- 1/3 cup mayonnaise
- 3 tablespoons finely chopped sweet pickle
- 1 tablespoon drained capers, chopped fine
- 1 tablespoon Creole or Dijon mustard
- 1/4 cup minced onion
- 1/4 cup minced green bell pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1/2 pound lump crab meat, picked over
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced scallion greens
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 2 tablespoons lightly beaten egg
- 1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon fine dry bread crumbs
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- cayenne to taste
- vegetable oil for frying
- two 5-inch lengths soft-crumb French bread, split and toasted lightly
- 2 iceberg lettuce leaves, sliced thin
- In a bowl whisk together mayonnaise ingredients and reserve.
- In a small heavy skillet cook onion and bell pepper in butter over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened. In a bowl stir together onion mixture, crab meat, scallion greens, mayonnaise, egg, 1 tablespoon bread crumbs, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne, and salt to taste.
- Put remaining 1/2 cup bread crumbs in a small bowl and put a piece of plastic wrap on a work surface. Form one fourth crab mixture into a 3-inch patty (it will be soft) and coat with bread crumbs, transferring to plastic wrap. Make 3 more patties in same manner with remaining crab mixture and bread crumbs.
- In a 10-inch heavy deep skillet heat 1/4 inch oil over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking and fry patties until golden and cooked through, about 2 1/2 minutes on each side, transferring to paper towels to drain.
- Spread bread with reserved mustard mayonnaise and sandwich crab burgers and lettuce between bread.