Crabmeat Patties with Vodka-lime Sauce

Light and airy, these patties are accompanied with a fantastic contrast sauce made with vodka, limes and yogurt. If seafood allergies are an issue, try this with ground turkey. It's delicious either way.

Yields: 4 Servings

Ingredients

¹⁄₂	lb	fresh lump crabmeat
¹⁄₂	tsp	canola oil
1		medium shallot (finely chopped)
¹⁄₂		red pepper (finely chopped)
2		small stalks of celery from its core with greens (finely chopped)
3	clove	garlic (finely chopped or pressed)
1	tsp	sea salt (or to taste)
¹⁄₄	tsp	tabasco Sauce
2		fresh limes
2	tbsp	vodka
1	q	Stonyfield Organic Low Fat Plain Yogurt (to yield 1 cup yogurt cheese*)
1	tsp	Dijon mustard
1	c	seasoned Italian bread crumbs
		Dash of cayenne pepper
¹⁄₂	c	Panko (japanese bread crumbs)
2	tbsp	fresh cilantro chopped
¹⁄₄	c	grape seed oil

Directions

*For Yogurt Cheese: Using a yogurt cheese maker or layered cheese cloth, strain the whey from 1 quart of yogurt overnight in the refrigerator. This should yield 1 cup of yogurt cheese.
Make sure crabmeat is completely drained of all its liquid and pat dry with a paper towel if needed then place crabmeat in a bowl. In a skillet over medium heat pour canola oil and sauté the shallots, red pepper and celery until they start to caramelize. Stir in garlic and continue to sauté for another 2 minutes or until garlic starts to brown.
Mix 1/2 cup of bread crumbs in with the crabmeat, then add the sauté vegetables, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, tabasco sauce, 1/2 teaspoon lime juice, 1/2 cup yogurt, mustard. In a separate bowl, mix 1/2 cup bread crumbs, 1/2 cup corn flakes crumbs, 1 tablespoon of fresh chopped cilantro and a dash of cayenne pepper. Separate the crabmeat mixture into 4 patties. Start forming each patty with you hands and coat with the dry ingredients. Patties should be loose, airy and flaky. In a skillet over medium heat pour grape seed oil and wait a few second. Fry the patties (turning carefully with a wide spatula) until each side is golden brown, about 2 minutes.
In a separate bowl, mix in 1/2 cup yogurt cheese, 1/2 teaspoon of salt (or to taste), 1 to 3 tablespoons of vodka and 1 tablespoon of chopped cilantro 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice, zest of one lime, using the same lime, peel and segment and then cut into small pieces. Serve on a bed of lettuce topped with yogurt sauce and a sprig of fresh cilantro.