One of our oldest family traditions is planning a rest stop on any drive along the Atlantic Coast for buckets of Maryland Blue Crabs. But not everybody loves getting elbow deep in crab shells to work out each tiny bite. While buying lump crab meat is deeply unromantic, crab cakes are flipping delicious. And on the off chance you have leftover crabs, this is a great way to save the leftover meat. This recipe works just as well for Dungeness crab too.
Crab cakes on an arugula or Caesar salad is one of my favorite summer dinners. A San Francisco posh brunch menu always offers a crab cake-avocado eggs Benedict. And bite sized crab cakes make an excellent tapa or hors d’ouevre.
Crab cakes
Ingredients
- 8 ounces lump crab meat
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 egg
- 2 scallions, sliced thinly
- 1/2 teaspoon Paprika
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 teaspoon celery salt optional
- 1/4 teaspoon chili powder optional
- 2 tablespoons butter
Instructions
- If the crab is a little wet, drain before using.
- In a large bowl, mix all ingredients except butter. Note you can replace the spices with 1 teaspoon Old Bay if you prefer.
- Divide the mixture into two or four patties. If it is too wet to form a patty, don’t worry. You can use a large spoon to drop the batter into the pan.
- Melt butter in a skillet until sizzling.
- Fry the patties in butter, 3 minutes per side.