crab cakes?

Does anyone have good basic crab cake recipes? I just bought some beautiful backfin NC crab and have never made crab cakes before but thought this would be the time. Most recipes seem like they include a ton of ingredients. Is it possible to do this with just crab, egg, and mustard? Most recipes also seem to include mayo and bread crumbs as binders, but shouldn't the egg work?

Bryan Voltaggio's Maryland Crab Cakes
Makes 4 Servings
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound crab meat, picked free of shells
1/3 cup crushed cracker meal
3 spring onions (green and white parts), finely minced
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 egg
1 tsp salt
3 drops Tabasco sauce
2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp lemon, juiced
1/4 tsp garlic minced
Wondra flour mixed with:
1/2 cup extra cracker meal for coating
1 cup canola oil

STEPS:

In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients except for Wondra flour, extra cracker meal and the canola oil.
Using a pastry cutter, mold the crab cakes into desired size, and coat with the mixture of Wondra flour and cracker meal.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
When oil is hot, carefully place crab cakes, in batches, in pan and fry until browned, about four to five minutes.
Carefully flip crab cakes and fry on other side until golden brown, about four minutes.

Or:

Crab Cakes with Mustard-Yogurt Sauce

Adapted from "Not Afraid of Flavor: Recipes from Magnolia Grill" by Ben and Karen Barker

No filler, no cracker, no mayo - that’s the kind of crab cake I dream about. I long avoided making crab cakes at home based on my dislike for seafood-house filler. The Barkers' recipe, which I’ve tweaked a bit, lets the sweet crabmeat speak for itself. The piquant quality of the mustard sauce and peppery arugula complement the richness of the crab.

Crab Cakes
Ingredients:
2 eggs
2 T each of squeezed lemon juice and lime juice
½ medium red or yellow bell pepper, diced
1 pound lump or jumbo lump crabmeat
squirt of Worcestershire or Pickapeppa sauce
chile sauce to taste
approximately ¾ cup plain bread crumbs
salt and pepper to taste
olive oil.

Method:
In a medium bowl, lightly beat eggs and combine with juices and peppers. Gently fold in crabmeat with a rubber spatula. Add Worcestershire, chile sauce, bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Sometimes if mixture isn/’t holding together, I’ll add a few more bread crumbs or a few tablespoons of plain yogurt.
Form into patties using a biscuit cutter or ice cream scoop. Chill in fridge for at least 30 minutes.
Pan-fry in olive oil in medium skillet over medium heat. Cook on first side for about 2 minutes, until golden. Gently turn (without filler, they are very delicate) and cook on

I don't want a bunch of ingredients in my crab cakes, I want the crab to shine. Try these. They are beautiful, and I add fresh lemon zest or juice.

•16 ounces lump crab meat

•0.5 cup panko bread crumbs
•0.25 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped
•0.25 cup light mayonnaise (I use regular mayo)
•1 egg
•0.25 tsp Old Bay seasoning

Directions:

In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients. Using an ice cream scoop, form 8 crab cakes, placing on a baking sheet. If preparing the same day, refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Heat a small amount olive oil in a large skillet and cook through for 3-4 minutes on each side until browned.

Thanks. This gives me some ideas.


I used about 8oz of the crab tonight for me and my wife, with just egg, a bit of panko bread crumbs, and mustard, plus salt. They were excellent and already much better than most stuff that we can get in restaurants. Will use the other 8oz tomorrow and see if I 'build up' the recipe or not, because I agree with Karen that too many ingredients get in the way of crab. Plus, we have other dishes on the plate to round out the meal!

I think the big question with crab cakes is texture: do you like them firmly packed or fall-apart loose?

I like them with lump crab, very fresh, but they still hold together with minimal ingredients. I also like them packed. Not fussy as long as it is fresh.

Here's the recipe that I use and change the measures all the time....always tinkering. Named after my father's good friend who loved his crab.
Some thoughts....depending on the natural liquor of the crab I will increase/decrease the number of saltines. Shreded crab meat or very small lumps i
might add an extra egg so they're creamier and I increase the Old Bay almost always cause I'm an Old Bay junkie!

Bills famous Maryland Crab Cakes
Dry Mix
Crush 12 saltine crackers
Add ½ teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
Add 1/8 teaspoon black pepper
Add 1 teaspoon onion powder
-- Add the above dry mix to 1 pound crab meat and gently combine
Wet Mix
1 Egg
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon yellow mustard
Couple shakes of Worsteshire sauce
 Mix well and pour over the crab and dry mix, lightly toss with spoon and fork to distribute.
 Form into cakes and broil or fry.

Another interesting take.

We did another batch last night with just a touch of panko bread crumbs, egg, a biut of mustard and then this time fresh basil. Also delicious and my wife was very excited, so will be returning to this dish in the future!

Another interesting take.

We did another batch last night with just a touch of panko bread crumbs, egg, a biut of mustard and then this time fresh basil. Also delicious and my wife was very excited, so will be returning to this dish in the future!

Yep, less is better with really good crab. It is stellar.

[Jenise]

Sounds like you're on your way to finding out what you want.

I make crab cakes two ways, one very simple and the other less so, but both suit the Dungeness we catch here (in fact, I just put my pots out).

When I want really pure and simple? Crab, small amount of panko, slivers of the tops of green onion, a dollop of mayo and egg white gets me there every time. When I want something more complex? I'm totally sold on the combination of diced fresh jalapeno, green onion, red pepper flakes, black and white peppers, mayo and egg white again, and some leftover (that is, already cooked) corn on the cob. Crab and corn have a real affinity for each other with similar levels of sweetness--and the corn adds some visually and texturally interesting delicate little crunchy pops.

Sounds like you're on your way to finding out what you want.

I make crab cakes two ways, one very simple and the other less so, but both suit the Dungeness we catch here (in fact, I just put my pots out).

When I want really pure and simple? Crab, small amount of panko, slivers of the tops of green onion, a dollop of mayo and egg white gets me there every time. When I want something more complex? I'm totally sold on the combination of diced fresh jalapeno, green onion, red pepper flakes, black and white peppers, mayo and egg white again, and some leftover (that is, already cooked) corn on the cob. Crab and corn have a real affinity for each other with similar levels of sweetness--and the corn adds some visually and texturally interesting delicate little crunchy pops.

I really like at least a bit of diced jalapeno in mine. Haven't done them with corn, though - sounds good!

There's no end to crab cake recipes and that's a good thing!