By Flavor & The Menu
May 5, 2020

Lauro Romero

The classic American crab cake gets an infusion of Mexican and South Asian flavors in an inventive mash-up that epitomizes the global fare at King Tide Fish & Shell. The restaurant offers creative spins on classic seafood, and the Dungeness Crab Cake is a star example.

Executive Chef Lauro Romero starts with a classic crab cake build, featuring Oregon Dungeness crab, vegetables, herbs and a housemade aïoli, breaded and fried until golden. The accompanying salad of nixtamalized green papaya and compressed jicama, dressed with fish sauce, cilantro and lime, introduces a global flavor narrative. Romero employs nixtamalization, an ancient technique used by indigenous people in Latin America that involves soaking corn in lime water. “The papaya becomes sweet and soft, the jicama absorbs the lime and has beautiful crunch,” says Romero. “The freshness and originality of ingredients makes this a unique dish.”