Aunt Judy's Crabcakes with Roasted Veggies and Brown Basmati Rice

A week from today I will be sitting down with my family and sharing a wonderful Thanksgiving meal. We are heading to Baltimore to visit my Aunt Judy and Uncle Charlie. This is the second year we have made the trip for this food-inspired holiday, however the thought of the visit doesn’t trigger cravings for turkey, stuffing and the like. I want one item when we visit Aunt Judy – crabcakes! Thankfully, she has shared her wonderful recipe with me so they are now a staple on our home menu. While these crabcakes aren’t quite as good as when Aunt Judy makes them for me herself, they certainly make me feel closer to her while I cook them and for that, I am very, very thankful.

I really like any sort of rice or cous cous with crabcakes and this particular recipe is healthy, flavorful, and very easy. I am using brown basmati rice, which takes longer to cook than white rice (close to an hour in total), so I start by putting the rice on the stove, add water, butter and salt, bring to a boil, stir once, cover and turn the heat to low, letting it simmer away for 45 minutes. I preheat the oven to 450 and turn to my veggies. Tonight I have a red bell pepper and an eggplant. Dice both veggies and add to a bowl.

I like to peel the eggplant as the skin can be a little bitter. Just my preference – the purple hue can really add to a dish!

Add extra virgin olive oil, two cloves minced garlic (I always use fresh garlic), salt and pepper. Toss to coat. You may need to add a little more olive oil if the veggies still appear dry. Eggplant is like a sponge and it will soak up every drop!

Lay the veggies on a sheet pan in one layer. You want them to spread out so they can cook evenly. If they don’t have enough room they will be more steamed and come out mushy. You don’t want to miss out on the crispy edges! I typically roast these for 30-35 minutes total, tossing once mid-way through.

While the rice is simmering and the vegetables are roasting away its time to move on to the main event – Aunt Judy’s Crabcakes! They couldn’t be easier. Combine lump crabmeat (you can find 8oz containers in the seafood section of the grocery. **Make sure you sift through the crabmeat for any leftover shells**), two heaping tbs. mayo (use real, not low fat – the difference shows), two beaten eggs, 1/2 tsp. worcestershire sauce, 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes and 1/4 tsp. kosher salt. Mix together, gently, trying not to break up the crab too much.

Now for the crunchy part! Take 20 saltine crackers and put them in a plastic bag. Crush them with your hands until fine. Add the cracker crumbs to the crabmeat mixture and stir to combine.

Now form the mixture into four balls. Press them down just a bit so they aren’t too tall and are a little flat on the top and bottom. This will help them cook evenly. At this point you can cover and store them in the fridge for a few hours, pulling them out just in time to impress your dinner guests!

Heat one tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and a tablespoon of butter in a saute pan. Add the crabcakes and cook for four minutes on each side. The crust is sooo good and they stay nice and gooey inside. Delicious!

While the crabcakes are cooking we can work on finishing the rice. Scrape the roasted eggplant and bell pepper into the pot and add a handful of basil and the juice from a lemon. Stir to combine.

We all have certain foods that bring us a peace and warmth. I have comfort foods from my childhood and have been steadily adding to the list as I have grown. Aunt Judy’s crabcakes now hold a very special place on this list. But be it crabcakes or turkey, I just can’t wait to share another Thanksgiving dinner with her and those I love so very much.

Continue reading for the ingredient list and step-by-step directions!

Serves Two to Four

For Rice

one cup brown basmati rice
two and one quarter cups water
one tbs butter
one half tsp of salt
one red bell pepper, chopped into one inch pieces
one egg plant, peeled and chopped into one inch pieces
two cloves garlic, minced
one tbs olive oil, plus additional if necessary
salt and pepper
the juice from one lemon
one third cup fresh basil, chopped

For the Crabcakes

8 ounces lump crabmeat, picked through for shells
two heaping tbs mayonnaise
two eggs, beaten
one half tsp worcestershire sauce
one half tsp red pepper flakes
one quarter tsp kosher salt
20 saltine crackers, finely crushed
one tbs olive oil
one tbs unsalted butter

Rice:

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees

In a small pot, place the rice on the stove and add the water, butter and salt. Bring to a boil, stir once, cover and turn the heat to low, letting it simmer away for 45 minutes.

Toss the chopped bell pepper, eggplant, garlic, olive oil and salt and pepper in a bowl. Add additional oil if the vegetables still appear dry. Spread the mixture out on a sheet pan in one even layer. Roast for 30-35 minutes until browned, tossing once mid-way through.

Once the vegetables have finished roasting and the rice has cooked for 45 minutes, scrape the roasted eggplant and bell pepper into the pot with the rice and mix. Add the juice from one lemon and the basil and stir.

Crabcakes:

Combine the first six ingredients listed, mixing gently and trying not to break up the pieces of crab. Add the crushed saltines and carefully stir to combine.

Form the mixture into four equally sized balls. Press them down so they aren’t too tall and are a little flat on the top and bottom.

Heat olive oil and butter in a saute pan over medium heat until bubbly. Add the crabcakes and cook for four minutes on each side. Remove to plates and serve immediately.

Aunt Judy’s Crabcakes with Roasted Veggies and Brown Basmati Rice

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