Ingredients:

  Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
--------  ------------  --------------------------------
   2      large         eggs
   1      cup           flour
   1      cup           whole milk
   1      teaspoon      chopped fresh thyme
   1                    scallion -- minced
   1      tablespoon    chopped fresh parsley
     1/8  teaspoon      Tabasco sauce
  16      ounces        Dungeness crab meat -- cooked
   1      pinch         salt and pepper -- - or to taste
   2      teaspoons     double-acting baking powder
   7      ounces        butter -- clarified
   1      cup           beurre blanc
     1/4  cup           red -- yellow and green
                        -- bell pepper julienne, 2"
   1      tablespoon    minced fresh chives
   4      teaspoons     capers

Preparation:

Making the batter: Using a small whisk, combine the flour with eggs and milk. Strain through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. Add the following ingredients: thyme, scallion, parsley and Tabasco. Season with salt and pepper. Mix well. Note: Batter can be made a few hours in advance up to this point. Cover and refrigerate until ready to use. Just before cooking the crab cakes, add crab meat and baking powder to the batter, combining gently, using a wooden spoon. To cook the crab cakes, heat 2 oz. of clarified butter in a large frying pan, at medium heat. Using a 2-oz. ladle, make a batch of three cakes. Fry gently on one side for 2 minutes, turn over and cook another 2 minutes. Keep cakes warm, while cooking the various batches. When serving crab cakes, spread 1/4 cup warm beurre blanc on each plate. Arrange 3 cakes per serving and top off with the julienne peppers and chives. Sprinkle some capers around the cakes; serve. Suggested wines: Farniente Chardonnay. Recipe by Emile Labrousse of 1001 Nob Hill Restaurant, San Francisco.