Crab Cakes With a Kick

DEAR SOS: I dined at a little restaurant in Monrovia recently called Cafe Mundial. They had the nicest crab cakes with a lovely lemon-type sauce, that I would love to make at home. Thanks for your help.

ROBERTA MARTI

Altadena

DEAR ROBERTA: Chef Aristides Rivas is as nice as his crab cakes: He sent the recipe. He says the crab cakes can be served with vegetables and potatoes as an entree or on a small bed of mango and papaya as an appetizer.

Crab Cakes With Mustard Sauce

Active Work Time: 40 minutes * Total Preparation Time: 1 hour

Plate and napkins from Crate & Barrel stores.

CRAB CAKES

1 pound shredded fresh or frozen crab meat

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

3 tablespoons finely minced carrot

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2/3 cup minced green onions

1/2 large baked potato, peeled and mashed lightly with fork

1 teaspoon chopped cilantro

1 teaspoon soy sauce

1/2 cup bread crumbs

3 tablespoons oil

Heat the oven to 425 degrees.

Combine the crab meat, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, whole-grain mustard, carrot, lime juice, green onions, potato, cilantro, soy sauce and bread crumbs. Form into patties about 3 inches in diameter.

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat and cook half the patties until they’re golden brown on one side, 4 to 5 minutes. Remove them to a baking sheet. Cook the remaining patties and add them to the baking sheet.

Bake the crab cakes until they’re heated through, about 3 minutes. Serve with Mustard Sauce.

MUSTARD SAUCE

1 clove garlic, minced

2 shallots, minced

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup white wine

1/2 cup clam juice

1 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon whole-grain mustard

Cook the garlic and shallots in the butter over medium heat until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the wine and clam juice and continue cooking until the liquid is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the cream and continue to cook until the sauce is again reduced by half, 10 minutes. Add the Dijon mustard and lemon juice. Cook for 1 minute and strain. Stir in the whole-grain mustard and serve. Makes about 3/4 cup.

4 to 5 servings. Each of 5 servings: 453 calories; 1,410 mg sodium; 88 mg cholesterol; 29 grams fat; 9 grams saturated fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 19 grams protein; 1.88 grams fiber.

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Send requests to Culinary SOS, Food Section, Los Angeles Times, 202 W. 1st St., Los Angeles, CA 90012 or e-mail to: cindy.dorn@latimes.com. Please include your last name and city of residence for publication. Include restaurant address when requesting recipes from restaurants. We are unable to answer recipe requests by mail.