Crab Cakes with Lemongrass Mayonnaise

• Recipe by Hans Röckenwagner

Ingredients

MAYONNAISE

1. 1 cup canola oil
2. One 2-inch piece peeled fresh ginger, thinly sliced
3. 1 stalk of fresh lemongrass, bottom 4 inches only, thinly sliced
4. 1 tablespoon mirin
5. 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
6. 1 1/2 teaspoons dry mustard
7. 2 large egg yolks
8. Salt and freshly ground white pepper

PICKLED MELON

1. 2 cups water
2. 1/2 cup sugar
3. 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
4. 1 teaspoon coriander seeds
5. 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
6. 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
7. 1 bay leaf
8. 2 1/2 cups honeydew melon balls 

CRAB CAKES

1. 3 tablespoons minced scallions
2. 1 tablespoon finely chopped basil
3. 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro
4. 1 1/2 cups panko or coarse dry bread crumbs, plus more for coating
5. 1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over
6. Salt and freshly ground white pepper
7. 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
8. 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1. MAKE THE MAYONNAISE: In a saucepan, combine the canola oil, ginger and lemongrass. Cook over moderately low heat until small bubbles appear around the side, 10 minutes. Let cool, then strain. In a blender or mini food processor, combine the mirin, rice vinegar, dry mustard and egg yolks; process until smooth. With the machine on, add the infused oil in a thin stream and process until emulsified. Season with salt and white pepper. 
2. MAKE THE PICKLED MELON: In a saucepan, combine the water, sugar, vinegar, coriander seeds, mustard seeds, crushed red pepper and bay leaf and simmer until the sugar has dissolved. In a heatproof bowl, carefully toss the melon balls with the brine and let cool. 
3. MAKE THE CRAB CAKES: In a bowl, mix 3/4 cup of the lemongrass mayonnaise, the scallions, basil, cilantro and the 1 1/2 cups of bread crumbs. Add the crab and season with salt and white pepper. Pat the mixture into 8 cakes about 3/4 inch thick; coat with bread crumbs. Set the cakes on a wax paper-lined plate. 
4. In a nonstick skillet, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add half of the crab cakes and cook over moderately high heat, turning once, until golden, 6 minutes; drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining butter, oil and crab cakes. Set 2 crab cakes on each plate and add a dollop of the mayonnaise. Discard the bay leaf from the melon balls and serve in small bowls.