Crab Corn Cakes on Heirloom Tomatoes

Do you have a friend that you share food photos with?

I have a few, but I would say my friend Sarah and I show each other every single good thing we are eating, daily.

Lunch, drinks, dinners out, dinners at home. It matters not, I am addicted to taking food pics (you think?).

It's the generation of iPhone users, where you are able to take a decent shot of your just prepared meal and feel like a food photographer.
Put it on instagram, facebook or in this case, right here, on my daily food blog.

Last week she texted me a photo of some beautiful crab cakes on slices of tomato that I gave her from my garden.

I decided I loved the idea, and would make a version of crab corn cakes and plate them this way.

Perfect.

You get a bite of delicious summer corn, fresh crabmeat, and that gorgeous tomato.

It's a win win (in this case, a win win win).

I took Mark Bittman's recipe for crab corn cakes, but added scallion and pimenton (Spanish smoked paprika).

Instead of a remoulade for the top, I found an old jar of Inglehoffer's lemon dill caper mustard (I swear it must be 8 years old, mustard doesn't go bad).

I know crabmeat can be expensive, but this makes a lot.
I bought a container of fresh lump crab at Costco for under $20 and it was delicious (I don't like the Trader Joe's brand in the blue can for some reason).

Just a warning, these are fragile, mostly crab and corn and wet, not the type that are filled with breadcrumbs, so these have to be treated with kid gloves, turning them ever so gently.

Crab Corn Cakes on Heirloom Tomatoes (adapted from Mark Bittman): makes about 18 good size crabcakes

2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tbsp butter
1 egg
2 cups fresh corn kernels (you can also use frozen corn, defrosted)
1 pound lump crab meat
big handful of chopped scallions
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 heaping tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 cup fresh breadcrumbs
1 tsp pimenton (smoked Spanish paprika)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup flour, seasoned w/ salt & pepper, for dredging
Heirloom Tomato slices and fresh parsley for garnish

It's easier if you form the cakes ahead of time and keep them on wax paper in the fridge until ready to fry. Trust me.

Mix all ingredients in a big bowl, except the oil and butter.

In a heavy large (preferably) cast iron skillet, heat the butter and olive oil on high heat.

Form small balls with wet hands (keep wetting your hands, or the batter will stick) and dredge them in some flour.
Place in the hot butter/oil to fry.

Press down lightly with a thin fish spatula and fry about 2 minutes on each side, turning them very carefully so they don't break.

Remove to paper towel lined platters to blot oil. Add more oil and butter to skillet as needed to fry up the next batch.

Plate on top of sliced heirloom tomatoes (the ones I used are "Black Krim") and serve with remoulade or mustard (for garnish, I cut up some of my garden cherry tomatoes).

These were truly the best version of summer crabbie cakes we have ever had.

Enjoy!