cakes with the bok choy and garnish with seasame seeds and cilantro, and green onion.

Notes: To make fresh bread crumbs: Cut crust off stale bread and pulse it in a food processor.  Ritz crackers are an easy, flavorful substitute.

Toast sesame seeds by putting seeds in a dry skillet over medium-low heat and shake pan until seeds are golden brown.

Adapted From Real Kitchen by Tyler Florence

Silver has been a home chef since the first time his mom asked him to start dinner before she got home. He believes cooking should be fun and draws immense pleasure in seeing the satisfied faces of his guests. Find more inspiration on his personal blog “Chef Tell’s Kitchen.”