Crab Cakes & Spicy Caper Aioli

Preheat the oven to 450°F. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Line a sheet pan with foil. Medium dice the potatoes. Snap off and discard the tough, woody stem ends of the asparagus; cut into 2-inch pieces (keeping the pointed tips intact). Place the diced potatoes on the sheet pan. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Arrange in an even layer on one side of the sheet pan. Roast 12 minutes. Leaving the oven on, remove from the oven. Meanwhile, place the asparagus pieces in a bowl; drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat. Carefully transfer to the other side of the sheet pan. Return to the oven and roast 10 to 12 minutes, or until browned and tender when pierced with a fork. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, roughly chop the capers. Roughly chop the parsley leaves and stems. Roughly chop the peppers. Roughly chop the olives. Halve the lemon(s) crosswise; squeeze the juice into a large bowl, straining out the seeds. In a separate bowl, combine the mayonnaise, chopped capers, half the chopped parsley, and as much of the chile paste as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the dish to be; season with salt and pepper. Place the crab in a strainer; hold or rest the strainer over a bowl. Using a spoon, press down on the crab to release as much liquid as possible; discard the liquid. Place the dried crab on a work surface; carefully pick through and remove any shells.

Crack the egg(s) into a large bowl. Season with salt, pepper, and the spice blend; whisk until combined and smooth. Add the prepared crab, chopped peppers, breadcrumbs, and remaining chopped parsley; stir to thoroughly combine. Form the mixture into 4 cakes (or 8 cakes for 4 servings), about 1/2-inch thick.

In a large nonstick pan, heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Working in batches if necessary, add the crab cakes. Cook 3 to 5 minutes per side, or until browned and cooked through. Transfer to a plate and immediately season with salt.

To the bowl of lemon juice, add a drizzle of olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Whisk to combine. Add the arugula, roasted vegetables, and chopped olives. Toss to combine. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired. Serve the salad topped with the cooked crab cakes and spicy caper mayo. Enjoy!