This delicious classic recipe for homemade Maryland style crab cakes is the perfect appetizer to serve up to your guests.
Crab cakes are a combination of lump crab mixed with spices, eggs, mayonnaise, and breadcrumbs that are then formed into balls and deep fried. They are most often served as an appetizer, and you’ll even see them as a sandwich.
Ingredients for this recipe:
For the Crab Cakes:
• 1 pound jumbo lump crab
• 1 large egg
• 1 ½ teaspoons old bay seasoning
• 1 ½ teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
• 1/3 cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1 tablespoon finely minced parsley
• 1 cup buttered cracker breadcrumbs
• ¼ cup oil
For the Optional Sauce:
• 1 cup bechamel sauce
• 2 teaspoons yellow mustard
• 2 teaspoons whole grain mustard
Serves 6
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 8 minutes
Procedures:
1. Crab Cakes: Gently combine the crab, egg, old bay, Worcestershire, mayonnaise, Dijon, and 2/3 cup cracker crumbs until thoroughly mixed.
2. Form the mixture into 6 crab cakes by rolling into tight balls and gently pressing down to flatten.
3. Coat each crab cake in the remaining 1/3 cup of unused cracker crumbs and then place them on a plate or a cookie sheet tray lined with parchment paper.
4. Pour the oil into a large frying pan over medium heat.
5. Once the oil is hot, add in the crab cakes and cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through.
6. Set aside to drain on a rack or paper towels.
7. For the Sauce: Heat the bechamel in a sauté pan until hot and whisk in the mustards until combined.
8. Serve the sauce alongside of the cooked crab cakes and garnish the crab cakes optionally with chopped parsley.
Chef Notes:
Make-Ahead: Crab cakes are meant to be eaten as soon as they are cooked. If you have to you can make them up to 1 hour ahead of time and keep them warm in the oven on a sheet tray with a rack at 225°.
How to Reheat: Place the crab cake in a pan and place them in the oven at 350° for 3-4 minutes or until hot. You can also heat in the microwave until hot.
How to Store: Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Cover and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw in the refrigerator for 1 day before reheating.
To keep the crab cake from falling apart it is imperative there is enough mayonnaise and an egg that is thoroughly mixed in. It is also important to compact the crab cake well with your hands when forming them.
Crab cakes are most often eaten with a sauce or with greens.
The flavor is better if you fry the crab cakes, but you can bake them on a cookie sheet tray lined with parchment paper at 375° F for 13-18 minutes.