Crab Cakes - makes 15

Active Time: 35 minutes

Inactive Time: 15 minutes

1. Look through crabmeat to make sure there are no shells. Reserve in refrigerator.
2. Put the olive oil in a medium skillet and place over medium heat.
3. While the oil is heating, prep the vegetables. Insert the chopping blade into the work bowl of the food processor. While running on High, drop the garlic and jalapeño through the feed tube to finely chop. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and add the scallions and bell pepper. Pulse until finely chopped.
4. Once oil is hot, add the chopped vegetables and salt and sauté until the vegetables soften slightly. Remove the vegetables from the heat and allow them to cool for a few minutes. Once the vegetables are cool to the touch, add them to the crabmeat. To the mixture add the egg, panko, mayonnaise, Worcestershire, Dijon, seafood seasoning and dash or two of hot sauce, if using. Very gently mix all ingredients together. (The best way to mix the crab mixture is with clean hands. However, you can mix with a spoon. It is important to mix gently to keep the crabmeat intact.)
5. Form the mixture into ¼-cup oval cakes with your hands and place them on a clean plate, separating the layers of patties with wax paper.
6. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add 2 tablespoons of the oil. When oil is hot, brown crab cakes in batches, approximately 2 to 4 minutes per side. Crab cakes should be a deep, golden brown on each side. Add more oil to the pan as needed — if the pan is dry the crab cakes will burn.
7. Serve immediately. Lemon wedges make a nice accompaniment.