Crab Cakes Two Ways

Crab Cakes

 

A crab cake is associated to the area of Baltimore (near me) ion the Chesapeake Bay where most of our crabs found in the USA come from.   Therefore, I have been lucky to have eaten some of the best ever traditional crab cakes and also some of the worst!

They can be sautéed, baked, or grilled and then served. I preferred baked.

Just make sure the CRAB is not over shadowed by the rest of the ingredients.

1 pound crab meat, picked free of shells

½ small yellow onion diced very small

1/3 cup each finely chopped red and green bell pepper

1 tablespoon chopped capers

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 egg

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon Old Bay Season

1 teaspoon salt

Good numerous grinds of cayenne pepper

!/2 cup of panko crumbs

Mix the mayonnaise, mustard, egg and lemon all together to make the “wet” ingredients. 

Be careful that you don’t break down the crab meat, so be gentle. Stir in the “wet” ingredients. 

 

 

 

 

 

TIPS:

·        I place a bit of diced Jalapeno in mine, but please omit and add a hot spice to a dipping sauce.  Personally, I prefer the cakes without a sauce and its added calories. (They are usually Mayonnaise based – however maybe a yogurt based sauce would be nice? HMM...)

·        Replace the parsley with basil and serve with a basil aioli sauce.

·        Celery is often used ( I do often, but I did not have any on hand)

·        Hot pepper sauce can be used instead of the fresh hot pepper (we do not always have fresh peppers at hand – but hot sauce always!)

·        I hope my next blog will be about a reuse of the left over cakes (we are only two people and this will serve about six)  Super idea of crab cake, poached egg and Hollandaise sauce.. !! Yum.

As promised:

 

Crab Cake with Poached Egg and Hollandaise Sauce

Warm the cakes and top with a poached egg and drizzle with Hollandaise Sauce

 From Joy of Cooking cook book  Easy Hollandaise Sauce

3 egg yolks

2 tablespoons lemon juice

A pinch of cayenne

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter. 

Have all ingredients (except butter) in blender ready

Heat butter - in microwave (be sure to cover)

Cover blender and turn on high. After about 3 seconds remove lid and gradually pour hot butter over egg mixture in a steady stream.   By the time butter is poured in (about 30 seconds) the sauce should be finished. Will be thick and pale yellow colored. (If not, continue about 5 seconds longer.)

As always be your own Creative Dump Cook and change this recipe to what YOU have on hand!