fried crawb cakes

Lately I have been wanting to create raw crab cakes. I finally took to the test lab... (the kitchen)... and started experimenting. I wanted to create a pattie that was crispy on the outside, slightly mushy on the inside and had hints of crunch throughout. That sounds easy enough right?!

I'd like to try dehydrating my creations in the sun at some point, but for now I'm using the modern day dehydrator. Thanks to the dehydrator it is quite simple to create raw burgers/patties that really resemble a burger. I made batch of these crawb cakes two nights ago along with some delicious tartar sauce... they only lasted a day.  Everything tasted amazing, the only adjustment was we thought they could be "fishier." To create a pleasant crunch throughout the pattie I added diced celery and scallions. I use foods like dulse, kelp, and other seaweeds to create a fishy taste.  When I made the second batch of crawb cakes I doubled the dulse and added "bread crumbs" prior to dehydrating so they would be even more like "fried crab cakes".  While they dehydrated the kitchen smelled amazing.  Serve these with a dollop of tartar sauce and a sprinkle of old bay seasoning... so good!

This tartar sauce recipe is simple and takes 1 minute to whip up. Whether you're completely "raw" or following a cooked "vegan" diet, I'd highly recommend giving this recipe a try. I've been realizing that the raw/vegan version of condiments knocks their cooked/vegan counterparts right out of the sea. 

Meredith's Crabby Tartar Sauce*

1 C. cashews 

1/2 C. pure water 

1 lemon (juiced)

1 tbsp. apple cider vinegar

1/2 tea. salt

pinch cayenne

Blend all of these ingredients in a blender, you don't need a VitaMix, a regular 'ol blender will do just fine.  You may need to add a bit more water to help it blend, add just enough for it to mix, you want this to be thick! Add this to a small bowl, stir in:

1 1/2 tbsp. fresh chopped dill

4 tbsp. Bubbie's Relish 

pinch cayenne

*tastes even better after sitting in the fridge over night!

Old Bay Seasoning*

1 tbsp. celery salt

1 tbsp. ground bay leaf

2 tea. black pepper

1 tea. paprika

1/2 tea. cardamom

1/2 tea. mustard

1/4 tea. mace

1/4 tea. cinnamon

1/4 tea. ground cloves

*tastes great sprinkled on dehydrated corn chips and served with your crawb cakes!