The mister spent some of his formative years in Maryland, therefore, due to geographical osmosis, he thinks he's an expert when it comes to politics, cherry blossoms, FBI/CIA/NCIS/ABC-123, and crab cakes. As a kid he went on field trips every year to the Capitol, the White House, Smithsonian, etc., and everything he he learned back in those dark ages he can still recall...which always amazes me! He can tell you how many steps there are in the Capitol and what President did what in the White House and he knows the names of every former drug user/mayor D.C. has ever had. He can also remember every crab cake he ever ate and where he ate it. That does not amaze me. That infuriates me. With every crab cake I make in my own little kitchen, I'm competing with his perfected-over-time-memory of his beloved Chesapeake Bay crab cakes!
This recipe came to me from my friend Ann Mayberry. She, too, knows crab cakes as she lived and worked in D.C. for years. When she said they were good, she wasn't kidding! They are good - in fact, they are better than good - I dare say they are every bit as good as any Chesapeake Bay crab cake the mister can conjure up!
Since it's not crab season, here or in Maryland, I purchased Seatech frozen Chilean Crab Meat. You can see the big chunks of crab in the package - and it is great tasting! I buy this at Fisherman's Terminal in Seattle, they usually always have it in their freezer and it's pretty inexpensive (comparatively speaking), this 1 lb. package was $16.00, which is half the price of fresh crab. It comes fully cooked so all I had to do was let it thaw out over night in the refrigerator and then I was good to go.
You can see the tender lumps of crab - which is what I love about these crab cakes - you get big bites of crab in every forkful! The mister, who looked skeptical at first, must have eaten 6 of them - in one sitting. He loved them...he even went so far as to say they reminded him of the crab cakes he had as a kid...high praise, indeed, even if he didn't say they were every bit as good!
Whoa! I'm continually amused at my photography skills...or lack of them. You would think after 7 years of food pictures I would know a thing or two about how to do it right...naw...ain't learned a thing! These crab cakes "fry" up beautifully in just a hint of oil - they are crispy on the outside, sweet, light and crab-by on the inside and it makes no difference if you serve them with a red cocktail sauce or the Spicy Mustard Sauce recipe I'm giving you below - they are good either way and even sauce-less!
Crab Cakes - From Ann Mayberry
1/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 green onions, finely chopped
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten
1 1/3 cups Panko, divided
1 lb. lump crabmeat
2 tablespoons olive oil
Combine red bell pepper, mayonnaise, salt, pepper, green onions, whole egg and the egg yolk and mix well. Add about 2/3's cup Panko (a little less if you like your crab cakes to be a little more on the dry side) and crab, toss gently. Shape mixture into little cakes, about 2 1/2 to 3-inches wide by 3/4-inch high. Place remaining Panko in a shallow dish. Gently dredge patties in Panko.
Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add crab cakes and cook about 4 minutes on each side. Makes about 10 crab cakes, depending on size, serves 4 to 6. Serve with your favorite cocktail sauce or with Spicy Mustard Sauce.
Spicy Mustard Sauce:
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
Mix all ingredients together in a small bowl, serve with crab cakes. Thanks Ann!
