Hey! Pssst! Over here! It’s a Crab Cake!
A:Come on, i know you’re thinking it! How long can Tyler and Amanda possible drag out thanksgiving dinner, you ask? well, apparently several weeks! who knows, we may still be doing turkey day posts on christmas! this insanely enticing crab cake is a version of the traditional Simpson family Maryland crab cake, only… uh… i didn’t really remember exactly how my dad makes them, so here we have my own personal take on them. The primary difference being that I use fresh parsley, and if my memory serves me correctly, the family recipe uses dried parsley. I say, who doesn’t love fresh parsley! huh? the secret to making truly delicious cakes lies in not stuffing them full of all that useless crap and bread crumbs and such. this way, the crab meat is merely accented by the other ingredients and the main flavor you’re hit with is the melt-in-you-mouth crispy, buttery, rich crab-tastic crab-ness. 😉 these crab cakes are on my personal list of 5 things to eat before you die, and seriously. eat them! if you can’t get your hands on chesapeake blue crab meat (it was hard for me, too) then i suppose, just maybe, you could use another kind of blue crab meat. And unless you’re crazy, you’ll be thanking me after just one bite!
1 lb lump or backfin chesapeake bay blue crab meat (picked over for shells)
2 tbsp mayonaise
2 tbsp yellow mustard
2 tsp worchestershire sauce
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
8 saltine crackers, smooshed into crumbs
1 medium egg, beaten
1/2 tsp kosher salt
black pepper, about 8 turns of a grinder
2 tbsp butter
1 tbsp peanut oil, (or what ever mild flavored vegetable oil you have on hand)
Preheat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. In a medium (or large) sized mixing bowl, beat the egg thoroughly. To the bowl, add the crab meat, mayo, mustard, worchestershire, parsley, cracker crumbs, salt, and pepper. Gently mix until all the ingredients are thoroughly combined. Add the butter and oil to the skillet and allow the butter to melt and heat up as you are forming the cakes. Form the mixture into 4 individual cakes, packing them tightly with your hands and making sure they are nice and even. (If you want, you can make several mini crab cakes rather than 4 large, and serve them as appetizers. The only thing you would have to change is the cook time... you know, smaller cakes, shorter cook time) Place the crab cakes in the pan, make sure not to over-crowd the pan, they're much easier to flip (and cook more evenly) with some space to move. At this point, it is essential to step away from the pan! Those very delicate and loosely binded morsels of crab goodness need time to caramelize and acheive the desired crispy, golden, buttery outside layer. Cook the crab cakes for 6-7 undisturbed minutes over medium heat, then carefully flip each cake and allow them to cook for another 5 minutes, until both sides are golden brown. Althought they're best served warm, i'd eat them at room temperture or cold any day! Enjoy!*Warning-I'm not responsible for the delicate nature of the crab cakes, which may, with even the gentlest handling, try to fall apart on you. If you can't handle the challenge ;-), you can always add more cracker crumbs, which may end up adulterating the pure crab flavored goodness!
Yummy! Being a Baltimore girl, I am all about the crabcake!
Amanda, the christmas mood is really getting into you! Keep on cooking!(:
i know what you mean, rachel! but not the jammed-with-stuff-other-than-crab-meat crabcakes…. my dad lives across the bay bridge (on kent island) so i’ve definately eaten a crabcake or two, in my young life! and plan on eating many many more!
it totally is denise! i don’t know what it is about the holiday season, but i just love it!
Okay. I haven’t eaten many crab cakes in my life, and I definitely haven’t even made one. But your recipe sound wonderful and easy. I’m going to do it!!
Where did you find the blue crab meat? And advice on where to look? Does it really matter?
All your dishes look great but this one caught my eye the most. I’ve never made crab cakes either but I think it’s time to try.
oh those look stunning. whoah is me allergic to crab!
thanks caroline. i was able to find some chesapeake bay blue crab meat from a fish monger here in san diego. chesapeake bay blue crab meat is sweeter and more rich than other blue crab meats. (damn my memory, if my dad were on here he could tell you why) if you can’t find any from the chesapeake bay, just try to find some from as close to where you live as possible. some food just doesn’t seem to taste quite as good after it’s traveled half way across the world!
thanks kat! seriously, how can you go wrong with crab meat and butter! the only thing that could really ever be a problem is their likelihood to fall apart if you handle them roughly, due to so little binder. that’w why i tried to stress leaving them alone in the recipe! if you try them out, let me know what you think (and thanks for stopping in!)
gasp aria! surely you gest! how life must suck to be allergic to crab! it’s a good thing you aren’t allergice to all seafood!
Have you or would you be willing to cook “Paunce†it’s an authentic Cajun dish that’s made in southwest Louisiana. If so please let me know I can ship one to you, are you could make one fresh. Either way I am on my way to Cali. to try some of that great cooking going on over there.
[…] Amanda over at What Were Eating recently posted one such recipe for crab cakes that I’ve been stalking and drooling over ever since. I had to have them, no matter the cost! Thus, beginning my week-long expidition into crabless crab cakes. The first version I made with sea scallops that I seared, cooled, and then shredded. And the second being this one, made with the best quality salmon I could get my grubby mitts upon, poached and shredded. […]
Okay, sis…this is over the line. This is a secret family recipe you’re sharing with the world!!!!!!!
I can’t wait to try this recipe. Over at http://www.crabcakeguy.com we have been testing out various crab cake recipes and featuring them in some of our daily postings. Thanks again for sharing this with me and all your readers. Best of luck and I love your blog! -The Crab Cake Guy