Spicy Crab Cakes with Horseradish Mayo

Ingredients

• 4-5 slices white bread
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
• 1 large egg yolk
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/2 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh or dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
• 1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
• 1 pound cooked fresh Dungeness crabmeat, picked over and drained
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons prepared horseradish
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• Kosher salt

Directions

1. Cut the bread into large pieces, then drop them into a food processor and pulse until they turn into fine crumbs; you want about 4 cups. Move the crumbs to a shallow bowl, mix in 1/2 cup of the fresh parsley, then wash and dry the processor bowl.
2. Add the yolk to the food processor along with lemon juice, Worcestershire, Tabasco, Dijon, paprika, thyme, celery seeds, and pepper. Pulse just until everything comes together. With the machine on, drizzle the olive oil through the feed tube in a slow, narrow stream, letting the mixture emulsify, then scrape the sauce into a large bowl.
3. Into that sauce, mix the onion, the bell pepper, and the remaining 1/4 cup of parsley. Add the crab and fold gently, because this is not the moment to mash it. Fold in half of the breadcrumb mixture with the same light hand.
4. Shape the mixture carefully into 6 crab cake patties. Coat them lightly on all sides with the breadcrumbs left in the bowl.
5. Cover the cakes with plastic wrap and slide them into the refrigerator for at least an hour.
6. Warm 2 tablespoons of butter in a large non-stick skillet set over medium heat. Cook the crab cakes gently in batches, giving each side 4 to 5 minutes, until the outside is browned and the centers are hot. If the skillet looks dry, add more butter.
7. For the horseradish mayonnaise, stir the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl until smooth. Taste, season as needed, cover, and refrigerate.