Maryland Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes.





 Recipes for crab cakes vary widely from recipe to recipe. Some are made only with Jumbo Lump crab meat and a few other ingredients and broiled to perfection (my preference), while others are made with special, and back fin crab meat, and lots of filler, thus producing a heavy crab cake that is not calorie worthy.  Crab meat is a delicate yet rich flavor that does not hold up well to ingredients such as peppers, and as such, recipes that include strong flavors like peppers, regardless of color, should be avoided.  Preparation of a crab cake can be either pan fried or broiled.  Both result in a tasty crab cake so it comes down to preference on how one prepares their crab cake.  As for the star of the show, the quality of the crab meat is not to be taken lightly.  If you are fortunate enough to live in an area where finding high quality jumbo lump is easy then you are in luck, but if you live is say, Iowa, you may need to rely on pasteurized crab meat, which will do if that is all that is available, but fresh is always the best.  If you are really in want of fresh and cannot find it local where you live, or the crab meat is not to your liking where you live, then turn to the internet.  The following sites will ship crab meat to you and it will be the real deal, fresh, tasty and best of all from Maryland, the crab capitol of the world! http://www.jmclayton.com/, or www.marylandbluecrabexpress.com  are two very good souces.  I personally would go with jm clayton as they are a member of the Maryland Crabmeat Quality Assurance Program.

Jumbo lump crab meat is expensive at around 35 dollars per pound, which may be why some folks decide to use special or back fin crab meat for their crab cakes, but a pound of jumbo lump makes four, 4 ounce crab cakes which equates to just under 9 dollars per crab cake, so really not that expensive in terms of cost per serving so why not go with the jumbo lump that will yield a superior crab cake. 

My Mother, who is a great cook, passed down the family recipe for Maryland Crab Cakes that is the real deal.  The recipe is simple, but jumbo lump must be used.  I have modified the family recipe to a very small degree, though it was done so based on my Dad’s memory of how my Grandmother made the crab cakes which was to use Ritz Crackers in lieu of fresh white bread crumbs.  Another recipe that is included with this is my Mother’s Coleslaw Recipe which is a true Eastern Shore delight with its savory and sweet flavor profile to balance against the crab cake.  Other traditional sides typically served are corn on the cob, French fries, hush puppies and green beans.  I love the combination of crab cakes with Coleslaw and French Fries, but I say serve and eat it the way you like.  Just do me the favor and leave the tarter and cocktail sauce behind when serving these crab cakes.  I liken it to serving a beautifully marbled rib-eye cooked medium rare with catsup.

Maryland Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes

Makes four, 4 ounce crab cakes

1 pound Jumbo Lump Crabmeat (try not to use pasteurized crab if possible)

2 Tbsp. Mayonnaise (do not use Miracle Whip!!) Hellmann’s is recommended

1 egg plus one egg yolk, beaten

1 tsp. of prepared yellow mustard

1 tsp. of Old Bay Seasoning

2 tsp. of fresh lemon juice (1/2 of a lemon)

1 tsp. baking powder

1 Tbsp. of Fresh Parsley rough chopped (do not use dry parsley if it can be avoided)

4-6 Ritz Crackers crushed

Mix together all the ingredients in a large bowl till thoroughly mixed.

Dump crab meat out on a baking sheet and carefully inspect and remove any cartilage being sure not to break up the lumps too much.  Add crab to mixture and carefully mix by hand or a large rubber spatula as not to break up the crab meat.  Let the mixture stand 4-6 hours to help meld the flavors together.  This will serve to also ensure a crab cake that does not fall apart too easily.

Set your boiler to 400 degrees and preheat.  The oven rack should be on the upper third, but not top rack slot in your oven.





1/2 Cup for Making the Crab Cake             

 

Using a ½ cup measuring cup, form each crab cake, gently packing it into the measuring cup, then place on a greased cooking sheet.  Top each crab cake with a pat of butter and broil for approximately 8 minutes or golden-DO NOT OVER COOK, check every few minutes to ensure even cooking and no burning.  Having the rack set to the highest level will likely result in a burnt crab cake that is dry to boot. 

Serve each crab cake with homemade Coleslaw per the recipe below.

Southern Style Coleslaw

1 head of cabbage rough copped to ribbons or a package of pre chopped cabbage (fresh chopped is better always if you have the time)

1 cup mayonnaise

¼ cup Apple Cider Vinegar

¼ cup Sugar

1 Tbsp. Yellow mustard

Mix ingredients together in a large bowl ajust for taste and consistency, then add cabbage.  Place covered bowl in the refrigerator and let sit 4-6 hours for the flavors to meld

NOTE:  The mixture should be the consistency of heavy cream and not too runny so adjust as necessary by taste and volume.  If you want sweeter then add more sugar, simple as that.   As it melds with the cabbage, water from the cabbage will thin the mixture.  This is as basic as it gets and will yield a very tasty sweet style Coleslaw, which is the best with Crab Cakes and even BBQ