Crab Cakes "Repast-Style"

Place cream, lemongrass, ginger, star anise, and chile in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Remove from heat and let cool; strain, discarding solids. Stir in fish sauce and Tabasco; set aside.

Heat sesame oil and olive oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add scallions and cook until soft, 1 to 2 minutes. Remove from heat; let cool.

Place shrimp and egg in the bowl of a food processor and process until smooth. With the machine running, slowly add cream mixture; process until well combined.

In a large bowl, mix together crabmeat, lemon zest, and cooled scallions. Gently fold in shrimp mixture.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and sprinkle with cornmeal. Place a 1-inch high round cutter about 2 1/2-inches in diameter on baking sheet. Fill cutter with crabmeat mixture, packing down slightly. Repeat process until all crabmeat has been used, about 8 times. Transfer to refrigerator to chill, 6 to 8 hours.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat butter and canola oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium high heat. Place crab cakes, cornmeal-side down in skillet and cook until golden, about 2 minutes. Turn crab cakes and transfer skillet to oven until cornmeal side is golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately with butter sauce.