This is a delicious treat for your guests that can be prepared ahead of time and then heated when you are ready to serve. Another option is to omit the egg and panko, fill lettuce cups with a cool lobster salad. If you like, try lump crabmeat or monkfish in place of the lobster.
Ingredients
- 1 cup boiling water
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- ¾ cup rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and thinly sliced
- 1 Gala apple, washed and thinly sliced
- ¾ cup good-quality mayonnaise
- Sriracha sauce to taste
- ¾ cup good-quality mayonnaise
- 1½ tablespoons freshly grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons Thai fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
- 3 tablespoons minced green onion
- 1 tablespoon minced jalapeño pepper (seeds removed)
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 large fresh farm eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
- 2 pounds cooked lobster meat (from 6 to 8 (1¼ pound) lobsters), cut in approximately 1-inch pieces
- Grapeseed oil or other neutral cooking oil for searing
Preparation
To make the pickles, mix water, sugar, rice vinegar and salt in a large heatproof bowl until salt and sugar have dissolved. Add cucumber and apple slices and place in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours or overnight. Mix together mayonnaise and sriracha and refrigerate until serving.
For the lobster cakes, in a large bowl mix together the mayonnaise, ginger, fish sauce, cilantro, green onion, jalapeño, sesame oil, eggs and panko. Gently fold in lobster meat and chill mixture in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours. After mixture has chilled, tightly pack to form 12 individual cakes, approximately 1 inch thick. (Use an ice cream scoop, then press to shape into even circles.) Refrigerate until ready to cook.
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a large nonstick sauté pan on medium-high heat. Sear lobster cakes until golden brown on both sides (being sure not to crowd the pan). Remove from heat and finish in the oven for 5 minutes.
Serve lobster cakes over pickled vegetables and top with chili mayo. Enjoy!
About this recipe
WINE PAIRING: Ktima Brintziki Tinaktorogos, Greece
With the various flavors, the pickles and spices, this recipe calls for a crisp, vibrant, fruitforward white like this unique Greek white wine from the producer Ktima Brintziki near ancient Olympia. It’s made from the grape variety Asproudes and brings forth a vibrant, pleasant acid-driven personality. All stainless steel fermented, it has notes of crisp pear, apple and a hint of apricot aromatics. This will dovetail beautifully with this seafooddriven dish!
—Jessica Norris Granatiero, The Savory Grape & The Savory Affair, East Greenwich
