Maryland Blues!
Making crab cakes is one of a crabbers most favorite things to do.
Blue crabs and Old Bay are about as Chesapeake Bay as you can get. The two are so intertwined that even in Florida, Old Bay and crab go together like sugar and spice. Florida’s Apalachicola Bay has taken some abuse but the crabs are resilient little creatures. Blue crab lump meat may be just about the best thing there is from the sea. A crab and chanterelle mushroom appetizer with a light lemon zest cream sauce and chives or a crab cake, full of crab and some vegetables and a bit of breadcrumb binder are just delightful. The golden-brown of a nicely seared crab cake, corn maque choux and mustard sauce is one the best way to eat crab.
Easy Peasy
Making these crab cakes is pretty simple, and the recipe can be increased easily. I am presenting the recipe for 1 pound of lump crab meat. Buy lump meat as it is highly preferred and has the largest pieces of meat so each bite gets chunks of crab. Claw meat can certainly work. The texture will be a bit different since the crab pieces are smaller and may be almost shredded. The main thing is flavor and both kinds of crab taste good. If you live in an area where fresh crab is either not available, too expensive, you might consider an on-line source. If at all possible, try to avoid pasteurized crab meat. Sure, it’s pasteurized, but it just doesn’t taste the same and I think the texture is a bit off.
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The Stuff Inside
In either case, fresh or pasteurized, crab meat has little tendons inside the meat and sometimes bits of shell make their way into the container. It happens. You will need to check each piece of crab for tendons. Jumbo lump, lump, or special is preferred as there are often just a few bits to find. Claw meat or backfin meat can have more bits that are challenging to find but cannot be eaten. Here is a tip for how to find shells quickly. The picture on the recipe shows a corn dish. I use this, Corn Maque Choux. Very tasty and fits well.
Crab Cakes
Man, not too much is better than an amazing crab cake and an ice cold beer. Beer is another recipe, but crab cakes we got covered and Boy, Howdy!, they'se good.
Ingredients
Standard Dressing
- 1 C Mayonnaise
- 1 oz Creole or horseradish mustard
- pinch Garlic powder
- dash Worcestershire Sauce
- Salt and pepper
Crab Cakes
- 1 lb Lump crab meat, picked, kept cold
- 1/2 each Red bell pepper, small dice
- 1/4 each Red onion, small dice
- 1/2 each Leek white, rinsed, small dice
- 1 each Stalk of celery, small dice
- 1 T Fresh chopped dill
- 1/2 each Orange, juiced and strained
- Dash Worcestershire sauce
- .25-.5 C Fresh ground white bread bread crumbs
- Standard dressing, to bind
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Prepare Standard Dressing
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Mix all ingredients will. Adjust the ratios to your taste.
Prepare Crab Cakes
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Saute all the vegetables until just tender. Spread them out on a sheet pan and let them cool. When cool, add them to the crab meat. Add the remaining ingredients and gently fold everything together. Since everything in this is cooked, taste it for seasoning. Adjust as you wish.
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To portion these, we used to use a small baking pan which was about a 4 ounce volume. It resembles the top of a Talenti ice cream container. Depending on what your use is for the crab cakes, dinner or appetizer, that will determine your portion size. I find two 4 ounce cakes with vegetables is plenty. You may use a half cup measure, a disher (ice cream scoop looking thing) or the top of ice cream. Having a mold is helpful to keep a round shape. Sprinkle some bread crumbs onto a plastic wrap lined sheet pan. This will be where you place the measured cakes. Sprinkle bread crumbs into the cup or ice cream lid and lift crab meat mix into that. Push gently to flatten and tip out onto the bread crumb lined sheet pan. Repeat with all the crab mix. Is it not recommended you freeze this mix. If you have more than you need and no neighbors to share dinner with, cook them all and freeze the cooked cakes. If you are using a scoop, start with the plastic wrap lined sheet pan with bread crumbs, scoop the crab mix onto that. With a small piece of plastic wrap, push the crab mix flat and sprinkle with bread crumbs, and tap them into the crab cake. Refrrigerate for 1 hour before cooking.
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Heat a griddle or a non-stick pan to medium heat. I prefer peanut or corn oil for most of my browning (bacon fat is yum but not for everything). Gently lift the plastic and then get your fingers under the crab cake. Place it carefully into the pan. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Leaving space between is preferred for access to flipping them and also to keep the heat in the pan so the brown well and don’t simmer. When browned nicely, flip over, repeat on the second side. If you want an internal temperature, look for 165 degrees. They can be held in a warm oven while you prepare the accompaniments.
Recipe Notes
If you prefer to not have another dressing in the cooler, the Buttermilk Dressing here is a fine choice. A bit more herby, but that's a bonus. If you balk and the buttermilk, worry not. You make pancakes with it.
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