Mini Crab Cake Sandwiches with Herb Aioli

I prefer my crab cakes to taste of not much else but pure crab, this recipe is one of my favorites. Few extra ingredients and virtually no fillers so the crab flavor shines through and retains it's natural texture. Serve on tiny toasted buns, or toasted rounds of bread cut with a cookie or biscuit cutter.

Mini Crab Cake Sandwiches

with Fresh Herb Aioli

(Makes about 8 to 10 little crab cakes, depending upon the size of the cakes)

8 ounces cooked crab meat (I use Dungeness)

1/2 cup mayonnaise (good quality, non-sweet)

1/4 teaspoon hot sauce

1 Tablespoon minced fresh chives

1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 1/4 cups panko (Japanese Dry Bread Crumbs)

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Herb Aioli

Can be made up to a day ahead, store covered in refrigerator until serving time

(Makes about 1/2 cup of sauce)

In a small bowl, mix

1/4 mayonnaise

1/4 cup sour cream

1 tbsp minced fresh chives

1 tablespoon minced fresh Italian (flat leaf) parsley,

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 teaspoon dried dill

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Makes about 1/2 cup. (If you like more sauce on your sandwiches be a generous with your measurements of the sauce ingredients.)

For the Crab Cakes:

I like to lightly brown these in a pan in a little hot oil, then finish them in the oven because I like the crispy coating, however you may skip the pan browning step and simply bake them off if you prefer.

Sort through crab & discard any bits of shell.

In a medium-large bowl, mix 1 Tablespoon Panko, minced chives, mustard, mayonnaise, & hot sauce; blend with a fork.

Add crab, stir carefully just to mix.

Put remaining panko in a shallow bowl.

Shape crab mixture into small cakes, each about 2 inches wide & 1/2 inch thick. I use a cookie or food portion scoop to make this step easier. Just plop the crab from the scoop to the shallow bowl of panko and press crumbs into the crab mixture as you shape it into the disc shape. Make sure to cover top, bottom and sides, pressing gently so the crumbs adhere.

Preheat oven to 450-degrees (F)

Fry in a little oil in a frying pan set over medium heat until lightly golden on both sides, turning once, * then transfer to an oiled (or plain, parchment lined) low-rimmed baking pan; spacing each cake a bit apart so they brown evenly in the oven.

Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, 7 to 15 mins. (Ovens vary).

Note: If you skip the pan browning step bake in oven 15 to 18 minutes until cakes are lightly browned, turn once halfway through baking time for even crust.

*If you prefer you can complete the entire cooking process in the frying pan and skip the oven finish.

Serve on toasted bread or buns spread with the Herb Aioli.