This recipe calls for unsweetened coconut milk found in many local supermarkets; do not confuse it with sweetened coconut milk, usually found under the brand Coco Lopez and used for making tropical beverages.
2 slices French or Italian bread, crusts removed (to make 3/4 cup fresh bread crumbs)
1 cup cilantro leaves, lightly packed
1 piece peeled fresh ginger (1-by-1 1/2-inches)
2 medium green onions with tops, cut into 1-inch pieces
2 teaspoons Chinese chili sauce
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons fruit-based chutney (such as Major Grey’s Mango)
1 egg or 2 egg whites, lightly beaten
1 pound fresh crabmeat, picked over and blotted dry with paper towels
Asian Dipping Sauce
1/2 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon water
To make crab cakes: In a food processor with the metal blade, process bread into crumbs; measure 3/4 cup and remove to a medium bowl. In same processor bowl, process cilantro, ginger and green onions until minced. Add chili sauce and coconut milk and pulse until incorporated. Add lime juice, chutney, and egg; pulse 3 or 4 times to incorporate. Stir crabmeat into bread crumbs. Add contents of food processor and stir gently to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or overnight to firm up.
Meanwhile, make sauce: In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, vinegar and water. (The sauce may be refrigerated indefinitely.)
To bake: Place rack in upper third of oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Grease or spray a baking sheet. Using about 1 tablespoon crab mixture per cake, gently shape into small mounds and place about 1-inch apart on baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes or until golden. (The cakes may be refrigerated overnight or frozen. Reheat uncovered at 400 degrees for 10 minutes or until hot.) Serve hot or at room temperature with Asian Dipping Sauce. Makes about 40.
