It’s our third webisode of “Magnolia in the Kitchen” and I couldn’t be more excited to have my friend and fellow Carolina girl, Allie, on this month! A native of North Carolina, Allie and I met when she first moved up to DC and was looking to join the Junior League. Flash forward a few years and we’re in the same DAR chapter, book club, gym, and so much more.

I’m really excited about Allie’s recipe because it’s totally changed how I see crab cakes. I know this sounds extreme, but stay with me. I always saw crab cakes as delicious little items that are super time-intensive and complicated and aren’t that good for me. Allie flipped this theory on its head!

These crab cakes are actually somewhat healthy. They have a sprinkling of panko and mayo, but are mostly heavy on lump crab meat. The collard and red cabbage slaw is a healthy alternative to coleslaw and complements the dish perfectly. And, you can sub out the collards for kale if you prefer. This dish is so good and pairs perfectly with one of my favorites, as you’ll see in our video!

And I almost forgot the best part. Aside from setting the slaw in the fridge for a half hour to marinate, the entire recipe (posted below the video) took us less than 15 minutes to make. To prove that, you can watch the video, which clocks in at 12 minutes on the nose!

Click here to watch as Allie leads us through her delicious recipe – and get ready to laugh!

Allie’s Carolina Crab Cakes

Makes about 6 crab cakes, or two dozen mini crab bites. 

Pro tip: If you’re making the crab cakes and the collard slaw, scroll down and begin with the collard slaw since it has to sit in the fridge for 30 minutes.

What you’ll need:

1 lb lump blue crab meat
1/2 cup Panko bread crumbs
1/4 cup green onions, sliced
1/3 cup chopped bell pepper, red or green
1/4 cup Duke’s Mayonnaise (a southern classic)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 tsp Texas Pete hot sauce
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1 tsp lemon juice
1/8 tsp garlic powder
1/4 cup vegetable oil

Let’s get making!

1. In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients except for crab meat and vegetable oil.

2. Gently fold in crab meat and combine.

3. Form into patties, using about ½ cup of mixture for each patty or less if you’re making crab bites.

4. Heat oil in a large, nonstick skillet over medium or medium-high heat.

5. Gently place crab cakes in skillet. Fry approximately 3-4 minutes on each side or until golden brown.

6. Place on a plate lined with paper towels to absorb any excess oil. Serve immediately.

Allie’s Collard Slaw

What you’ll need:

1 medium-size bunch fresh collard greens (about 12 oz.) OR kale
4 cups thinly sliced red cabbage (from about 1/2 head) 
1 tbsp kosher salt 
2 1/2 tbsp granulated sugar, divided 
2 cups matchstick carrots 
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 
3 tbsp grapeseed, canola, or other neutral oil 
2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds*
1 1/2 tsp celery seeds 
1/2 tsp black pepper

*To toast your sesame seeds, spread them out on a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees F for 8-10 minutes. Make sure you check on them constantly and give them a good shake 2-3 times as they can burn easily.

Now, to mix everything together!

1. Remove collard leaves from stems; discard stems. Make sure that you watch our video to see Allie’s tip for de-stemming and slicing collards. Massage leaves until fibers break down (we didn’t do this in the video because they were very soft since the collards were out of season). Very thinly slice collard leaves to equal 8 cups.

2. Place collards and red cabbage in a large bowl. Toss with salt and 2 tablespoons of the sugar. Let stand 30 minutes, tossing occasionally. Squeeze liquid from collard mixture, and discard liquid.

3. Return collards to bowl. Add carrots, vinegar, oil, sesame seeds, celery seeds, black pepper, and remaining 1/2 tablespoon sugar. Toss well to coat.

Sweater by Belford at Halsbrook (on sale)
Behind the scenes filming this webisode! Special thanks to my fabulous friend, Rachael, for serving as our production assistant!

Enjoy!