Crab Cakes

DC is really close to the Chesapeake Bay.  So in turn it means that we have a lot of fresh crabs and a lot of fresh crab meat around here.  The other day I went to the store and they had backfin blue crab on sale for $9.99 a pound.  Basically a steal no matter where you go.  I picked up a pound and on the spot decided to make some crab cakes.  I really like the crab cakes that are almost all meat and have very few fillers.  So this recipe has just enough fillers to keep the crab from falling apart.

Crab Cakes

  • 1 pound crab meat (back-fin or lump)
  • 1/4 cup bread crumbs
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 2 tbs mayo
  • 2 tbs green onion, chopped
  • 2 tbs red bell pepper, diced
  • 1 tbs, parsley, chopped
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
  • 1/4 tsp Worcestershire
  • Dash of hot sauce
  • Black Pepper and Kosher Salt to taste
  • 2 tbs vegetable oil, for frying

The first step is to pick through the crab meat to see if there is any cartilage or shell.  There is nothing worse that biting into a crab cake and getting a hard piece of cartilage or shell.  I suggest that you go through the meat twice.  It sounds like overkill, but any little bit will ruin your crab cakes.  The picture below is a handful of cartilage that I found on the second pass.

Cartilage

In a large bowl, combine the egg, mayo, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and old bay.  Mix until combined.

The base

Then add the parsley, green onion and saltines.

Add the greens

When the mixture is all combined add the crab meat.  Lightly toss until combined.

Add the crab

Then take a handful and press it into a crab cake.  This is very similar to making a hamburger.  Make a ball and lightly flatten it.  Once you have made all of the crab cakes (usually around 6-8) then refrigerate them for about 1/2 hour.  This will help them solidify and hopefully make it so that they do no fall apart when cooking.

The Crab Cake

Heat the oil in a pan over medium/high heat.  When the oil is heated place the crab cakes gently into the pan.  Fry them until they are golden brown and then flip.  Cook for about 4-5 minutes on each side.

Fry up the cakes

Serve the crab cakes straight up or with a little tarter sauce.

The Crab Cake

I created a little dipping sauce for the crab cakes.  I combined, 1/4 cup mayo, 1 tsp mustard, squeeze of lemon, 1/2 tsp Old Bay and a dash of pepper.  Mix together and it is perfect over the crab cakes.

Rex

Rex is an avid griller, barbecuer and bacon enthusiast. He is the Pitmaster for the Rex BBQ competition team. Rex was also featured on the TV show American Grilled. If you have any questions or wish to have Rex decode your favorite dish, click on the ASK REX link in the menu above.

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One thought on “Crab Cakes

  1. $10 for crab meat? Call the cops, you stole it! It starts around $16 here.

    Great looking crab cakes, they are one of my favorite. I like putting them on a po boy with remoulade too.

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