There’s just something about a crab cake. These perfectly pan-fried, golden and crisp, delicate and delicious little seafood cakes are simply magical. Whether you serve them as an appetizer, a main course, or a sophisticated garnish atop your favorite steak, crab cakes are sure to be the first thing to disappear from every plate.
Elegant enough to be impressive and easy enough to be accessible, crab cakes are one of the few foods that are simultaneously perfect for the most lavish of holiday parties or a night at home alone on the couch. Here are our tips for making this incredible dish at home.
Let the crab shine
There are plenty of sophisticated tinned seafood options available these days that are a far cry from the overly processed, catfood-esque products many of us grew up on. Mercifully, most grocery store shelves are now stocked with at least a few gourmet options in the world of canned or jarred fish, and our pantries are grateful. Having said that, this is not the time for canned crab.
While more frugal canned crab may be a tempting option when making crab cakes, it’s best to spend a few more dollars on the good stuff here. Crab should be the star of the show in this dish, and fresh crab meat is the only way to go when making this dish.
Depending on where you live in the country, there are several crab varieties available, but the two most popular varieties for crab cakes are the Blue crab and the Dungeness crab. Blue crabs are commonly found on the East Coast, while much larger Dungeness crabs come primarily from the West Coast. Both varieties are perfect for crab cakes.
Be gentle
As a general rule, it’s best to be gentle when mixing all meats. If you’re too handsy with ground beef or pork, you’ll end up with tough burgers and dry meatballs. And if you’re too grabby with the crab meat, your cakes will crumble, which is a true culinary travesty. When mixing your filling, gently fold the ingredients together, taking care to keep the crab in large pieces – this will keep the naturally delicious crab juices inside the meat where it belongs and not all over your hands.
Once the mixture has come together, form the cakes as delicately as possible, being careful not to press too hard when shaping. There’s nothing wrong with a little lack of uniformity. Crab cakes are actually much prettier when they look a little rustic, so don’t stress about getting the perfect shape.
Turn up the heat
For many of our favorite dishes, low and slow is the way to go. Crab cakes are not one of those dishes. One of the most delicious parts of a great crab cake is its golden, perfectly seared, crisp crust. That outer crunch that gives way to the soft, savory seafood center is arguably the best part of the dish.
To guarantee a crisp crust, be sure that your pan is very hot before adding the crab cakes. Once they’re in the pan, try your best not to move them around. This is vital for ensuring a golden crust and also protects the fragile crab cakes from falling apart. Once the cakes have been properly seared, you can reduce the heat to medium to finish cooking thoroughly, but always start with high heat.
Crab cakes recipe
This recipe makes about one dozen crab cakes. You can certainly cut the recipe in half if your dinner party is on the smaller side, but these are almost even better as leftovers so you should go ahead and make the whole batch and enjoy them for a few days. Simply reheat with a splash of water and a bit of butter in a pan over medium heat.
Ingredients
- 1 pound lump Dungeness crab meat
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 4 tablespoons butter, divided
- 2 eggs
- 3 tablespoons mayonnaise
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method
- In a large skillet over medium heat, saute onion in 2 tablespoons of olive oil until caramelized. Remove from heat and set aside to cool.
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Whisk together the eggs, mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce, and seasonings in a large bowl; set aside.
- Drain and pick through crab meat, checking to make sure there aren’t any small pieces of shell remaining, and add to the mayonnaise mixture.
- To the crab mixture, add the cooled onion and panko crumbs. Mix very gently until just combined. Cover the mixture and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.
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With wet hands, divide the mixture into about one dozen 1/2-inch cakes.
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Over medium-high heat, heat oil and butter until melted.
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Cook crab cakes in batches for 4 minutes per side.
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Transfer to a serving platter and repeat with the remaining cakes, adding more oil and butter as needed.
