The Spicy Ingredient Geoffrey Zakarian Adds To His Crab Cakes

Whether you're talking Maryland vs. Carolina crab cakes, Louisiana's Cajun take, or the best type of meat to use, there's no small amount of debate on what ingredients enhance the flavor of this shellfish. Amongst the many things you didn't know about Sriracha, it turns out that it's Chef Geoffrey Zakarian's favorite ingredient for this iconic dish.

In an interview with InsideHook, Zakarian discussed his unorthodox love for everyone's favorite red rooster sauce. He believes that the best crab cakes have a bit of kick to them, an opinion shared with most chefs, whether they're using Old Bay or Tony Chachere's. Sriracha, in particular, has a marvelous flavor profile when paired with seafood. Unlike dry seasonings, the bit of distilled vinegar complements its iconic red chiles marvelously, creating that bit of tang most crab cakes get from a sauce or pickled ingredients like capers.

While the flavor is undeniable, there's another benefit to stirring Sriracha directly into the crab meat. Sriracha comes thickened with a bit of modified tapioca starch, giving it a thicker, creamier texture than most hot sauces. Because of this, it's actually a decent-quality binder, helping the crab meat keep its shape without the help of extra filler. This helps maximize the amount of crab in every cake, ensuring that the star of the show never gets overshadowed by crab cakes or flour. Once you've already got some spice, you've got more room to experiment with sauces and toppings.

Since Geoffrey Zakarian's recipe already has a bit of tang and spice from the Sriracha, you won't need too much to your crab cake accoutrements. While a squeeze of lemon juice still elevates a sauce and you shouldn't ever let anyone say the words, "too much Old Bay" in relation to a crab cake. Instead, try to focus on how to incorporate new tastes to expand your dish's flavor profile.

Since a Zakarian crab cake is already spicy and hearty, try to create a sauce that goes in the other direction, cooling it down with smooth, creamy flavors. Mayonnaise-based remoulades and aiolis are perfect for this, providing rich fat from eggs and oils to complement the satisfaction of eating a pan-fried food. Zakarian adds some sweet, mild peppers to his, creating a nice parallel to the sheer heat of Sriracha. Paired with aromatics like garlic or green onion, you get as comprehensive a flavor profile as you could possibly hope for.

Perfectly grilled caramelized citrus fruits are an evolved form of the standard side of lemon wedges. Char from the grill and sugars caramelized from its radiant heat create a special type of sweetness that's perfect for people who love Sriracha, but don't want too much tang in their crab cakes. Halved lemons are perfect for just about anything, but try grilling some oranges and squeezing them over each patty. This is one way to put a tropical spin on this Northeastern seafood treat.