Shake Family Recipes, Crab Crusted Salmon

Serves six

The waters off the coast of Monterey have long been a source for much of the succulent seafood that diners across the country enjoy. The Shake family believes freshness is everything, so a combination of fresh crab and salmon from local fishermen has made this dish a menu favorite.

Crab Cake Mixture
1/2 lb. Dungeness crab meat
1 1/2 tsp. finely diced red pepper
1 1/2 tsp. finely diced green onion
1 T. chopped parsley
1/2 cup Japanese bread crumbs (panko)
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp. mayonnaise
1/8 cup cream
1/2 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
1/8 tsp. of each: black pepper,
granulated garlic and onion

Crab Crusted Salmon
6 six-ounce fresh salmon fillets
Crab cake mixture
2 T. oil
4 tsp. fresh lemon juice
2 small finely sliced shallots
12 T. butter
1 tomato, diced
2 T. thinly sliced fresh basil
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Crab cake mixture: Break any large lumps of crabmeat into smaller sizes. Mix the crabmeat, red pepper, green onion, parsley, and panko in a bowl. Add enough panko to absorb the liquid from the crabmeat. In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, mayonnaise, cream, and seasonings. Fold the liquid into the crabmeat mixture, adding panko or cream to ajdust the amount of moisture. The mixture should not be too dry or too wet, and should hold together.

Salmon: Press 1/6 of the crab cake mixture onto the top of each salmon fillet. Heat oil in a non-stick, oven-safe skillet. Put the salmon fillets, with the crab mixture facing down, in the hot oil and fry to a golden brown. Place the pan with all the fillets in the oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan. Add the shallots and lemon juice and cook for 1 to 2 minutes to reduce. Remove pan from heat, add the tomato, basil, salt and pepper. Stir until blended.

Top the cooked salmon with sauce and garnish with extra basil.

Note: For just crab cakes: double the Crab Cake Mixture recipe, above, divide into eighths and shape into small cakes. Completely coat each with panko. Place on a plate, and chill for one hour in the refrigerator. Heat butter or oil in a non-stick frying pan over medium heat. Add the crab cakes to hot oil, cooking for 2 to 5 minutes on each side until crisp and golden. Add more oil as needed. Keep the cakes warm until ready to serve. Serves eight.