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Perfectly Simple Crab Cakes

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Perfectly simple crab cakes are perfectly tasty here with scallions, butter, Old Bay Seasoning and a bit of hot sauce for kick. Chunky and tender, perfect.

Two Perfectly simple crab cakes with one cut open on a black and white plateI’ve made several different crab cake recipes, many that say “no fillers” and are pretty much just crab meat with some binding liquids and those are great. And others have a lot of added ingredients, also tasty, but the crab kind of gets lost when there are a lot of other ingredients. I think this recipe is a happy medium with added scallions and green bell pepper, plus a lovely combination of mayo, Dijon, hot sauce, and Old Bay Seasoning. One egg yolk helps to hold everything together. 

This recipe for perfectly simple crab cakes allows the crab flavor to shine through, and the preparation method in this recipe will ensure the cakes stay together, plus a little trick to attain a crispy bottom. 

Mayo, Dijon, scallions, butter, Old Bay Seasoning and a bit of hot sauce in a bowl

Fresh crab meat can be pricy, especially for us inlanders. For this recipe, one pound of fresh lump crab was $20.00 and this recipe will make four large cakes or eight appetizer-size crab cakes. if you’re going to make the investment of fresh lump crab, the payoff better be worth it, right? Update- There have been times when I wanted crab cakes but didn’t have time to go to the seafood market; so I’ve diverted and bought canned crab-claw meat a few times when making this recipe and they were still quite tasty.

Plan ahead, since the prepared cakes need to refrigerate to help with the whole staying in the shape of a patty and not becoming scrambled crab mix while cooking.

crab cakes being formed into a ball The method of preparation is simple and fool-proof from here.  As you can see, they’re crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. Perfectly simple, yet perfectly tasty.

Cook’s note: I made tartar sauce in case anyone wanted it, and we all agree that sauce of any kind is not necessary. Also, my family likes them very crispy, like shown, on the outside. I prefer them less so, but during cooking, you can crisp them to your personal preference.

Two crab cakes on a black and white plate served with a lemon wedge

 

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Crab Cakes

These are the best crab cakes I've ever made and I've compared this recipe to several. Obviously, getting lump crab is ideal, but I've made the recipe so many times with refrigerated, canned, crab-claw meat to excellent success.
Course Main Dish or Appetizers
Cuisine Seafood
Keyword crab, dinner, easy recipes
Prep Time 1 hour hour 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time 12 minutes minutes
Total Time 1 hour hour 22 minutes minutes
Servings 4
Calories 278
Author Sally Humeniuk

Ingredients 

  • 1 pound lump crabmeat, picked over for shells (or canned crab claw meat)
  • ½ cup saltine crumbs, divided
  • 3 scallions, minced
  • ¼ green bell pepper, minced (only about 2-3 tablespoons)
  • 2 Tablespoons melted butter, divided plus 1 Tablespoon softened butter
  • 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
  • 3 teaspoons hot sauce, I often use Frank's, adjust a little less with hotter sauces, like Tabasco.
  • 1 ½ teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
  • 1 Tablespoon butter (again), for brushing on the crab just before bakine
  • Lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

  • Dry 1 pound crabmeat well with paper towels. Using a rubber spatula, gently combine crabmeat, ¼ cup saltine crumbs, 3 minced scallions, ¼ minced green pepper, 2 Tablespoons melted butter, 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise, the 1 egg yolk, 1 Tablespoon Dijon, 3 teaspoons hot sauce (or less if very hot), and 1 ½ teaspoons Old Bay seasoning in a large bowl.
  • Divide the mixture into 4 equal portions (or 8 for appetizers) and shape into tight, mounded cakes. Sprinkle the remaining ¼ cup saltine crumbs evenly on a large plate, big enough that your crab cakes will all fit. Form the portions into patties and place firmly on the top of the crumbs on the plate so the crumbs will stick to the bottom of the patties later. This ensures the bottoms of the cakes to not come out soggy. Cover the plate of crab cakes with plastic wrap and refrigerate, for at least 1 hour or up to 6 hours.
  • Adjust an oven rack to the center position in your oven and heat the broiler. Grease a rimmed baking sheet with the softened butter. Transfer the crab cakes to the prepared baking sheet, crumb side down. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter and gently brush a little over each of the crab cakes. Place the cakes in the oven and broil until the crab cakes are golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Serve with the lemon wedges.
Nutrition Facts
Crab Cakes
Amount Per Serving
Calories 278 Calories from Fat 153
% Daily Value*
Fat 17g26%
Saturated Fat 7g44%
Trans Fat 0.4g
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g
Monounsaturated Fat 4g
Cholesterol 122mg41%
Sodium 1267mg55%
Potassium 306mg9%
Carbohydrates 8g3%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 1g1%
Protein 23g46%
Vitamin A 504IU10%
Vitamin C 18mg22%
Calcium 80mg8%
Iron 2mg11%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This recipe is adapted from McCormick’s and Schmick’s and America’s Test Kitchen 2011.
Trupp Cooking School.

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Published on February 7, 2014

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About Sally - Good Dinner Mom.

About Good Dinner Mom

My name is Sally and I love to be in the kitchen. Making fresh, unique dishes is my way of showing love for family and friends and I hope that here you’ll find recipes of both healthy and indulgent dishes that will inspire you to cook more at home while sharing some love of your own. more about me

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