In this recipe for Hearts of Baltimore Crab Cakes from The Lusty Vegan by Ayindé Howell and Zoë Eisenberg, Chef Ayindé set about creating a vegan recipe for crab cakes using hearts of palm and traditional seasonings. They’re made gluten-free and paired with a garlicky dill aïoli. Use a soy-free mayo to make this soy-free.
Hearts of Baltimore Crab Cakes
Prep time 10 minutes, Cook time 10 minutes, Serves 2
Ingredients:
GARLICKY DILL AÏOLI
- 1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
CRAB CAKES
- 3 tablespoons grapeseed or safflower oil, divided, plus more for frying
- 1 (14-ounce) can hearts of palm, (not packed in sugar), roughly chopped to the consistency of crab meat
- 1/4 cup chopped celery
- 1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped onion
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1/4 cup vegan mayonnaise
BREADING
- 1/2 cup gluten-free bread crumbs, or more
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
- Lemon wedges, to serve
Preparation
- Garlicky Dill Aïoli: Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well and add salt and pepper to taste. Set in the fridge to keep cool.
- Crab Cakes: Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the hearts of palm and sauté for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Cook until golden brown on all sides. Set aside to cool. Add the celery and peppers and mix well.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a skillet over medium-heat heat. Add the onions and sauté until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
- Remove from the heat, add to the hearts of palm, and mix well. Add the Old Bay seasoning, cornstarch, and mayo.
- Transfer the mixture to a mixing bowl and mix well. Set aside to cool to room temperature, then shape the mixture into four round patties.
- Breading: In a shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs and Old Bay seasoning, stirring to mix. Coat the patties with the breadcrumb mixture and refrigerate for 20 minutes.
- Heat about 3 tablespoons oil in a medium skillet over medium- high heat until hot and shimmering. Carefully place the patties in the skillet and cook until golden brown on each side, approximately 2 minutes per side. Watch closely to prevent burning. Transfer the cooked patties to a plate lined with paper towels to drain any excess oil. Serve hot, topped with the aïoli, with lemon wedges on the side.
From The Lusty Vegan © 2014 by Ayinde Howell and Zoe Eisenberg. Used with permission from Vegan Heritage Press.
I have made these and they are delicious.
These were tasty, but there’s nothing to bind them together! Any time I tried to handle them, they’d fall apart. Loved the hearts of palm, they make a great crab substitute, but I’d need to play with the recipe a bit next time so they are able to keep their shape.
I really like this recipe and make it quite often. I add a small amount of bread crumbs to the mix and it binds together quite nicely. I always make the night before and let the formed cakes refrigerate overnight.