Crabby Cakes

If you’ve ever been to Maryland before, than you know what a big deal Maryland Blue Crab is.  It’s featured in almost every restaurant and sold by the bushel on street sides as you get close to the shore.  It’s a part of the every day culture.  Maryland even boasts the Blue crab as the state crustacean.

Being the Midwest girl that I am, I hadn’t really heard of Maryland blue crab until I met Scott.  But once I did, there was no going back.  I learned how to catch crab and the best spots to find them on the Chesapeake, and I partook in such delicious delicacies as crab imperial, she crab soup, and crab cakes. Scott LOVES a good crab cake.  Anytime we’re back in the DC area or visiting his parents in Ocean City, it’s a must that we go out for crab cakes.  He knows the best places to get them and his choices never disappoint.  So when I decided to try my hand at making crab cakes the other night, I was a bit nervous that mine wouldn’t measure up to the ones we could get in his home state of Maryland.  I felt like I was already a step behind because I couldn’t get blue crab.  I had to use crab I found at Trader Joes, in a can, of all things.  I tracked down the Phillips Crab Cake recipe, one of the most famous recipes in Maryland and took the leap in hopes of a success.

What I learned is that I can indeed make a tasty crabcake, even with crab from a can.  However, what I also learned is that it’s going to take a few more tries to get the actual execution of making a crab cake down.  I chose to pan fry mine, partly because it was too hot for baking in the oven and partly because I just love them pan-fried.  I had a hard time keeping them together when I flipped them.  I’m thinking maybe one additional egg might do the trick, so I may experiment if when I try this recipe again to see if I can improve on that part of it.  If you decide to try these and find the trick, let me know!

Ok, enough chatter.  Let’s whip up a batch of crab cakes.  Here’s what you’ll need to make this tasty dinner:

Ingredients Needed:

1 Pound of Crab, Jumbo Lump if Possible
1 tsp of Old Bay Seasoning
1 Egg (I might try two the next go round)
2 tsp of Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 tsp of Dry Mustard
11/2 tsp of Lemon Juice (or 1/2 Lemon, Squeezed)
1 Tbsp of Melted Butter
1/2 Cup of Bread Crumbs

In a medium sized bowl mix all your ingredients together with the exception of the crab.

Slowly fold in the crab until it’s completely covered in the mixture being careful not to break up your lump crab.

Grab a handful of the crab mixture and form it into a pattie.  Repeat this for the rest of the meat mixture.  Once your patties are formed, stick them in the fridge for an hour to allow the flavors time to meld together.

There are two options for cooking.  Pan frying or baking.  Baking is obviously the lower fat version, but, seeing as it was blazing hot here yesterday and I had no desire to turn on my oven, I opted for pan frying.   Throw a few tablespoons of oil in your frying pan on medium high.  Once the oil is heated up, place your crab cakes into the hot oil and fry up, about 4 to 5 minutes per side or until heated through and a nice golden brown on both sides.

If you choose to bake them, you simply preheat your oven to 375 degrees and put the crab cakes in the oven on a greased sheet for about 12-15 minutes or until they’re golden brown and cooked through.

And that’s how easy that is!  Despite the fact that I had issues with them staying together, I got a big thumbs up from the boys and, most importantly, from Scott.  He asked when I’d be making them again!  I’m not sure why I haven’t tried them sooner.  They’re easy, tasty, and not nearly as expensive as their restaurant counterparts.