Spiny Lobster Hash Cakes with Piccalilli Tartar Sauce
Editor's Note: Steamed lobster might get all the press, but these Spiny Lobster Hash Cakes with Piccalilli Tartar Sauce are worth a try! This seafood recipe includes plenty of lobster with generous portions of potatoes, herbs, and seasoning. The result is a seafood recipe you'll want to keep in your repertoire the next time you're planning a meal for a special occasion. Whether you have a birthday party, a milestone event, or other event on your calendar, this recipe is sure to be a hit with the crowd. In addition, these lobster hash cakes also use the author's recipe for Piccalilli Tartar Sauce.
Makes8 hash cakes
Cooking MethodBaking
CostModerate
Occasional Fresco, Buffet, Buffet Meal, Casual Dinner Party, Family Get Together
Recipe CourseMain Course, Side Dish
MealDinner, Snack
Taste and TextureGarlicky, Savory
Ingredients
- 1 pound spiny (or other) cooked lobster meat or peeled and deveined shrimp, chopped into small- to medium-size pieces
- 10 ounces Idaho potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
- 10 ounces boniato sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into quarters
- 4 teaspoons butter
- 1/2 medium red onion, peeled and chopped
- 2 scallions, trimmed and chopped cross-wise (only some of the green included)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro leaves
- 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme leaves
- 2 egg yolks, stirred
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cayenne
- Kosher salt and cracked black pepper
- Canola oil for sautéing
Instructions
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Put the potatoes and boniato in a pot of water to cover them and bring to a simmer. Simmer until just tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain well and put in the refrigerator to chill.
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Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat and add the butter. When it foams, add the onion, scallions, and garlic, stirring to coat, and cook until softened, 3 to 5 minutes.
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Remove from the heat. Add the basil, cilantro, and thyme and let cool slightly, then transfer the vegetable and herb mixture to a large bowl and let cool completely.
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Mix in the egg yolks, cayenne, and salt and black pepper to taste.
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Shred the potatoes and boniato on the large holes of a box grater.
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Combine the potatoes and boniato with the egg, vegetable, and herb mixture. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed.
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Add the lobster meat. Put 1/2 cup of the mash into a ring mold (or form with your hands) to shape. Slide the ring mold off and continue until you have made all the cakes, putting them on a plate. Chill the cakes very well in the refrigerator to allow them to set up.
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Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
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Heat a heavy skillet over medium heat and add a little canola oil. Sauté the hash cakes until golden brown and crispy on each side. It helps to start cooking the cakes in the sauté pan in the ring molds (they must be heatproof of course) to keep them formed while they crisp. Take care to turn them gently. You can work in batches if you don’t have eight rings.
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Transfer to the oven and bake until cooked through, 5 to 8 minutes.
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Serve warm with the Piccalilli Tartar Sauce.
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Excerpted from Norman Van Aken's Florida Kitchen, by Norman Van Aken. Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2017. Reprinted by permission of the University Press of Florida.
