Scrab Cakes

From the Oddworld: Abe's Odyssey video game

 

In Oddworld: Abe's Oddysee, you play as Abe, a Mudokon slave working at Rupture Farms, a meat processing factory with a dark secret. You quickly discover that your people are next in line to become the factory’s latest product. As Abe, you embark on a perilous journey to escape the factory, rescue as many Mudokons as possible, and ultimately bring down Rupture Farms to save your kind.

 

Oddysee is a wonderfully underappreciated game, with a gripping narrative, eerie and captivating game design, a touch of dark humor, and challenging gameplay. I highly recommend it to anyone with an appetite for the slightly twisted.

 

Speaking of twisted appetites, today’s recipe is for Scrab Cakes—one of the many morally questionable food products produced by Rupture Farms. Scrabs, violent yet sacred creatures, are harvested to make these cakes, which are depicted as meat patties with a gooey green filling and a zigzag of orange sauce on top. For ethical reasons, I’ve swapped Scrab meat for crab meat. These cakes are packed with flavor, with a filling of spinach and avocado that mimics the mysterious green goo, and a simple spicy rémoulade that mirrors the orange sauce. You’ll get all the deliciousness of Scrab Cakes—with (almost) none of the guilt. Unless you have a shellfish thing.

Ingredients

 

For the Scrab Cakes:

• 1/2 a shallot, finely chopped
• 2 to 4 cloves garlic, minced 
• Butter or olive oil (for frying)
  
• 1 1/2 cups crab meat
• 2/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
• 1 to 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/3 cup shredded Romano cheese
• 1 egg, whisked
• 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 teaspoon lemon zest
  
• 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper (or to taste)
• Salt and pepper (to taste) 
• Splash of beet juice (optional, for color)

 

For the Filling:

• 1 cup spinach, chopped
• 1 large avocado, chopped
• 1 tablespoons lemon juice
• Salt (to taste)
  

 

For the Rémoulade:

• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise (for the rémoulade)
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  
• 1 tablespoon hot sauce of your choice (or to taste)

 

 

Directions:

1. In a pan, heat butter or olive oil over medium heat. Add the shallot and garlic, sautéing for a few minutes until softened and fragrant.

2. In a mixing bowl, combine the sautéed shallot and garlic with the remaining crab cake ingredients (excluding the butter or oil for frying). Mix thoroughly until well combined. If the mixture feels too wet, add a little more breadcrumbs or flour; if it’s too dry, adjust with extra mayonnaise or Worcestershire sauce.

3. In a separate small bowl, prepare the filling: Combine the chopped avocado and spinach, then toss with lemon juice and salt until evenly coated.

4. Shape half of the crab mixture into 10 to 12 flat, circular medallions. Place a heaping tablespoon of the spinach and avocado mixture in the center of half the medallions. Top with the remaining crab medallions and gently press to seal. Carefully form the cakes into patties and chill in the refrigerator for about an hour.

5. Heat butter or olive oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the crab cakes and cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crispy on the outside.

6. Once cooked, let the crab cakes cool slightly. Meanwhile, prepare the rémoulade by whisking together mayonnaise, lemon juice, and hot sauce to taste.

7. Drizzle the rémoulade over the crab cakes in a zigzag pattern. Snap some photos, then dig in and enjoy!

 

 

Don't play with your food unless it plays with you first.

 

This recipe has been reformatted and reworded for clarity. Some small changes have been made to the recipe to improve the flavor and streamline the method.