You don’t have to be vegetarian to get excited about this alternative crab cake recipe. If you haven’t lived in the tropics or aren’t keeping up with food trends, you might not know that Jackfruit’s texture lends itself to mocking meat and absorbing just about any flavor you throw its way (try it as an alternative to pulled pork or chicken tinga). The fruit is often harvested in its “green” or unripe stage before it has developed any fruit-like sweetness, so it’s nutritional content and flavor mimics that of a vegetable like artichokes or hearts of palm. Jackfruit has become increasingly popular and is now available at nationwide grocery stores like Whole Foods and even Trader Joe’s. FYI one 20 ounce can of green jack fruit in brine will yield about 8 ounces of usable jackfruit once drained and patted dry.
- 1 pound cooked green jack fruit, OR lump crab meat, (canned or frozen works well here)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
- 2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs (Parsley, chives, cilantro, tarragon, your choice)
- Salt
- Black Pepper, freshly ground
- 1/2 cup oil for frying (anything with neutral flavor and high smoke point)
To prepare crab or jackfruit:
Carefully pick through the crab meat and remove any shell fragments or cartilage. Transfer the crab meat to a bowl and set aside. Drain jackfruit (especially if using canned), and pick through to remove any seeds and tear into lump crab size pieces and set aside.
To Prepare Cakes:
Lightly beat egg in a separate large mixing bowl. Add breadcrumbs, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire, Old Bay, fresh herbs, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and freshly ground pepper to taste.
Gently fold in the jack fruit (or crab), being careful to only mix enough to combine the ingredients. You don’t want fine shreds. *To check seasoning, cook a small spoonful of mixture in a lightly oiled skillet until golden on both sides, approximately 3 minutes. Taste and adjust with more salt, if desired. Divide mixture into 8 rounds and lightly flatten. Refrigerate mixture for at least 15 minutes and up to 8 hours.
To Cook:
To a large nonstick skillet over medium-heat, add oil. When the oil is shimmering, add cakes approximately 2 inches apart and cook until golden, approximately 2-3 minutes per side. Remove and drain on a rack or paper towel lined plate.
