Artichoke "crabless" cakes
Artichoke “crabless” cakes
This recipe is inspired by one we serve at Plantitude – it is one of the restaurant’s top appetizers. To make it better align with my personal approach to food, I have taken out the vegan mayonnaise and replaced it with aquafaba.
Ingredients
1 cup panko
2 (391 ml) cans artichoke hearts in brine not oil– rinsed and drained
½ cup aquafaba (canned chickpea liquid) - whipped
¼ cup red bell pepper – finely diced
¼ cup corn kernels – (fresh or defrosted if frozen)
1 ½ tablespoons onion – finely diced
1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
2 tablespoons – dry seaweed - optional[i]
1 teaspoon garlic powder
½ teaspoon parsley flakes
½ teaspoon Hungarian paprika
1 tablespoon lemon juice
½ teaspoon Himalayan salt
For breading – approx. amounts
½ cup all-purpose flour
1 cup Panko
½ cup aquafaba - whipped
Method
Place the rinsed and drained artichokes in a food processor. Pulse until the consistency of small pieces. Pour into a bowl.
Place the peppers, corn and onions into a food processor. Pulse until broken down a bit. Toss into the bowl with the artichokes.
Lightly whip aquafaba with a fork or I use an immersion blender for about 30 seconds.
Mix in aquafaba, Old Bay seasoning, garlic powder, parsley, paprika, and lemon juice. Stir in 1 cup of panko until well incorporated.
Scoop out mixture – about two tablespoons per cake.
Use your hands to do the final shaping. Put in the fridge to chill for about 15 minutes so they are easier to handle.
Dredge all the cakes in flour first.
Clean your hands.
Then dredge the floured cakes in a whipped aquafaba or flax egg, then panko.
Place them on a tray.
Cover with plastic wrap and place in fridge.
Refrigerate for an hour to set-up. I like to do it overnight. It can be a labour intensive process, so it is nice to do them in advance.
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Heat a non-stick pan to medium high. Spray with a little oil. Place artichoke cakes in the pan, brown on both sides (a couple of minutes per side). Don’t overcrowd the pan.
They can be served right out of the frying pan or held in the oven at 350 F.
I like to serve them with salsa and guacamole or lemon tahini dressing or chipotle sunflower seed sauce or aioli made with aquafaba instead of eggs.
[i] The seaweed adds nutrition and a little taste of sea
