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Seafood

Mexican Crab Cakes with Serrano Cream

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Mexican Crab Cakes with Serrano Cream use rich, buttery, Dungeness crab and just enough Panko with a creamy serrano cilantro lime sauce.

Crab cakes are so versatile. Pairing crab with end of summer vegetables like corn and zucchini makes for a seasonal favorite. I tend to pick up on the Mexican inspired flavor with almost every dish I make. I like the bright, colorful ingredients and love the spice.

This recipe calls for Dungeness crab, local to the Pacific Northwest. It’s a rich, buttery, dense meat. I have been known to eat an entire bowl of shelled Dungeness crab all to myself. It’s memories for me. We would spend the weekends crabbing and fishing in the San Juan Islands. Bringing home our catch, there were crab to shell and fish to fillet. My love for seafood started young and continues into my passion for cooking and sharing recipes with you.

Ingredients in Mexican Crab Cakes with Serrano Cream

  • Dungeness Crab – Rich, buttery crab shelled and all juices gently squeezed out.
  • Corn on the Cob – Yellow for color, cut off the cob.
  • Zucchini – Small fresh zucchini.
  • Panko Bread Crumbs – Plain Panko bread crumbs are light and crispy.
  • Red Bell Pepper – Adds that little bit of texture and color.
  • Celery – Fine diced celery adds a fresh flavor.
  • Green Onion – a.k.a. scallions
  • Garlic – I keep a bottle of minced garlic in my refrigerator.
  • Serrano Pepper – Serrano has a similar heat to jalapeno, but more flavor.
  • Sour Cream – Either sour cream or Mexican Crema would work.
  • Cilantro – Fresh cilantro.
  • Lime – Fresh squeezable lime.
  • Avocado – Just ripe and ready to slice.
  • Spices – Chipotle powder, salt and pepper
  • Pantry Items – Agave nectar, mayonnaise, avocado oil
Mexican Crab Cakes with Serrano Cream use rich, buttery, Dungeness crab and just enough Panko with a creamy serrano cilantro lime sauce.

Related Recipes

Mexican Crab Cakes with Serrano Cream use rich, buttery, Dungeness crab and just enough Panko with a creamy serrano cilantro lime sauce.

Mexican Crab Cakes with Serrano Cream

Mexican Crab Cakes with Serrano Cream use rich, buttery, Dungeness crab and just enough Panko with a creamy serrano cilantro lime sauce.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Resting time 1 hr
Course Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine Mexican, PNW
Servings 4 crab cakes

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 lb. Dungeness lump crab meat
  • 1/2 cup mayonnaise
  • 1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
  • 1 tsp green onion minced
  • 1/4 cup red bell pepper diced
  • 1/8 cup celery minced
  • 1/4 tsp minced garlic
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 1/2 tbsp. butter
  • 1 tbsp. avocado oil

Serrano Cream

  • 1/2 cup sour cream
  • 1 serrano pepper diced
  • 1/4 cup fresh cilantro
  • 1 tsp. minced garlic
  • 1 lime juiced and zested
  • 1 tsp. agave nectar

Garnish

  • 1 ear yellow corn cut off the cob
  • 1 cup zucchini diced
  • 1 pinch chipotle or cayenne powder
  • 1/2 tbsp. avocado oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 tbsp. fresh cilantro chopped
  • 1/2 avocado sliced

Instructions
 

Crab Cakes

  • Gather lump crab meat in a paper towel and squeeze out excess moisture. Place lump crab meat in a mixing bowl with mayonnaise, Panko bread crumbs and green onion.
  • Sauté red bell pepper, celery and garlic in 1/2 tbsp. butter over medium high heat for about 1 minute, until just softened. Remove from heat and let cool, then add to lump crab mixture. Season with salt and pepper.
  • Gently combine ingredients, making sure not to over mix. You want the lump crab to remain in lump form. When combined, form into 4 even patties. Place on a plate, cover with saran wrap and refrigerate at least an hour, preferably overnight.
  • When ready to cook, pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Remove crab cakes from refrigerator and let rest while you heat your sauté pan to medium high. Add avocado oil to pan and let warm. Place crab cakes in pan and brown for about 2 1/2 minutes on each side, adding remaining 1 tbsp. butter to pan after flipping to second side. Remove from sauté pan, place on sheet pan and bake in oven for about 5 minutes while you make serrano cream and garnish.

Serrano Cream

  • Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until smooth and creamy.

Garnish

  • Sauté zucchini and corn in avocado oil a small pan over medium high heat for about 1-2 minutes. Remove from heat, season with salt, pepper and chipotle powder. Toss in cilantro.
  • Plate crab cakes over a spoonful of Serrano Cream with garnish of zucchini and corn on top. Place sliced avocado on top of that.
Keyword Crispy Crab Cakes, Dungeness crab, Easy Crab Cakes

Avocado Pineapple Salad with Halibut

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Light and refreshing Avocado Pineapple Salad with Halibut takes Summer into full swing and simplifies your weeknight dinner.

Creamy sliced avocado pairs with bright juicy pineapple and fresh herb greens in a light agave lime dressing. This makes for the perfect Summer salad to top with seared halibut. I like the rich, buttery taste of local halibut, but you can use your favorite seasonal white fish as a substitute. This easy weeknight meal comes together in less than 15 minutes and that is what I call the perfect dish, especially on those hot nights.

What makes this meal so easy is the short list of ingredients. Grab a box of mixed herb greens from your grocery or if you’re lucky enough to have a garden, use what you have. The addition of avocado and pineapple is something I learned from one of my favorite Mexican restaurants. It’s a combination that I never would have thought to pair, but is now a favorite go-to salad ingredient. Most of the ingredients on the list are common pantry items. It’s always a good idea to have a stocked pantry – You can create great things with protein, vegetable and pantry items.

Ingredients in Avocado Pineapple Salad with Halibut

  • Halibut – Fresh halibut, about 1 inch thick fillets – Can substitute another white fish.
  • Avocado – Pick a firm, not hard, avocado perfect for slicing.
  • Pineapple – I always smell test / pluck a frond easily to pick the juiciest pineapple.
  • Herb Salad Greens – Grab a container of herb salad greens from the produce of your grocery.
  • Lime – Rolling your lime on the counter helps create more juice.
  • Agave Nectar – A sweetener sometimes found in the baking aisle of your grocery.
  • Dijon Mustard – Always keep on hand for salad dressings, adds zing and viscosity.
  • Pantry Items – Garlic, white wine, olive oil, salt, pepper, butter.

Try These Similar Halibut Recipes

Light and refreshing Avocado Pineapple Salad with Halibut takes Summer into full swing and simplifies your weeknight dinner.

Avocado Pineapple Salad with Halibut

Light and refreshing Avocado Pineapple Salad with Halibut takes Summer into full swing and simplifies your weeknight dinner.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 6 mins
Course Dinner, Main Course, Salad
Cuisine Farm to Table, Seafood
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

Halibut

  • 4 fillets halibut or other white fish about 1 inch thick
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 2 tbsp. butter

Avocado Pineapple Salad

  • 4 cups fresh herb salad greens
  • 2 avocados outer shell and pit removed, sliced
  • 1 small pineapple skinned, cored, sliced in long strips

Agave Lime Dressing

  • 1/2 cup fresh lime juice
  • 2 tsp. agave nectar
  • 1 tsp. Dijon mustard
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1/2 tsp. cracked black pepper
  • 1-2 pinch salt

Instructions
 

Halibut

  • Heat a large heavy bottom pan over medium high heat. Add olive oil and swirl. Pat halibut fillets dry with a paper towel, then season lightly with salt and pepper. Place fillets in middle of pan with space between them.
  • Sear halibut fillets until they turn opaque half way up the thickness of the fillet. This should take about 3 minutes on a 1 inch thick fillet. Flip over. Add wine, garlic and then butter. Cook for another 3 minutes or until completely opaque.
  • Remove and place on top of avocado pineapple salad.

Avocado Pineapple Salad

  • Gently combine avocado and pineapple with fresh herb green mix. Drizzle agave lime dressing over the top (You may have extra – just cover, refrigerate and save for later) Divide into 4 portions and top each with halibut.

Agave Lime Dressing

  • Combine lime juice, agave and Dijon mustard. Slowly whisk in olive oil. Season with cracked black pepper and salt.
Keyword 15 minute dinners, Summer Salad

Creamy Spring Pasta with Shrimp

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Creamy Spring Pasta with Shrimp combines first of the season asparagus and peas in a cream based sauce with tender garlic shrimp.

Creamy Spring Pasta with Shrimp combines first of the season asparagus and peas in a cream based sauce with tender garlic shrimp.

This Creamy Spring Pasta uses Argentinian Pink Shrimp

These are a little sweeter than the average shrimp, almost taking on a lobster taste. They are wild caught off the coast of Argentina and are a beautiful deep pink color when raw. I like to keep a bag of these large shrimp in my freezer at all times for a quick addition to any meal. They thaw out in no time at all and can even be added to your sauté pan slightly frozen top ensure a very moist, tender bite.

Leave the shells on for more flavor. If you notice the photo shows shell on shrimp. It’s not just for looks, leaving the shell on adds more flavor to the dish. Sure, it can be little messier, but then again, it’s also more fun to eat! Take it one step further and save those shells. Keep a bag of seafood shells in your freezer for when you need to make stock.

Creamy Spring Pasta with Shrimp combines first of the season asparagus and peas in a cream based sauce with tender garlic shrimp.

Ingredients in Creamy Spring Pasta with Shrimp

  • Shrimp – Jumbo, Argentinian Pink Shrimp. I left the shell on for flavor, but you can discard.
  • Asparagus – Fresh, Spring asparagus. Snap the ends off instead of cutting.
  • Sugar Peas – Fresh, Spring sugar peas. Break some open for fun.
  • White Wine – I use an inexpensive Pinot Grigio for cooking.
  • Garlic – Minced garlic, either fresh or jarred.
  • Pasta – Fresh linguini or fettuccini is always best homemade or from the refrigerator aisle.
  • Crème Fraiche – Similar to sour cream, found near the specialty cheeses in the deli section. If you can’t find, just use sour cream.
  • Parmesan Cheese – If you can, grate your own. It’s so much better and fresh.
  • Red Chili Flakes – Just a pinch for a little excitement.
  • Pantry Items – Good olive oil and real butter.
Creamy Spring Pasta with Shrimp combines first of the season asparagus and peas in a cream based sauce with tender garlic shrimp.

Creamy Spring Pasta With Shrimp

Creamy Spring Pasta with Shrimp combines first of the season asparagus and peas in a cream based sauce with tender shrimp.
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 5 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Course Dinner
Cuisine Pasta, Seafood
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

Shrimp

  • 12 Argentinian Pink Shrimp cleaned and deveined
  • 1 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. minced garlic
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 1 pinch red chili flakes
  • 1 tbsp. butter
  • 1 lemon sliced in wedges for serving

Pasta

  • 10 oz. fresh linguini
  • 1/4 cup crème fraiche
  • 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese
  • 1/2 lemon juiced

Asparagus and Peas

  • 1 bundle asparagus ends snapped off
  • 4 oz. sugar peas cut diagonal in half
  • 1 tbsp. butter
  • 1/2 lemon juiced
  • salt and pepper to taste

Instructions
 

Pasta

  • Cook pasta according to package directions. Save a cup of pasta water for thinning.
  • Drain pasta, immediately add crème fraiche, lemon juice and parmesan cheese. Set aside when you make shrimp. If the pasta sauce thickens over time, just use a splash of pasta water to thin.

Shrimp

  • Sauté shrimp over medium high heat in olive oil and garlic for about 2 minutes, then turn each one over.
  • Add white wine and chili flakes, continuing cooking for about another 2 minutes or until fully opaque in the center.
  • Add butter, toss to combine and turn off the heat.
  • * Cooking times will vary depending on the size of your shrimp.

Asparagus and Peas

  • Fill a sauté pan with just enough water to cover asparagus. Bring to a boil and cook asparagus until nearly fork tender, but still firm. Remove asparagus to an ice water bath.
  • Sauté asparagus and peas in butter over medium high heat for about 2 minutes or until just cooked through, but still bright green. Remove from heat and add lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Serving

  • Place pasta in a large serving bowl, layering in the shrimp, asparagus and peas. Serve with lemon wedges.
Keyword spring pasta

More Recipes Like This

One Pan Halibut with Lemon Chive Pistou

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This One Pan Halibut with Lemon Chive Pistou is pan seared along with garlic, butter, white wine and on-the-vine-tomatoes for a quick dinner that feels restaurant fancy.

Ready in just 6 minutes AND only uses one pan means this is the perfect weeknight dinner. Fresh, local halibut doesn’t take long to cook to perfection. It’s moist, buttery and drizzled with flavor from the lemon chive pistou.

Lemon Chive Pistou tops the One Pan Halibut

What is a lemon chive pistou? It’s really just a fancy way of saying herbed oil and with so few ingredients, you want to use the best oil you have on hand. My newest find is a smoked olive oil from Castillo de Canena, which pairs lovely with herbs or citrus, like my Smoked Citrus Salad. If your local to the Pacific Northwest, you can find it at Taylor Shellfish Farms in Bow, WA or scroll down to find it on Amazon.

Ingredients

  • Halibut – Fresh halibut, about 1 inch thick.
  • On-the-vine-tomatoes – Campari tomatoes are perfect, a little larger than cherry tomatoes.
  • Garlic – For this recipe, I used pre-minced garlic to save time.
  • White Wine – I keep an inexpensive bottle of Pinot Grigio on hand for cooking.
  • Chives – Fresh chives from the garden or the produce aisle at the grocery.
  • Lemon – One half of a lemon, juiced and zested.
  • Pantry Items – Olive oil, butter, salt and pepper.
Buttery One Pan Halibut topped with Lemon Chive Pistou

Easy to Follow One Pan Halibut Video

Make this One Pan Halibut with Lemon Chive Pistou in just 6 minutes. Watch the video and see how easy this weeknight meal is to make.

More Halibut Recipes

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Pan seared halibut ready in 6 minutes

One Pan Halibut with Lemon Chive Pistou

Pan seared halibut feels special when topped with lemon chive pistou and served along side tomatoes on the vine
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Cook Time 6 mins
Course Dinner
Cuisine Seafood
Servings 2

Ingredients
  

  • 2 halibut fillets about 1 inch thick
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 1 tsp. minced garlic
  • 1 bunch Campari tomatoes on the vine
  • 1/4 cup white wine
  • 2 tbsp. butter

Lemon Chive Pistou

  • 1 tbsp. fresh chives minced
  • 3 tbsp. smoked olive oil can sub regular olive oil
  • 1/4 tsp. minced garlic
  • 1 generous pinch salt
  • 1/2 lemon juiced and zested

Instructions
 

  • Make the Lemon Chive Pistou by combing chives, olive oil, garlic, salt, lemon juice and zest. Set aside until ready to serve.
  • Heat a large heavy bottom pan over medium high heat. Add olive oil and swirl. Pat halibut fillets dry with a paper towel, then season lightly with salt and pepper. Place fillets in middle on pan with space between them.
  • Sear halibut fillets until they turn opaque half way up the thickness of the fillet. This should take about 3 minutes on a 1 inch thick fillet. Flip over. Add tomatoes, still on the vine, wine, garlic and then butter. Cook for another 3 minutes or until completely opaque.
  • Remove from pan and plate with tomatoes on the vine. Spoon Lemon Chive Pistou over the top.
Keyword Dinner for Two, Pan Seared Halibut

Grilled Red Chile Halibut

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Grilled Red Chile Halibut uses roasted Mexican red chilies and cinnamon for a warm, earthy take on the seasonal Pacific Northwest halibut.

Every Spring I look forward to the beginning of halibut season. Here in the Pacific Northwest, we have the luxury of fresh fish every season. One of the most versatile and meaty fish, halibut holds up to the depth of roasted chilies in this Grilled Red Chile Halibut. Chile peppers and cinnamon create an earthy, spicy sauce with sweet undertones that only gets better when grilled. The addition of grilled sweet corn, cilantro and fresh lime really completes the dish.

Toasted Mexican red chilies and cinnamon add a warm, earthy spice to this Grilled Red Chile Halibut

Grilled Red Chile Halibut

Toasted Mexican red chilies and cinnamon add a warm, earthy spice to this Grilled Red Chile Halibut
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 8 mins
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Mexican
Servings 4

Ingredients
  

  • 1 lb. Halibut fillet
  • 4 tbsp. Red Chile Sauce, see below
  • 4 ears corn on the cob
  • 1 lime cut in wedges
  • 1 handful cilantro rough chopped

Red Chile Sauce

  • 2 Chilies de Arbol
  • 2 Pasilla Chilies
  • 2 New Mexico Chilies
  • 1/2 small yellow onion quartered
  • 1/2 tsp. achiote powder
  • 1/2 tsp. cinnamon powder
  • 1 tsp. garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp. agave nectar
  • 3 cups chicken broth warmed
  • 1 tbsp. lard

Instructions
 

  • Toast chilies and onion in a dry cast iron pan over medium high heat for about 3-5 minutes. They will start to soften and release aroma. Careful not to burn – they will taste bitter if burned.
  • Remove chilies and onion to a blender. Add achiote powder, cinnamon powder, garlic, agave nectar and warm chicken broth. Blend until very smooth.
  • Heat lard in the cast iron pan over medium high heat. Pour in Red Chile Sauce and simmer for about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and cool completely.
  • Coat halibut fillet in about 4 tbsp. Red Chile Sauce. Grill over charcoal, skin side down, for about 8 minutes or until fish turns opaque in the middle and starts to flake when you push on it with a fork. While you are grilling halibut, add the corn to the grill and rotate as each side gets a little charred.
  • Cut the grilled corn off the cob and toss with cilantro and fresh squeezed lime. Serve over grilled halibut.
Keyword Grilled Halibut, Mexican Halibut

Ingredients

  • Halibut – Fresh, in season halibut is best, but you can easily substitute another meaty white fish such as cod.
  • Dried Mexican Chilies – Pasilla (rich, pungent) , New Mexico (sweet, fruity) and Arbol (spicy) found in the Mexican aisle of your grocery.
  • Cinnamon – Ground cinnamon adds a warm taste that pairs well with Mexican chilies.
  • Achiote Powder – Red spice with mild, earthy flavor and sweet undertones.
  • Onion – I like using either Walla Walla Sweet or Vidalia onion.
  • Garlic – For this recipe I used chopped garlic in the jar, which gives a more muted garlic taste.
  • Agave Nectar – Sweetener that looks similar to honey, found in the baking aisle of the grocery.
  • Chicken Broth – If you can’t use homemade, I suggest Better Than Bouillon brand.
  • Lard – Save your bacon grease and use that or purchase a block lard from the grocery.
  • Corn on the Cob – Fresh corn on the cob, husked and grilled
  • Lime – Fresh lime cut into wedges and used as a garnish for corn and fish
  • Cilantro – Fresh cilantro, just tear off a handful and rough chop for garnish.

Preparation

  1. Toast dried chilies and onion in a dry cast iron pan over medium high heat until fragrant.
  2. Blend toasted chilies and onion with achiote powder, garlic, agave nectar and warm chicken broth.
  3. Heat lard in cast iron pan over medium high heat. Add red chile sauce to pan.
  4. Cook for about 5 minutes. Remove and let cool before coating halibut.
  5. Coat halibut with about 4 tbsp. of the red chile sauce. Freeze or refrigerate the rest for another use.
  6. Grill halibut skin side down for about 8 minutes, depending on thickness of fillet, until opaque in center when flaked with a fork. Grill corn at same time, constantly rotating to get even grill marks. Remove when charred all around.
  7. Cut corn off the cob and toss with lime juice and cilantro. Serve over halibut.

You Will Love GRILLED HALIBUT in Roasted Tomatillo Sauce

You’ve tried the Grilled Red Chile Halibut, now try the green! Grilled Halibut in a Tomatillo Sauce

Halibut in roasted tomatillo sauce with crispy fried onions
Meaty, buttery grilled halibut in a roasted tomatillo sauce with crispy fried onions

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