Try this Maryland Crab Cakes recipe for a taste of the Chesapeake Bay.
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
- 2 1/2 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 teaspoon dijon mustard
- 1 teaspoon old bay seasoning
- 1/4 cup finely diced celery (you’ll need one stalk)
- 2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley
- 1 pound lump crab meat*
- 1/2 cup panko (i like the whole foods 365 brand)
- Carbohydrate 2.0461267523287 g
- Cholesterol 97.3539826666667 mg
- Fat 2.99399640528448 g
- Fiber 0.107984983424443 g
- Protein 14.7175927356898 g
- Saturated Fat 0.57736439936399 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (94g)
- Sodium 324.01632980139 mg
- Sugar 1.93814176890426 g
- Trans Fat 0.2404614124848 g
- Calories 93 calories
Step-by-step
- Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.
- Combine the egg, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, Old Bay, salt, celery, and parsley in a large bowl and mix well. Add the crab meat (be sure to check the meat for any hard and sharp cartilage) and panko; gently fold mixture together until just combined, being careful not to shred the crab meat. Shape into 6 crab cakes (about ½ cup each) and place on prepared baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
- Preheat a large nonstick pan to medium heat and coat with canola oil. When oil is hot, place crab cakes in pan and cook until golden brown, about 3-5 minutes per side. Be careful as oil may splatter. Serve immediately with tartar sauce or a squeeze of lemon.
Resting shaped seafood patties on an aluminum-lined baking sheet for at least one hour in the refrigerator allows the binders to hydrate and firm up the structure before cooking. Without this chilling phase, delicate proteins will disintegrate immediately upon contact with hot metal. A large nonstick skillet provides the necessary thermal control for achieving an even crust without scorching the mayonnaise and egg binder.
Standard metal baking sheets work well for the initial staging phase, though parchment paper serves as an effective substitute if foil is unavailable. When working with jumbo lump crab meat instead of standard lump, physically break the larger pieces apart into smaller clusters. Whole, oversized lumps prevent the surrounding panko and egg mixture from forming a cohesive bond, leading to structural failure during pan-frying.
Overmixing remains the primary error that ruins crustacean patties. Folding the ingredients gently with a spatula preserves the integrity of the expensive meat. Shredding the pieces turns the texture pasty and dense rather than light and flaky.
Coating the preheated pan with canola oil creates a medium-heat barrier that crisps the panko exterior to a deep golden brown within three to five minutes per side. Maintaining moderate heat prevents the exterior from burning before the interior reaches serving temperature.
