Crab Cakes

Make the sauce by combining the ingredients until smooth. Refrigerate, covered, until ready to serve. (Can be made several days in advance).

Mix crab and seasonings: In a mixing bowl add the crab meat, bell peppers (I like to squeeze them out with paper towels, to remove excess moisture, before adding), one beaten egg, Old Bay seasoning, mayo, garlic, cilantro and salt and pepper. Gently stir just until blended.

Refrigerate for at least one hour, or up to 5 hours. (If you find a lot of liquid has released, stick some paper towels in the bottom of the bowl to absorb it).

Form Crab Cakes: Beat the remaining egg and add to a shallow dish. Add the panko bread crumbs to another dish. Spoon about 1/3 cup of the mixture into your palm and flatten into a small disc, about 3 inches in diameter. Sprinkle the outsides of the crab cake patties with a tiny bit of cornstarch.

Dip each patty lightly in the beaten egg, and then coat them lightly with panko bread crumbs. I try to avoid doing a thick coating of crumbs because I like the crab flavor to shine through as much as possible. 

Cook: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, add the crab cakes and cook for about 3-4 minutes on one side, until golden brown on bottom. Gently flip to the other side and cook for another 3 minutes, or until golden. Remove to a plate.

Serve warm with chipotle mayo sauce for dipping.