Jamie Short from Greensburg, Pa., misplaced a recipe for a crab-cake sandwich that he and his wife had so enjoyed at the Mad Batter restaurant in Cape May, N.J.
Thelma Morningstar of Elkridge sent us the very recipe Short was looking for. She had clipped it from the recipe-request column in Ladies' Home Journal.
Once you taste this sandwich, it is easy to see why so many people are so fond of it. It calls for just the right combination of seasonings and breading, and the red pepper sauce that accompanies it is a delicious addition.
In this recipe the crab cakes are fried, but they could just as easily be broiled if you prefer.
Crab-Cake Sandwich With Roasted Pepper-Garlic Sauce
Makes 8 sandwiches
CRAB CAKES:
1 pound crab meat, picked over
2 1/2 cups fresh bread crumbs (divided use)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup minced red pepper
1/3 cup minced celery
1/4 cup minced red onion
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
oil for frying
ROASTED PEPPER-GARLIC SAUCE:
1/2 red pepper
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
SANDWICH:
8 hamburger buns
lettuce, shredded
tomato slices
red onion slices
Combine crab meat with 1/2 cup bread crumbs and the other crab-cake ingredients (except for oil). Divide into 8 patties. Spread remaining 2 cups fresh bread crumbs on wax paper. Coat each patty in crumbs. Refrigerate up to 2 hours. Heat 1/4 inch oil in skillet. Cook crab cakes until golden, turning once, about 8 minutes.
To make sauce: Heat oven to 400 degrees. Roast red pepper for 30 minutes, until charred. Wrap in foil and cool. Remove skin and seeds; chop fine. Combine with mayonnaise, lemon juice and garlic.
To assembly sandwiches: Spread sauce on cut side of hamburger buns. Place crab cake in rolls. Top each with 2 tablespoons shredded lettuce and 1 slice each tomato and red onion. Top with other half of bun.
Per serving: 557 calories; 21 grams protein; 31 grams fat; 5 grams saturated fat; 47 grams carbohydrate; 3 grams fiber; 60 milligrams cholesterol; 1,175 milligrams sodium
Recipe requests
Peter Morgan from Santa Rosa, Calif., is looking for a recipe for a Depression-era dinner dish called High Pancake. It sounds like the batter was made much like a typical pancake but it was poured into a mixing bowl lined with bacon and baked in the oven for an hour. It was typically topped with a sauce made with canned fruit.
Gloria Sise of Powell, Tenn., lost her recipe for Sweet Potato Pie. It was made with buttermilk.
If you are looking for a recipe or can answer a request for a hard-to-find recipe, write to Julie Rothman, Recipe Finder, The Sun, 501 N. Calvert St., Baltimore, MD 21278. If you send more than one recipe, put each on a separate piece of paper with your name, address and daytime phone number. Names must accompany recipes to be published. Letters may be edited for clarity.
