Crab Cake Paninis with Grilled Onion Relish and Spicy Tartar Sauce

I came across a recipe the other day for Crab Cake Paninis with Grilled Onion Relish and Spicy Tartar Sauce. It sounded great so I decided to give it a try. While there is a bit of prep work here that will take some time, the effort was well worth it. In fact, my husband gushed that I should open my own cafe because he thinks I am such an excellent cook. This is the latest in a series of wonderful meals that I could add to my cafe's menu.

To give credit where credit is due, I found this recipe in one of my favorite summer cookbooks by Dwayne Ridgaway, called Sandwiches, Panini and Wraps.

Hope you enjoy it as well!

CRAB CAKE INGREDIENTS

• 5 TBSP vegetable oil (divided)
• 1/3 c. minced celery
• 4 green onions, minced
• 1/2 c. dried bread crumbs
• 1 lb. lump crab meat
• 1 egg
• 2 TBSP minced parsley
• 1/4 c. fresh chopped cilantro
• 1 red bell pepper
• 1/3 c. mayonnaise
• 1 c. Grilled Onion Relish (see below for ingredients)
• 1/2 c. Spicy Tartar Sauce (see below for ingredients)
• 4 onion sandwich rolls

Heat 3 TBSP vegetable oil in saute pan. Add celery, green onion and red pepper. Saute until tender. Add bread crumbs and brown for one minute. Remove from heat and transfer to mixing bowl. Let cool for 10 minutes. Add crab, egg, parsley, cilantro and mayonnaise. Stir to combine & season with salt and pepper. Form crab mixture into 4 inch balls. Flatten into disc shape.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Heat 2 TBSP vegetable oil in large saute pan over medium heat. Add crab cakes and cook until well done (about 5 - 7 min. per side). Repeat process, adding oil as needed until all cakes are cooked. Transfer cakes to sheet pan and bake in oven for 10 minutes. Remove from oven and place on bottom half of onion roll. Then top with generous amount of tartar sauce, onion relish and top half of roll.

**NOTE: I do not have a panini grill, but I use my George Foreman Grill to heat the rolls panini style before placing cakes on them. This works perfectly.

GRILLED ONION RELISH INGREDIENTS

• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 TBSP olive oil
• 1/2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano
• coarse ground black pepper

Combine vinegar an oregano in small bowl. Preheat outdoor grill or stovetop grill pan to medium high. Coat onion slices with olive oil and season with pepper. Grill until browned and tender; about 5 - 7 minutes per side. Transfer from grill to cutting board and let cool. When cool enough to handle, cut rings in half and combine with vinegar and oregano. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate up to 5 days.

SPICY TARTAR SAUCE

• 1/4 c. sour cream
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 tsp. grated lemon rind
• 1 TBSP chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley
• 1 TBSP minced green onion
• 1 TBSP minced red onion
• 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 tsp hot sauce

Combine all ingredients in small bowl. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate up to 7 days.