“You cannot teach a crab to walk straight” – Aristophanes

Aaaaah, crabs. I love the sweetness of the meat, whether it’s  Maryland blue, Dungeness, rock, Alaskan King or soft shell. I have to admit  that sometimes I’m lazy and just buy the fresh crabmeat that comes in the plastic containers. I usually buy it only when it goes on sale –it’s just too expensive otherwise. Then comes the hard decision – do I just sauté it in butter, or do I make crab cakes? Either way is fine with me because both are a treat!

I recently bought Casey’s backfin/blended lump crab to make cakes.  I do not like using a lot of filler in the mix, and this recipe is so easy, and oh, so tasty!

Ingredients

• 16 oz. fresh crabmeat, picked over with any shells, etc.
  removed
• ¼ cup fresh lemon juice
• ½ cup diced red pepper
• ½ cup diced celery (about 2 stalks)
• 1/3 cup diced sweet onion (Vidalia is my favorite)
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1/8 cup mayo (I use Duke’s Light)
• 2 tablespoons oil for sautéing (I use Canola oil)
• Breadcrumbs or flour
• Garlic salt (to taste)
• Fresh ground pepper (to taste)
• Tabasco or other hot sauce (to taste)
• Old Bay Seasoning (to taste)

Preparation

In a large mixing bowl, flake the crab meat with a fork, and  sprinkle it with the fresh lemon juice. Add the red pepper, celery and onion. Mix together.

Add the egg and mayo to the crab mixture, and blend  thoroughly.  Season the mixture with the garlic salt, pepper, hot  sauce and Old Bay– start slowly because you can always add more. I usually add at least a teaspoon of each and then go from there.

Form into 4 large patties, or 8 smaller ones. Refrigerate for at least an hour. This step is so important because it makes the cakes hold together better, especially since I leave out filler such as breadcrumbs, crackers, etc. in the mix.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan. Dredge each cake in  flour or breadcrumbs (I used panko crumbs for this batch, and really loved the texture!)

Sauté over medium heat for 3-5 minutes per side, until  golden brown. Take care when you flip them over so they don’t break apart.

These are great without any sauce, but feel free to serve them with your favorite cocktail sauce or fresh lemon. My favorite pairings  include a tossed mixed green salad and a glass of Sauvignon Blanc or other white wine.

Bon appétit

Eat, drink, and be merry!