If you are a fan of crab cakes then you can expect to have your mind and mouth blown after trying our unique grilling twist on the classic.  

It all starts with the best quality crab possible (we use Jack's Catch*), followed by just enough additional ingredients to flavor the mixture while still letting the crab shine through.  Finally, we skip the pan and/or oven in favor of a maple wood plank (you can substitute another type of food grade wood plank but we find maple pairs best with the seafood), bringing maximum smoke flavor to the dish!

MAPLE PLANK SMOKED CRAB CAKES WITH LEMON GARLIC AIOLI

(Recipes adapted from basic crab cake recipe by Newport International Corporate Chef John Cantwell) 

Ingredients

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tbsp. Dijon mustard

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 egg, beaten

1.5 tsp. Old Bay seasoning

1 lb Jack's Catch jumbo lump crab

2/3 cup Panko bread crumbs plus 1/2 cup for exterior

Lemon garlic aioli (recipe follows)

Additional Tools

2 food grade maple wood grilling planks, soaked in water for at least 1 hour 

Instructions

Combine mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, egg, and Old Bay in a large mixing bowl and blend well. Gently fold in the crab meat.  Add Panko bread crumbs while gently folding into the crab cake mixture, being careful not to break up the crab meat too much.

Shape mixture into 4-6 crab cakes and coat both sides with the remaining Panko bread crumbs.

Prepare grill for medium-high heat cooking, approximately 400 degrees.  Place wood planks on the grill then divide crab cakes between the planks.  Cover the grill and allow the crab cakes to cook until golden brown and cooked through, approximately 15-20 minutes.  Top with lemon-garlic aioli and serve immediately.

LEMON GARLIC AIOLI

Ingredients

3/4 cup mayonnaise 

2 cloves garlic, finely minced

1/2 tsp. lemon zest

2 tbsp. lemon juice

Instructions

Combine all ingredients in a small mixing bowl and blend well.  Set lemon garlic aioli aside until ready to use.

* Note: Jack's Catch is owned by Newport International, a company that employs relatives of Grillocracy's Clint Cantwell.  Crab was provided for free for recipe creation purposes but no further compensation was received.