by Nielsen-Massey Vanillas
from A Century of Flavor
(The Cookbook Marketplace, 2008)
Serves 4

Savory, satisfying, scrumptious. That’s a great alliteration to describe these crab cakes. A nice balance of crab and cake deliver a satisfying dish with the rémoulade rounding out the flavors.

On an educational note: We are most familiar with pure vanilla extract but it is good to know the equivalents if you’re in a pinch: 1 whole vanilla bean equals 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla bean paste, 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla extract, or 1 tablespoon of pure vanilla powder.

Ingredients
For the rémoulade
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon Nielsen-Massey Madagascar bourbon pure vanilla extract

For the polenta
3 cups (or more) organic vegetable stock or chicken stock
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup polenta
White pepper, to taste
Salt, to taste

For the crab cakes
12 ounces canned or frozen lump crab meat
1 cup plain dry bread crumbs, divided
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 egg
1 finely chopped green onion
3 tablespoons finely diced red bell pepper
1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh Italian parsley
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon Nielsen-Massey Madagascar bourbon pure vanilla extract
Nonstick cooking oil spray, for frying

Method
Make the rémoulade
1. Combine the mayonnaise, tomato paste and vanilla extract in a bowl and mix well. Chill, covered, in the refrigerator.

Make the polenta
1. Combine 3 cups stock, butter, and polenta in a large saucepan and stir to combine. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes or until thick and creamy, adding additional stock if the polenta becomes too thick. Season with white pepper and salt.

Make the crab cakes
1. Rinse and drain the crab meat, discarding any shell fragments.

2. Place 1/2 cup of the bread crumbs in a shallow dish. Combine the crab meat, mayonnaise, egg, the remaining 1/2 cup bread crumbs, the green onion, bell pepper, parsley, cayenne pepper, salt, black pepper, and vanilla extract in a large bowl and mix well. Shape into patties. Dredge in the dish of bread crumbs to coat.

3. Spray a nonstick skillet with oil and heat over medium-high heat. Place the crab cakes in the hot skillet and cook until crispy and golden brown.

4. Serve the crab cakes with the polenta and Vanilla Rémoulade.

Recipe © 2008 by Nielsen-Massey Vanillas, Inc. All rights reserved.