Hong Kong Crab Cakes with Baby Bok Choy

Name: Hong Kong Crab Cakes with Baby Bok Choy
Yield: makes 4 crabs cakes (serves 2)
Ingredients: 2 garlic cloves, minced; 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger; Peanut oil; 1 pound lump crabmeat, preferably Dungeness, picked over for shells; 1 cup fresh bread crumbs (see Note); 1 green onion, finely chopped, white and green parts; 2 tablespoons mayonnaise; 1 1/2 teaspoons red chili paste, such as sambal; Juice of 1 lemon; 1 egg white; Sea salt and ground white pepper; Peanut oil; 2-inch piece fresh ginger; 2 heads baby bok choy, halved lengthwise; 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce; 1/4 cup oyster sauce; Juice of 1/2 lemon; 2 tablespoons brown sugar; Toasted sesame seeds (see Note), chopped cilantro, and sliced green onion, for garnish

December 9, 2011

Hong Kong is a truly eye-popping place for a food lover. The dai pai dong (food stalls) around Stanley Street on Hong Kong Island are full of noodle shops, fishmongers, live chickens, and a dazzling display of the strangest produce I have ever seen. The whole place smells like ginger and fresh coriander—I had a blast. When I got back to New York I was playing around with some of the flavors that I had experienced and came up with these crab cakes. Although crab cakes are not exactly Chinese, the flavors are pure Hong Kong. These crab cakes can easily be prepared ahead of time. Serve with Perfect Steamed Jasmine Rice (page 240).

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