Cocktail Crab Cakes
YIELD Makes 24 crab cakes

Ingredients

Crab Cakes

1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over to remove cartilage and shell

5 scallions, green parts only, minced

1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley leaves

2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 large egg

1/2 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons vegetable oil

Creamy Dipping Sauce

¼ cup mayonnaise

¼ cup sour cream

2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

1 small garlic clove, minced or pressed through a garlic press (about 1 teaspoon)

2 teaspoons minced fresh cilantro leaves

1 teaspoon juice from 1 lime

Instructions

for the crab cakes

Gently mix the crabmeat, scallions, parsley, Old Bay, 2 tablespoons of the bread crumbs, and mayonnaise in a medium bowl, being careful not to break up the crab lumps. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Carefully fold in the egg with a rubber spatula until the mixture just clings together. Add more crumbs if necessary.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Using a generous tablespoon, form the mixture into 24 cakes, each 1½ inches in diameter and ½ inch thick. Place each finished cake on the baking sheet. Cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes. (The cakes can be refrigerated for up to 24 hours.)

for the dipping sauce

While the cakes are chilling, combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Cover and refrigerate to blend flavors, at least 30 minutes and up to 2 days.

to finish the crab cakes

Adjust an oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 200 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a double thickness of paper towels. Put the flour in a pie dish. Lightly dredge half of the crab cakes, knocking off the excess.

Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of the oil in a large, preferably nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Gently place the floured crab cakes in the skillet; pan fry until the outside is crisp and brown, 1 to 2 minutes. (Flour the remaining cakes while the first batch is browning.) Using a spatula, turn the cakes. Pan fry until the second side is crisp and brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer the finished cakes to a baking sheet lined with paper towels and place the sheet in the oven.

Pour off the fat from the hot skillet and wipe clean with paper towels. Return the skillet to the heat, add the remaining 3 tablespoons oil, and heat 1 minute. Add the remaining cakes and pan-fry as above. Serve hot with the dipping sauce.