Maryland Crab Cakes

Having lived here in Maryland for the last 14 years, Ive had my share of crab cakes, both good and bad. I dont believe Ive ever had a bad crab cake that was homemade, but once you start trying restaurant cakes, you are bound to run into trouble. I've made this a couple times, the last time for what turned out to be the end of the Baltimore Ravens season in their loss to the Indianapolis Colts. I fired up a HUGE batch of crab cakes for the viewing party, and there wasnt even a piece of breading left on the serving tray when done. This recipe is pretty simple, but if theres one thing I need to reinforce to my readers is this: Your crab cakes are only as good as your crab. When I make them, I usually use jumbo lump crab meat. The cheapest Ive found them is around $21.99 a pound. Yes, its expensive, but its totally worth it.

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Preparing Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour
Served Person: 6

crab crabcakes maryland seafood american white meat free tree nut free contains gluten contains red meat contains fish contains dairy contains eggs

Carbohydrate 2.48424888888889 g
Cholesterol 62.38 mg
Fat 26.6685550229355 g
Fiber 0.812283338502049 g
Protein 15.08301 g
Saturated Fat 4.37128917054276 g
Serving Size 1 1 Serving (173g)
Sodium 690.265055555555 mg
Sugar 1.67196555038684 g
Trans Fat 1.57251000112384 g
Calories 308 calories

main dish

Step-by-step

In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients, except for the flour and peanut oil. Shape into patties and dust with flour.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot, carefully place crab cakes, in batches, in pan and fry until browned, about 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip crab cakes and fry on other side until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Serve warm with preferred sauce.

Using jumbo lump crab meat changes the structural integrity of the final patty by providing large, intact muscle segments that require minimal binder. Standard claw meat breaks down too easily and retains excessive moisture, which results in a dense texture rather than a delicate crumb. Selecting the right crustacean grade dictates how much cracker meal is actually necessary to hold the mixture together in the pan. Crushed saltines absorb interior liquid without overpowering the sweet marine flavor of the primary protein. Adapting this formulation for guests with wheat allergies requires a direct one-to-one replacement of the standard crackers with certified gluten-free crackers. Rice-based crackers provide a comparable starch ratio to maintain structural binding during the skillet phase. The outer flour dusting stage can utilize fine cornstarch instead of wheat flour to achieve the exact same crisp exterior barrier during frying. Maintaining the correct thermal threshold prevents the delicate proteins from sticking to the cast-iron or stainless steel cooking surface. Heat the peanut oil until it reaches 350 degrees Fahrenheit before introducing the shaped patties to the pan. Dropping cold cakes into insufficiently heated oil causes the binding agents to saturate before the crust can set. Fry in small batches to ensure the oil temperature does not drop drastically when the food is added. Leftover cooked patties maintain structural integrity for up to three days when stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Reheating should occur in a dry skillet over medium-low heat rather than a microwave to restore crispness to the exterior crust without rubberizing the interior meat.

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Maryland Crab Cakes

Ingredients

Nutrition facts

Step-by-step