Years ago, some nameless patrician chef liberated the Crab Burger from its proletarian bun and proceeded to serve them on a plate under the pouncey moniker “Crab Cakes.” Here, the crab cake has been stripped of pretense and restored to its true, original burger state.
MAKES 4 BURGERS
To make the Crab Burger Sauce: Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and refrigerate until ready to serve.
To make the burgers: In a bowl, use your fingers to mix together all the burger ingredients including pepper to taste, being careful not to break up the lumps of crabmeat. Shape the mixture into 4 burgers about 3/4 inch thick and 4 inches across. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 6 hours.
Place a skillet, preferably cast-iron, over medium-high heat and let it get hot, about 2 minutes. Add the oil and spread it evenly over the pan. Arrange the burgers so they aren’t touching and cook, uncovered, until they are nicely browned on the bottom, about 3 minutes. Turn and cook about 3 minutes more.
Serve on the hamburger buns, topped with a dollop of Crab Burger Sauce.
Note: These burgers are too delicate to cook on an outdoor grill.