Seafood Recipes - Crab Cakes With Pasilla Chili Aioli

Ingredients:
1/2 lb shelled cooked crab
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup minced carrots
1/2 cup minced celery
1 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1 salt
1 pepper
1 cayenne
2 white bread slices
1 tablespoon salad oil
1 fresh cilantro sprigs

PASILLA CHILI AIOLI:
1 large dried pasilla chili
1 can sliced pimientos (4 oz)
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 chopped garlic clove
3 tablespoon dry white wine
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 salt
1 pepper


Procedures:
1. Mix crab, mayonnaise, carrots, celery, and lemon juice. Add salt
and pepper and cayenne to taste.
2. Tear bread into chunks; whirl in a blender or food processor until
crumbs form; mound crumbs on a plate. Drop 1/4-cup portions crab
mixture into crumbs, and sprinkle crumbs over top; pat into
1/2"-thick cakes.
3. Place a 10-12" nonstick frying pan over medium heat. Lightly coat
pan with oil and cook cakes, using a wide spatula to turn once, until
browned on both sides, about 4 minutes total.
4. Place cakes on salad plates; keep warm. Garnish with cilantro. Add
aioli to taste.

PASILLA CHILI AIOLI :
1. Remove and discard stems and seeds from dried pasilla; rinse
chili. With scissors, cut the chili in 1/2" pieces.
2. Drain pimientos; pat dry.
3. In a 10-12" frying pan combine olive oil, chili, pimientos and
garlic. Stir over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add wine and lemon
juice. Stir over high heat until most of the liquid evaporates, about
1 minute. Add chicken broth; boil, uncovered, until liquid is reduced
to 1/4 cup, about 2 minutes. Let cool.
4. Whirl mixture in a blender or food processor with mayonnaise until
smoothly pureed. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes 1/2 cup.