I need a good crab cake or fish cake recipe

I generally wing it. Sometimes, I add various things like green onion, jalapenos or red or yellow bell pepper or roasted jalapeno or capers... Just depends on the mood and whether I'm using a sauce and, if so, which one.

For a pound of jumbo lump crabmeat, I use an egg, some mayo-just enough to bind-about 1/3 cup,good bit of lemon zest, Old Bay or salt and pepper, fresh bread crumbs (they're so much better than the dry) and not too many of them. I refrigerate the mixture awhile before forming the cakes and then I refrigerate the cakes before pan frying them. I usually use panko for the outside.

Went to a leisure cooking. Class at LA culinary instuite and we used mashed potato as the binder instead of mayo or eggs, came out great, best to form the cakes and let them sit in fridge for several hours or even overnight before cooking

If you want to try it with potatoes in the mix, here is a recipe from an Opelousas cafe. I copied it out of the paper (The Advocate?) a few years ago.

Pappa's House Crab Cakes

1 pound claw crab meat
1 pound backfin crab meat, cleaned
1 1/2 tablespoons Creole or Cajun seasoning
4 ounces (1 tube) saltine crackers
4 ounces chopped roasted red peppers or pimentos
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1/4 cup chopped green onions
4 ounces heavy cream
4 ounces mashed potatoes
1 cup plain bread crumbs
4 ounces butter-flavored oil

Combine crab meat in large bowl and fold together gently. Add Creole seasoning, cracker crumbs, roasted red peppers, parsley and green onions, again folding together gently.
Combine cream and mashed potatoes in separate container and whip until smooth. Add potato mixture to crab meat mixture and fold together. Place crab cake mixture in refrigerator for 1 hour to distribute seasonings. Remove and press into 2-ounce round cakes.

To cook, heat oil in large skillet. Pass crab cakes through bread crumbs to coat. Carefully place cakes in skillet and cook until golden brown.


Taco Chili Tartar Sauce

1 pound tasso, finely chopped
3 poblano peppers, smoked, seeded and finely chopped
8 ounces onions, finely chopped
12 ounces sweet pickle relish
48 ounces mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Louisiana Hot Sauce
1 tablespoon Lea and Perrin's
1 tablespoon liquid smoke

Combine all ingredients in container. Refrigerate for 24 hours to distribute flavors. Serve with sautéed crab cakes.

Source: Chef Danny Landry, Pappa's House of Crawfish and Grill