More Recipes from the kitchen of Chef John Hamilton to help you cook like a pro this Holiday Season. This recipe is one that Chef John has made for a number of select Christmas parties held at SB Prime restaurant recently, if you tried them - you loved them...and now you can make them too. It's an easy to prepare recipe for Panko Breaded Crab Cakes...enjoy!

Panko breaded crab cakes

1 lb crab meat (not the fake stuff)

2 eggs

juice of 1 lemon and lime plus zest

1 tbls chopped garlic

1 small shallot chopped

2 tbls fresh chopped parsley

1 tbls fresh chopped dill

1 tsp garlic powder

1 tsp hot sauce

½ tsp cayenne pepper

salt and pepper to taste

flour

panko crumbs

drain crab meat and squeeze out liquid

chop the crab mead roughly.

Add meat to bowl along with all other ingredient except the flour and panko

Mix well

Next, sift the flour into the mixture while stirring. Sift in just enough flour to turn the mixtures into a stiff batter.

Portion into ½ golf ball size portions and form into small cakes. Do not layer the cakes together.

Heat a large cast iron skillet; add some canola oil to cover the bottom of the pan.

When the oil just starts to smoke, take a crab cake one a time and dredge it into panko crumbs then transfer it to the skillet. Work in batches of six a time.

With a slotted spatula, turn cake over, when they have reached a golden, crispy texture.

Transfer cakes to a plate lined wit paper towel.

These cakes can be made ahead of time, and then heated in an oven, but they are best served straight from the pan.

Serve with lemon wedges, cocktail sauce or chipotle aioli.