1 pound Lump Crab Meat
2 cups Béchamel Sauce (cooled)
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Jalapeno (minced)
1 cup Cilantro Leaves (chopped)
1 cup Basil Leaves (chopped)
Zest of 1 Lime
Flour (to dredge)
2 Eggs (whisked; to dredge)
2 cups Crushed Tortilla Chips
Olive Oil (to fry)
Bechamel Sauce:
4 tablespoons Butter
1/4 cup Flour
2 cups Milk
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Sriracha Aioli:
1 cup Mayo
Juice of 1 Lime
3 tablespoons Sriracha
Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
Preheat oil to 360°F.
In a large bowl, fold together the Béchamel, Crab Meat, a pinch of Salt and a few cracks of Freshly Ground Pepper, Jalapeno (using less for less spicy,) Cilantro, Basil, and Lime Zest. Once incorporated, form into fritters about the size of ping pong balls.
Dredge the fritters in Flour, then Egg. Roll the fritters in the Tortilla Chips and fry for 2-3 minutes, until golden brown. Drain on a paper towel lined plate and season immediately with Salt.
To make Bechamel: Heat the Butter in a saucepot over medium heat, and once it has foamed and subsided, add the Flour and stir together, cooking until it resembles a wet sand. Whisk in the Milk and bring to a boil, whisking continuously until no lumps remain. Season with Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper.
To make the Sriracha Aioli: Whisk together the Mayonnaise, Lime, and Sriracha. Use more or less of the Sriracha to adjust the heat.
