Asian-Style Crab Cakes with Wasabi Caper Sauce

PreparationMake wasabi caper sauce: Stir together all sauce ingredients and chill, covered, until ready to use. Make crab cakes: Wash leek well in a bowl of cold water, agitating leek, then lift out and drain. Whisk together whole egg, yolk, mayonnaise, and mustard in a large bowl, then stir in bell pepper, leek, ginger, and 3/4 cup panko. Stir in crabmeat and chill, covered, 1 hour. Divide mixture into 8 mounds and form into 8 (1-inch-thick) patties. Spread remaining 3/4 cup panko in a shallow dish, then carefully coat patties, 1 at a time, in panko. Heat 3/4 inch oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until it registers 350°F on thermometer. (Adjust heat as necessary; see cooks' note, below.) Fry crab cakes in 2 batches, turning over once, until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer to several layers of paper towels to drain. Return oil to 350°F between batches. Serve crab cakes with sauce. *Available at Asian markets and Uwajimaya (800-889-1928). Cooks' note:To take the temperature of a shallow amount of oil with a metal flat-framed deep-fat thermometer, put bulb of thermometer in skillet and turn thermometer facedown, resting other end (not plastic handle) against rim of skillet. Check temperature frequently.

PreparationMake wasabi caper sauce: Stir together all sauce ingredients and chill, covered, until ready to use. Make crab cakes: Wash leek well in a bowl of cold water, agitating leek, then lift out and drain. Whisk together whole egg, yolk, mayonnaise, and mustard in a large bowl, then stir in bell pepper, leek, ginger, and 3/4 cup panko. Stir in crabmeat and chill, covered, 1 hour. Divide mixture into 8 mounds and form into 8 (1-inch-thick) patties. Spread remaining 3/4 cup panko in a shallow dish, then carefully coat patties, 1 at a time, in panko. Heat 3/4 inch oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until it registers 350°F on thermometer. (Adjust heat as necessary; see cooks' note, below.) Fry crab cakes in 2 batches, turning over once, until golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes per batch. Transfer to several layers of paper towels to drain. Return oil to 350°F between batches. Serve crab cakes with sauce. *Available at Asian markets and Uwajimaya (800-889-1928). Cooks' note:To take the temperature of a shallow amount of oil with a metal flat-framed deep-fat thermometer, put bulb of thermometer in skillet and turn thermometer facedown, resting other end (not plastic handle) against rim of skillet. Check temperature frequently.