Cajun Cilantro Sauced Crab Cakes

crab cakes:
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
1/2 red bell pepper, diced fine
1/2 green bell pepper, diced fine
2 green onions, chopped fine
1 lb lump crab meat
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups bread crumbs, divided
pinch red pepper flakes
salt and black pepper to taste

cilantro sauce:
1 cup dry white wine
1 shallot, minced
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature, cut up
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a large skillet over medium heat, pour 1/4 cup of the olive oil, add the red and green peppers and cook until almost soft, then add the green onion and cook until all vegetables are softened, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Remove vegetables from the skillet and set aside to cool.
In a bowl, put the lump crab meat, the cooked peppers, the beaten eggs, and 2 tablespoons of the bread crumbs. Season to taste with salt and pepper and red pepper flakes if desired.
Form crab cake patties - divide the mixture into 8 equal parts. Dampen your hands and pat each portion into a patty and set on a plate.  Cover with parchment paper and set in refrigerator for 1 to 2 hours.

To prepare the crab cakes:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Remove crab cakes from refrigerator.
Put remaining bread crumbs into a shallow bowl, add salt and pepper to taste and mix together.
Press each crab cake into the bread crumbs, covering both sides well.
Put the remaining 1/4 cup oil in a large oven-proof skillet and put over medium-high heat.
Place crab cakes in skillet and fry on first side until golden brown, about 2 minutes, then carefully turn the crab cakes over and place the skillet in oven.
Bake about 10 to 12 minutes or until the top is golden brown just like the bottom. Remove and keep warm.

To prepare the sauce:
Put wine and shallot in a medium stainless steel saucepan over low heat and simmer until the wine is reduced to about 1/3 cup.
Remove saucepan from heat and slowly drizzle in the heavy whipping cream, whisking constantly.
Put saucepan back on very low heat and simmer slowly, whisking frequently, until cream is reduced by half.
While whisking the thickened cream, start adding in the pieces of butter, and continue whisking while adding the remaining butter.  The sauce will be light in color and thick.
Pour sauce through fine mesh strainer into a bowl, then stir the cilantro into the sauce in the bowl and season with salt and pepper to taste. Set bowl over pot filled with warm water to keep the sauce warm.

Serve warm crab cakes over a few large leaves of romaine lettuce and drizzle the sauce over the top.  Or, you may wish to pour the sauce into little serving cups and set them along side on each plate.
Makes 8 crab cakes or about 4 serving sizes.