crab cakes

2016-01-17

Crab cakes are always a welcome appetizer. They are not difficult to make at all, and when you make them yourself, at least you know what’s in them.

There are many different recipes available on the internet. The main argument seems to be whether you should use crackers or bread for the crumbs. Pick and choose from the optional ingredients to your preference. You decide where between au naturel and ‘hotter than hell’ you want your crab cakes to be. Just add additional spices or hot sauce to taste.

INGREDIENTS

This is what you need for 4-8 servings:

1 lb. of lump crab meat
1 large egg
1/4 cup home-made mayonnaise
or sour cream
1 cup breadcrumbs
from toasted fresh bread
1 tbsp. parsley, freshly chopped
2 tbsp. unsalted butter
olive oil
S&P, spices
I used 1 tsp. 'spicy Old Bay' seasoning

Optional:

up to 1 tbsp. fresh lemon / lime juice
½ tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ tsp. Dijon mustard
½ cup shredded cheese

Pic1: crab cakes
internet picture

Directions

Drain canned crab meat thoroughly.
Slice bread, toast it dry without burning.
Pulse the bread a few times in a blender to get bread crumbs.
Optional:
- Add some shredded cheese to the mix.
Whisk the egg, mayonnaise, mustard, S&P and spices together.
Stir in the breadcrumbs and any other ingredients except the crab and mix carefully.
Be sure to break up any lumps in the bread crumbs.
Gently stir in the crab.
Check the crab meat for shell pieces beforehand.
Do not mash the crab into pulp. It looks and tastes better with the pieces. (Pic2)
Cover the bowl with plastic foil and refrigerate for a few hours.
The cooling time helps to bind the ingredients together and to keep the crab cakes from falling apart when cooking.
Form the mixture into 8 crab cake patties up to 1” thick.

Oven-baked:

Preheat the oven to 400 ºF.
Melt the butter with some olive oil.
Brush a baking sheet and the crab cakes with the butter / oil mix.
Bake for 20 minutes at 400 ºF.

Stovetop:

Optional:
- Dust the crab cakes on all sides with bread crumbs.
  That will make them brown quicker in the frying pan.
Melt the butter until it starts foaming.
Sauté the crab cakes 3 to 5 minutes on each side on medium high heat. (Pic3)
They should come out a nice golden brown.
Optional:
- After turning the crab cakes, cover them with some grated cheese to melt. (Pic4)
Serve and enjoy. (Pic1+5)
Optional:
- Serve with a slice of lime,
- Garnish with some parsley.

Pic2: crab cake mixture
Pic3: pan-frying
Pic4: with cheese

See also: Deming, NM gardens, animals and more and avemariasongs.org

See also: Deming, NM gardens, animals and more
and avemariasongs.org