Crab Cakes
Man, not too much is better than an amazing crab cake and an ice cold beer. Beer is another recipe, but crab cakes we got covered and Boy, Howdy!, they'se good.
Ingredients
Standard Dressing
- 1 C Mayonnaise
- 1 oz Creole or horseradish mustard
- pinch Garlic powder
- dash Worcestershire Sauce
- Salt and pepper
Crab Cakes
- 1 lb Lump crab meat, picked, kept cold
- 1/2 each Red bell pepper, small dice
- 1/4 each Red onion, small dice
- 1/2 each Leek white, rinsed, small dice
- 1 each Stalk of celery, small dice
- 1 T Fresh chopped dill
- 1/2 each Orange, juiced and strained
- Dash Worcestershire sauce
- .25-.5 C Fresh ground white bread bread crumbs
- Standard dressing, to bind
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
Prepare Standard Dressing
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Mix all ingredients will. Adjust the ratios to your taste.
Prepare Crab Cakes
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Saute all the vegetables until just tender. Spread them out on a sheet pan and let them cool. When cool, add them to the crab meat. Add the remaining ingredients and gently fold everything together. Since everything in this is cooked, taste it for seasoning. Adjust as you wish.
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To portion these, we used to use a small baking pan which was about a 4 ounce volume. It resembles the top of a Talenti ice cream container. Depending on what your use is for the crab cakes, dinner or appetizer, that will determine your portion size. I find two 4 ounce cakes with vegetables is plenty. You may use a half cup measure, a disher (ice cream scoop looking thing) or the top of ice cream. Having a mold is helpful to keep a round shape. Sprinkle some bread crumbs onto a plastic wrap lined sheet pan. This will be where you place the measured cakes. Sprinkle bread crumbs into the cup or ice cream lid and lift crab meat mix into that. Push gently to flatten and tip out onto the bread crumb lined sheet pan. Repeat with all the crab mix. Is it not recommended you freeze this mix. If you have more than you need and no neighbors to share dinner with, cook them all and freeze the cooked cakes. If you are using a scoop, start with the plastic wrap lined sheet pan with bread crumbs, scoop the crab mix onto that. With a small piece of plastic wrap, push the crab mix flat and sprinkle with bread crumbs, and tap them into the crab cake. Refrrigerate for 1 hour before cooking.
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Heat a griddle or a non-stick pan to medium heat. I prefer peanut or corn oil for most of my browning (bacon fat is yum but not for everything). Gently lift the plastic and then get your fingers under the crab cake. Place it carefully into the pan. Don’t overcrowd the pan. Leaving space between is preferred for access to flipping them and also to keep the heat in the pan so the brown well and don’t simmer. When browned nicely, flip over, repeat on the second side. If you want an internal temperature, look for 165 degrees. They can be held in a warm oven while you prepare the accompaniments.
Recipe Notes
If you prefer to not have another dressing in the cooler, the Buttermilk Dressing here is a fine choice. A bit more herby, but that's a bonus. If you balk and the buttermilk, worry not. You make pancakes with it.