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Crab Cakes: Classic Crab Cakes

Source of Recipe

From "Bon Appétit, Y'all" by Virginia Willis


Recipe Introduction

"When vacationing as a child on the Gulf of Mexico or along the Atlantic, we would often spend an afternoon crabbing along a shallow pier or rocky jetty, using crawfish nets whose white-cotton webbing was long-ago colored a muddy red-brown. We would tie a bony chicken neck in the center of the net, toss it out into the shallow waters, and wait. Being a child and waiting patiently to pull in the nets do not go hand in hand. Until one of our parents intervened, we would pull in the nets to check them so often that the crabs didn't have a chance to find them, much less settle in for a good gnaw on the chicken. When we did catch them, it was important to release the females to help maintain the crab population. I always had a hard time telling them apart until one crusty Maryland crabber explained to me years later, 'The male looks like the Washington Monument and the female looks like the Capitol.' Indeed, the underbelly flap of the male is decidedly pointed and long and the female's is round with a nubbin of a tip. I like crab cakes, not crab-and-bread cakes—there needs to be just enough binder to hold the crab together. Use jumbo lump or lump crabmeat, be sure to keep the crab very cold since it spoils easily, and carefully pick through the meat to remove any bits of shell."

List of Ingredients

â—¦ â…“ cup fresh or panko (Japanese) breadcrumbs
â—¦ 1 pound jumbo lump or lump crabmeat, picked over for cartilage
â—¦ 1 large egg, lightly beaten
â—¦ 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
â—¦ Zest of 1 lemon
â—¦ 1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
â—¦ Dash of hot sauce
â—¦ Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
â—¦ ¼ cup peanut oil, plus more if needed
â—¦ 4 lemons, cut into wedges, for garnish


Recipe

Line a plate with paper towels and set near the cooktop.

In a bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, crab, egg, mayonnaise, lemon zest, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt and pepper. The mixture will be slightly wet. Form into cakes: use about ¼ cup for large cakes and 1 tablespoon or so for hors d'oeuvres. Place on a baking sheet and refrigerate to chill and set, about 30 minutes.

Heat the peanut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Using an offset spatula, gently slip the chilled cakes, in batches, into the oil. Cook until the crab cakes are golden brown, about 5 minutes on each side for large patties, or 1 to 2 minutes per side for small hors d'oeuvres. Remove from the skillet, and transfer to the prepared plate to drain. Serve hot with lemon wedges.

Serves 4 to 6 as a main course,
or makes 24 bite-size hors d'oeuvres