Grandpa Joe's
Maryland Crab Cakes

We only lived in Maryland for two years, but that was plenty of time to learn to appreciate the incredible taste of fresh crab meat.

About this recipe

Many crab cake (or fish cake of any kind) recipes have one major flaw in my opinion.  They include too much filler (typically bread crumbs) and too many extra ingredients (e.g., green pepper, onions) that tend to mask the rich flavor of the crab itself.  This recipe takes a completely different approach and the result is equally special.  Note that even the bread crumbs are fresh.  I use a food processor and 2 or 3 slices of fresh bread.

Ingredients

  • 1 pound fresh back fin or lump crab meat
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
  • 1 teaspoon ground mustard
  • ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
  • ½ cup fresh bread crumbs
  • extra virgin olive oil

Directions

  1. Place the crab in a large mixing bowl and pick over the crab meat to remove any shells.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the four liquid ingredients and mix well. 
  3. Combine the four dry ingredients in a separate bowl and mix well.
  4. Add the dry ingredients to the crab meat and mix gently.  Then, add the liquids and, again, mix thoroughly, but gently.  
  5. Shape the crab mixture into cakes and sauté in olive oil over medium heat until golden brown on each side, or about five minutes per side.  
  6. Serve warm with lemon wedges or tartar sauce.
Crab Cakes and Seared Scallops over lettuce dressed with lemon juice and extra-virgin olive oil.

Notes

  • For those of us not living near an ocean, there are at least two brands of pasteurized and refrigerated crab meat that are readily available year-round.  You should be able to find them, too, in the seafood section of many large grocery stores.
Posted: March 2014.