Lion's Mane Crab Cakes Recipe: A Twist On A Classic Dish

Photo by https://www.instagram.com/thathealthyveganshit/

Looking for a vegan crab cake recipe that's just as tasty and nutritious as the original? Look no further than the Lion's Mane Crab Cake recipe! This recipe is perfect for vegetarians or anyone looking to switch up their diet and uses fresh Lion's Mane mushrooms as a delicious crab meat replacement. The result is a mouthwatering dish that's healthy and incredibly easy to prepare.

To make these Lion's mane mushroom crab cakes, sweat your mushrooms in a nonstick skillet with water and salt to give them a texture similar to seafood or crab meat. Once the mushrooms are tender, all the juice is out, and the excess water is gone, mix them with breadcrumbs, finely chopped peppers, green onions, high-fat mayonnaise, or a vegan mayo alternative. After allowing the mixture to rest, form the patties and dredge them in flour. Then cook them in a skillet and finish them in the oven for a delectable meal.

So why not try this vegan twist on a classic crab cake? Not only will it satisfy your taste buds, but Lion's Mane mushrooms (also known as Hericium Erinaceus) are also known for their health benefits, including potential cognitive benefits such as preventing Alzheimer's and memory loss. 

How to Make Lion's Mane Mushroom Crab Cakes

The Lion's Mane crab cake takes 45 minutes to prepare and cook. However, this Lion's mane crab cake recipe is perfect for people looking for vegan Lion's mane mushroom recipes. This baked Lion's mane mushroom recipe uses fresh Lion's mane mushrooms as a crabmeat replacement, making it ideal for vegetarians.  

General Info

Prep time: 30 min

Cook time: 15 min

Servings: 4

Great for: Focus and memory.

Read More: See how Lion's Mane prevents Alzheimer's and memory loss.

Ingredients

• 2 large Fresh Lion's mane mushrooms (about 1 pound)
• 2 tablespoon water
• ¼ tablespoon salt

For The Cake Mix:

• ¼ cup finely chopped red bell peppers
• ¼ cup finely chopped green onions
• ¼ cup high-fat mayonnaise (alternatively vegan mayo)
• ½ cup bread crumbs (you can make your own by baking the bread in the oven at 200 F for 20 minutes and blending after it cools down. Alternatively, you can use panko breadcrumbs)
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce (alternative: soy sauce)
• 2 tablespoons of chopped parsley or cilantro
• 1 teaspoon of seasoning mix (paprika, cayenne pepper, and salt)
• 1 large egg (vegan alternative: flax egg)
• Kosher salt or pink Himalayan salt to taste

For Dredging:

• All-purpose flour (alternative: almond flour)

For Cooking:

• Flavorless oil

For Serving:

• Lemon wedges or fresh lemon juice
• Fresh green salad
• Freshly chopped chives

Equipment

• Nonstick skillet
• Oven

Instructions

1. Prepping Lion's Mane Mushroom

Before you cook Lion's mane mushrooms crab cake, dice the mushrooms into small pieces. You can also pull Lion's mane mushrooms by hand so that the texture resembles crab meat.

2. Sweating Lion's Mane Mushroom

Place the mushrooms with water and salt in a nonstick skillet. Cover it and wait till it simmers. Cook until the mushrooms are tender, appear wilted, and all the juice is out. This will give the mushroom a texture like seafood or crab meat.

Remove from the skillet and let the mushrooms cool down in a bowl for 10-15 minutes. Then, use your hand or the back of a spatula to squeeze out any extra water. This step in Lion's mane mushroom crab cake recipe is crucial to keep the crab cake patties together.

3. Crab Cake Mix

After sweating your mushrooms, combine and thoroughly mix Lion's mane mushroom with the cake mix. To make your work easier, you may want to turn the breadcrumbs into the batter—the batter will be easier to work with than a breadcrumb lump or jumbo. Use a mixing bowl to speed up the process when working with this seafood substitute. 

Allow the cake mix or cocktail to rest for at least 15 minutes. This will let the breadcrumbs hydrate, easing the process of making Lion's mane mushroom crab cake. Also, this will make the crab cake feel marinated as each ingredient gets the time to get inside the fruiting bodies.

4. Cooking

Form patties using your hands (roughly 3" diameter). Medium heat the nonstick skillet and drizzle in the cooking oil—if you are not going after a vegan meal or vegan flavors, you can use butter instead of vegetable cooking oil. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 350 F.

Gently dredge both sides of the patties using all-purpose flour. Place the baked cakes onto the skillet and brown gently.

When one side is golden brown, flip to the other and continue to stir-fry. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for about 10 minutes. 

The vegan Lion's mane crab cakes can be served at the end of the 10 minutes. The cooked mushrooms will taste similar to seafood or crab meat, as the name describes.

Read More: Can you eat Lion's Mane raw?

5. Serving

Garnish Lion's mane mushroom crab cakes with a dollop of mayonnaise of your choice and sprinkle with finely chopped chives. You can also use remoulade to make your crab cakes even tastier. Add lemon wedges on the side. If you have a sauteed or fried side dish, say, some additional vegetables, be sure to serve it too. 

Remember that Lion's mane crab cakes contain nutrients, including carbohydrates, vitamin C, Vitamin A, etc. This makes these cakes that taste like crab or lobster ideal substitutions for a main course meal like dinner. In addition, eating Lion's Mane before bed can help you improve your sleep quality. 

Nutritional Info

Protein 2 g              Fiber 2 g

Sodium 1 g             Vitamin B 3 g

Sugar 0 g                Iron 1 g

Read More: Learn more about Lion's mane nutrition.

Additional Notes:

If you can't find Lion's mane mushrooms fresh, you can use dried Lion's mane mushrooms. However, add extra water to sweat the mushrooms. Do this before you cook Lion's Mane.  This will prevent scalding when preparing your Lion's Mane crab cake. 

Ensure the moisture levels are proper and Lion's mane crab cake mix holds together before continuing the instructions in this Lion's mane mushroom recipe. If the crab cakes come apart in the skillet, add more beaten eggs and breadcrumbs and give it another shot. 

Adjust the seasoning for mushroom cakes to improve Lion's mane mushroom taste if required.  For example, you can include hot sauce, dijon mustard, old bay seasoning, tartar sauce, bell pepper, etc., depending on the taste you want to give the fungi.