Yield: 6 Servings

Ingredients:

Sauce Picante
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• ½ ounce chopped garlic
• ½ jalapeno, finely diced
• 2 ounces onion, finely diced
• 2 ounces celery, finely diced
• 2 ounces green peppers, finely diced
• 4 ounces fresh tomato, medium diced
• 16 ounces tomato juice
• 1 sprig fresh tarragon, chopped
  
  
Crab cakes
• 1 ½ pounds jumbo lump crabmeat
• 3 ounces red onion, finely diced
• 2 ounces red bell pepper, finely diced
• 2 ounces green pepper, finely diced
• 4 ounces mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons Creole mustard
• 1 teaspoon horseradish grated
• ½ ounce fresh thyme
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Salt and fresh black pepper to taste

Method:

For sauce picante:
Heat olive oil in a medium size pot. Sweat jalapenos, garlic, onion, celery, and green pepper in oil, about 3 minutes. Add tomato juice and stew for 10 minutes. Add the fresh tomato and tarragon at the end.

For crab cakes:
Combine all the ingredients and fold together. Be careful to do this gently so as not to break up the crab. Season to taste.

Divide the mixture into 6 balls and flatten down to make the cakes. Sear crab cakes in a non-stick skillet on medium heat. Turn over and sear the other side.

To serve:
Toss shaved fennel in cane vinegar. Divide fennel equally among six plates. Drizzle sauce picante over fennel. Place crab cake on top.