Maryland Crab Cakes
Recipe developed by Tawnie Graham of Kroll’s Korner, Courtesy The Seafood Nutrition Partnership
A Chesapeake Bay staple, these Maryland Crab Cakes are going to make you feel like you’ve been transported to the shore. Made from fresh lump crabmeat, scallions, and Old Bay, they are flavorful and so easy to prepare. Paired with its savory and tangy flavored sauce (optional), it’s a match made in heaven!
The recipe was created by Tawnie Graham of Kroll’s Korner. Make sure to check out her blog post for more tips on choosing the best crab, how to best shape and cook these Maryland Crab Cakes and more!
Ingredients
| 1 lb. jumbo lump crab meat | |
| 30 saltine crackers, pulsed into crumbs, divided (20 saltines go into the crab cake mixture, 10 for rolling) | |
| 2 scallions, white parts only, minced | |
| 2 Tbsp. red bell pepper, minced | |
| 1/2 cup mayonnaise | |
| 1 Tbsp. lemon juice | |
| 1 Tbsp. lemon zest | |
| 1 Tbsp. fresh parsley, minced | |
| 1 Tbsp. fresh tarragon, minced | |
| 1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard | |
| 1 egg | |
| 1/2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce | |
| 2 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning | |
| 3-5 dashes hot sauce (Tabasco) |
Instructions
| 1. | Gently combine the crab meat with the saltine crumbs, scallions and minced bell pepper. |
| 2. | In another bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, lemon juice, lemon zest, parsley, tarragon, Dijon mustard, egg, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay Seasoning and hot sauce. |
| 3. | Gently fold mayonnaise mixture into crab. |
| 4. | Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. |
| 5. | Once chilled, shape the crabmeat mixture into 3 oz. crab balls. I like to use a cookie scoop or ice cream scoop to create uniform crab cakes. |
| 6. | Roll each crab cake in the saltine cracker crumbs. Flatten each ball into a ¾ inch thick disk and place on a baking sheet or parchment paper while you form the rest. |
| 7. | Heat 1 Tbsp. olive oil in a nonstick skillet over medium heat. Don’t let it get too hot. Cook the crab cakes in batches so you don’t over crowd the pan. Add in the crab cakes and cook for about 3-5 minutes on each side or until golden and crusting on both sides. Work gently, you should only turn them once. |
| 8. | Transfer to plates and serve with the special sauce, lemon wedges and chopped chives. |
Here are some tips from Tawnie on the ingredients:
- Jumbo Lump crabmeat: Be sure you are sourcing jumbo lump crab meat. It’s worth the splurge!
- Scallions: Only the white parts are used.
- Red bell pepper: Including bell pepper is perhaps controversial, but I love it in these crab cakes!
- Parsley: Use fresh parsley if you can
- Fresh tarragon: Or, you can sub with fresh dill. It’s important to highlight the crab and not overpower it with too many herbs and seasonings so I recommend 1-2 herbs is plenty.
- Cracker crumbs: I’ve found using Saltine crackers is best. Pulse them in your food processor until you get crumbs.
- Egg: Helps act as a binder for the crab cake
- Mayonnaise
- Seafood seasoning: We love Old Bay Seasoning!
- Dijon mustard
- Worcestershire
This recipe makes about 10, 3 oz. crab cakes, which is perfect for a main meal. If you want a great appetizer, you can always shape them smaller into mini crab cakes for a delicious finger food!
For the Special Sauce:
- 3/4 cup mayonnaise
- 3 Tbsp. sour cream
- 1/4 cup dill pickle relish
- 1 Tbsp. fresh chives, minced
- 3/4 tsp. Old Bay Seasoning
- 1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard
- 1/2 tsp. sugar
Mix all ingredients thoroughly in a bowl and chill until ready to serve.
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