On Our Table: Crab Cakes from The Sage Rabbit

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Chef John Foster opened his casual Chevy Chase restaurant Sage Rabbit in 2015 with his wife and partner, Nancy Everts, but Foster, the former owner of Harvest and current culinary chair and instructor at Sullivan University’s College of Hospitality Studies, has been a maven of Lexington’s farm-to-table food scene and advocate for local farmers for well over two decades. Whenever these crab cakes appear on one of his menus, they are a hit – particularly in warm-weather months, where they act as a perfect complement for fresh salads or seasonal veggie side dishes.

The recipe feeds a crowd of 20; pare down the ingredients proportionately for a smaller serving.

Located at 438 S. Ashland Ave., The Sage Rabbit is open for dinner Wednesday through Saturday.

Ingredients:

• 5 pounds blue lump crab meat, drained and lightly flaked

• 1 red bell pepper, charred over an open burner

• 1 medium shallot, diced

• 2 cloves garlic, minced

• 1 tablespoon fresh tarragon, chopped

• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

• Juice of 1 lemon

• Mayonnaise to bind the mix (approximately a cup and a half)

• Seasoned Panko breadcrumbs

• 2 ounces clarified butter

Method:

Heat oven to 350. Place the crab meat in a stainless-steel bowl and add the diced shallot, minced garlic, tarragon, Dijon and lemon juice. Mix gently but thoroughly. Skin and rinse the charred pepper, cut into small dice and fold into the mix in the bowl. Starting with a cup and a half of mayonnaise, mix it thoroughly in until the mixture holds together when pressed but doesn’t produce excess moisture or mayo. Using a portion scoop of your choice, drop two level scoops of the mix into seasoned Panko breadcrumbs. Roll the scoops in the breadcrumbs until well coated and flatten them into discs. Place them in a warm pan of clarified butter until one side is nicely browned. Turn the cakes over and brown the second side in the hot butter; place them in heated oven for several minutes to warm the crab cake through.

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