On our summer vacation, we enjoyed some delicious lobster cakes at Newport's Rhode Island Quahog Company restaurant. This weekend, I've made my own version of lobster cakes, with a Royal Joust twist. The ingredients in this month's challenge by Leftover Queen Royal Foodie Joust are papaya, cheese, and tarragon, an unusual combination. Since I love pairing lobster and tarragon, I decided to incorporate the tarragon into the lobster cakes and then combine papaya and cheese into a delicious sauce with a spicy kick from serrano chiles. I used a Red Caribbean Papaya, which is quite large and has a bright pink flesh when ripe. However, other kinds of papaya will also work for this recipe.
Ingredients: (6 lobster cakes)
1/2 cup Red Caribbean Papaya, cut up in small chunks
1/4 cup queso blanco cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon serrano chiles, minced
2 (or more) tablespoons sour cream
Salt to taste
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon, finely chopped
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 egg
1 cup cooked lobster meat, cut in chunks
1/2 cup panko crumbs
Salt, pepper to taste
Vegetable oil
Directions:
Place papaya, queso blanco, serrano chile peppers, and sour cream in a blender. Mix well, adding more sour cream if necessary to reach a smooth (but still thick) sauce consistency. Season with a little bit of salt.
In a large bowl, whisk lemon juice, tarragon, mayonnaise, and egg together. Gently mix in the lobster chunks and panko crumbs.
Heat vegetable oil in a skillet on medium heat. Form small round patties with the lobster mixture and fry the cakes for about 2-3 minutes per side or until golden brown. Serve the lobster cakes with the papaya queso blanco sauce.
