Something's Fishy
Crab Cakes: Part II
It’s Lent and many of us are thinking fish on Fridays. I’m not crazy about fish. In fact, I drive my hubby nuts in my pickiness over fish. I like halibut and Chilean Sea Bass and that’s it. If there is any sign of a bone or skin – I’m off running! But seafood – oh I love lobster, crab and shrimp!
We were recently in Key West and I had gulf shrimp every day! It was served in so many ways, but on vacation, there is nothing better than peel and eat shrimp cooked in beer with a glass of Chardonnay!
This time last year, I shared with you a crab cake recipe that is also delicious.
These were baked in little muffin tins and are quite good. Everyone seems to have their own interpretation of a crab cake. Yesterday I was at lunch with a girlfriend and she ordered a crab cake and it looked like a fried meatball!
The recipe I am sharing today is now my favorite! Beautiful color, gently fried on the stovetop and with a little gentleness in the preparation, chunks of crab are visible in every bite! I found the recipe on Pinterest, I take no credit for anything on this recipe – other than I love it and want to share it with you! The credit goes to EverydayDishes.com and I thank them for sharing this!
The ingredients are simple and colorful; the secret is to be gentle in the mixing process so the crab doesn’t break down and become mushy. You can keep the mixture in the refrigerator for a few days and fry them up at your convenience! In fact, they taste better after a day once the flavors are incorporated.
Gently fry in a pan and serve with a green salad! I like to serve Ina Garten’s tartar sauce on the side.
- 1 lb jumbo lump crabmeat (make sure it’s the jumbo type so you will have chunks of crab showing)
- 1 large egg
- 3 Tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1½ tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 3–4 dashes hot sauce (optional)
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ½ tsp paprika
- ½ tsp salt
- 3 Tbsp finely diced red bell pepper
- ⅓ cup finely sliced green onion (about 3–4)
- 1 Tbsp chopped parsley, fresh or dried
- ⅔ cup crushed cracker crumbs (such as Ritz or Saltines)
- canola or vegetable oil for frying
- Transfer crabmeat into a colander then set aside to drain excess liquid.
- Stir together egg, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce (optional), garlic powder, paprika and salt until completely combined.
- Add bell pepper, green onion and parsley then stir to combine.
- Gently fold in drained crabmeat until well coated.
- Once the crab is moistened, add cracker crumbs, gently folding until the crumbs are completely mixed in. Try to leave crab chunks as intact as possible. Cover mixture then refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
- Form patties using ⅓ cup of the mixture at a time. When forming the patties, compress the mixture well, but don’t mash them together or they will become too dense.
- The mixture will be moist, but should hold together. If the mixture does not hold together, just add a bit more cracker crumb.
- Place a large skillet over medium heat then add just enough oil to barely cover the bottom of the pan.
- Heat oil until it is shimmering, then gently place crab cakes into the pan. Do not overcrowd the pan and work in batches if necessary.
- Fry crab cakes until golden brown, about 3–5 minutes per side. Gently turn the crab cakes as not to break them. (I use two spatulas to flip).
- Remove from pan then transfer to a paper towel-lined plate to remove excess oil.
- Serve with wedges of lemon and your favorite salad.
