Moroccan Spiced Crab Cakes

Ingredients

• olive oil
• red bell pepper
• celery
• scallions
• fresh ginger
• ground cumin
• turmeric
• ground cardamom
• heavy cream
• lump crabmeat
• japanese-style bread crumbs
• parsley
• chives
• lemon zest
• cayenne pepper
• salt
• canola oil
• fresh orange juice

Preparation

1. 1cilantro-orange dressing
2. 2in a saucepan , boil the orange juice over moderately high heat until reduced to 2 tablespoons , about 8 minutes
3. 3let cool , then transfer to a blender
4. 4meanwhile , in a small dry skillet , toast the cumin seeds over moderate heat , shaking the pan occasionally , until fragrant , about 2 minutes
5. 5grind the cumin in a mortar or spice grinder
6. 6add the cumin to the blender along with the cilantro and lemon juice and blend until smooth
7. 7with the blender on , add the canola oil in a thin , steady stream
8. 8season with salt and cayenne
9. 9crab cakes
10. 10heat the olive oil in a nonstick skillet
11. 11add the red pepper and celery and cook over moderately high heat , stirring , until the vegetables are just softened , about 2 minutes
12. 12add the scallions and ginger and cook until the scallions are wilted , 1 to 2 minutes
13. 13stir in the cumin , turmeric and cardamom and cook until fragrant , about 1 minute
14. 14add the cream and boil until reduced by half , about 6 minutes
15. 15transfer to a bowl and let cool slightly
16. 16add the crabmeat to the cream mixture along with 1 / 4 cup plus 1 tablespoon of the bread crumbs , 1 1 / 2 tablespoons each of the parsley and chives , and the lemon zest
17. 17season with cayenne and salt and mix gently but thoroughly
18. 18with moistened hands , shape the crab mixture into 8 cakes , using a scant 1 / 3 cup for each