Basic Maryland Crab Cakes Recipes

Steps:

• Clean the crabmeat of all shell fragments without breaking or crumbling the delicate lumps.
• Place the bread in a food processor and, using the metal blade, process until finely crumbled. Measure and reserve 2 tablespoons of the bread crumbs to use in the filling. The remaining bread crumbs will be used to coat the crab cakes.
• Mix the crabmeat with the sweet peppers, garlic, jalapeno, cilantro leaves, and mayonnaise. Add the "Old Bay" seasoning powder, 2 tablespoons of the bread crumbs, salt and pepper. Mix well, then refrigerate for twenty minutes before continuing.
• Cover a work surface with waxed paper sprinkled with the reserved bread crumbs. Using a 2-ounce ice cream scoop, form eight equal-size portions of crabmeat. With the palm of your hand pat each portion into a disk-shaped cake approximately 3/4-inch thick. It is important for the crab cakes to be the same thickness so that they will cook uniformly. Press each cake into the bread crumbs, turning them so they coat evenly on all sides. Refrigerate for at least an hour to prevent them from crumbling during cooking.
• No more than half an hour before you plan to serve the crab cakes, add enough oil to cover the bottom of an oven-proof saute pan. Heat until just before it begins to smoke. Add the crab cakes gently, being careful not to crowd the pan. (Cook them in two batches if necessary.) When the crab cakes are well browned on both sides, place in a 375 degree F. oven for six minutes to ensure that they are fully cooked and hot at the center. Serve with mesclun salad, chili mayonnaise and garnish with finely chopped tomato.

Steps:

• Pick the crab meat to remove any remaining pieces of shell.
• Pick bread into small pieces and place in medium-size bowl with crabmeat. Add egg, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, and Old Bay seasoning ™. Mix ingredients by hand to avoid overworking the crabmeat, you want to keep the lumps of meat as much as possible. Form into patties; this should make 6 good-size cakes.
• Heat 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet, then fry cakes for about 4 minutes each side or until brown crust forms on both sides of the crab cake.

Steps:

• Heat broiler, with rack 4 inches from heat. Line a rimmed baking sheet with aluminum foil; set aside. Keeping each pound of crabmeat separate, turn out onto paper towels; pick through to remove any shells or cartilage.
• In a large bowl, stir together mayonnaise, parsley, lemon juice, egg, mustard, Old Bay, 1 teaspoon coarse salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
• Add crumbs and small-size crabmeat to mayonnaise mixture; stir well to combine. Gently fold in large-size crabmeat to mayonnaise mixture just until combined. Dividing evenly, form mixture into 8 cakes. To make ahead, see Cook's Notes.
• Place cakes on prepared baking sheet; drizzle with melted butter. Broil until golden brown and warmed throughout, 12 to 15 minutes (move to lower shelf if tops brown too quickly). Serve with tarter sauce and lemon wedges.

Steps:

• Preheat oven broiler.
• Mix together crabmeat, bread crumbs, parsley, salt and pepper.
• Beat together egg, mayonnaise, hot sauce and mustard. Combine with other ingredients and mix well. Form into patties and place on a lightly greased broiler pan or baking sheet.
• Broil for 10 to 15 minutes, until lightly brown.

Steps:

• In a large bowl, gently mix together cracker crumbs, crabmeat, egg, mayonnaise, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, salt, and pepper. The mixture will be wet. Form about 1/4 of the crab mixture for each cake.
• Heat peanut oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Gently slide the cakes off a spatula into the oil. Saute until the crab cakes are golden brown and cooked through, about 5 minutes on each side. Remove from skillet, and drain on paper towels. Serve hot with tartar sauce.

Steps:

• Pick through crab meat for any leftover pieces of shell.
• Lightly beat egg in medium bowl.
• Add all seasonings to egg and mix well.
• Add bread cubes to mixture and mix well.
• Gently fold crab meat into mixture.
• Shape into crab cakes.
• If using oil, heat oil.
• Pan fry until both sides are evenly done.
• Serve plain or with lemon juice or tartar sauce.