MAKES: 4 servings TESTED BY: Carla C.
054 Crab Cakes
TASTING COMMENTS:
The key to awesome crab cakes is to keep things simple. Our version is flavored only with green onion and a little seafood seasoning so the delicate flavor of the crab comes through.—CC
prep 40 minutes chill 1 hour
- 2 Tbsp. chopped green onion
- 2 Tbsp. butter
- 1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
- ¼ tsp. seafood seasoning
- ⅛ tsp. black pepper
- ½ cup milk
- 1 6- to 8-oz. pkg. frozen lump crabmeat, thawed; one 6-oz. can refrigerated lump crabmeat, drained and flaked; or 1 cup fresh crabmeat, flaked and cartilage removed
- 2 Tbsp. panko bread crumbs, fine dry bread crumbs, or cornmeal
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp. water
- ¾ cup panko bread crumbs or fine dry bread crumbs
- 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
- ¼ cup Rémoulade, Lemon-Dill Sour Cream, or Mustard Chutney
The most familiar seafood seasoning comes in a yellow tin. It is a blend of dry mustard, paprika, celery salt, bay leaf, black pepper, crushed red pepper, mace, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, cardamom, and ginger.
1. In a small saucepan cook onion in 1 Tbsp. hot butter until tender. Stir in the 1 Tbsp. flour, the seafood seasoning, and pepper. Add milk all at once. Cook and stir until thickened and bubbly. Transfer to a medium bowl. Cover and chill 1 hour or until cold.
2. Stir crabmeat and the 2 Tbsp. panko into chilled sauce. Place the ¼ cup flour in a shallow dish. In a second shallow dish beat together egg and the water. Place the ¾ cup panko in a third shallow dish.
3. For each crab cake, shape about 2 Tbsp. of the crab mixture into a small patty. Dip patty into flour; turn to coat. Dip in egg mixture, then in bread crumbs. Place on waxed paper.
4. In a large skillet heat oil and remaining 1 Tbsp. butter over medium heat. Add half of the crab cakes; cook 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Repeat with remaining crab cakes. Serve with Remoulade, Lemon-Dill Sour Cream, or Mustard Chutney.
Per serving 328 cal., 15 g fat (5 g sat. fat), 92 mg chol., 415 mg sodium, 39 g carb., 1 g fiber, 20 g sugars, 10 g pro.
RÉmoulade In a bowl combine ¾ cup mayonnaise; 1 Tbsp. each thinly sliced green onion, fresh snipped parsley, finely chopped red pepper, Creole or brown mustard, and lemon juice; 1 tsp. drained capers; and ½ tsp. each paprika and hot pepper sauce.
Lemon-Dill Sour Cream In a bowl combine ¾ cup sour cream and 1 Tbsp. each lemon zest, dill, and chives.
Mustard Chutney In a bowl combine ½ cup purchased mango chutney (snip large pieces), 1 ½ tsp. Dijon-style mustard, and 1 tsp. lemon juice.
choose your crumbs The crumbs (or cornmeal) in these crab cakes perform two functions. The crumbs that are stirred into the crab mixture act as a binder to keep the crab cakes together when cooked. The crumbs in which the uncooked cakes are dredged create the crispy coating. Panko, fine dry bread crumbs, and cornmeal work equally well—which you choose is a matter of personal taste.
TESTING NOTES
1. The base of these crab cakes is essentially a white sauce made with butter, flour, seafood seasoning, and milk. It’s cooked to thicken it, then chilled until cold. Chilling the milk mixture thickens it further so the crab cakes will hold together when fried.
2. Using a small ice cream scoop when forming the crab cakes keeps them evenly sized and gives them a nice shape.
CRAB OPTIONS Unless you live next to an ocean, fresh (never frozen) crabmeat may be hard to come by. There are other options, including canned, frozen, refrigerated pasteurized tubs, and refrigerated vacuum-sealed packs. Lump crabmeat refers to meat that comes from the crustacean’s body. It’s ideal for crab cakes. You can also use backfin meat, which is broken pieces of lump mixed with smaller pieces of white body meat. Crab cakes made with backfin have a finer texture than those made with lump crabmeat.
