Capital Cookbook (www.HometownAnnapolis.com

Tuesday, February 9, 2010

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Maryland Crab Cakes — Traditional

1 pound backfin crab meat
½ cup cracker crumbs or bread crumbs
2 eggs
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon seafood seasoning
½ teaspoon white pepper
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard

Carefully remove all cartilage from crab meat. In a bowl, mix together eggs, mayonnaise, seafood seasoning, white pepper, Worcestershire sauce and dry mustard. Add crab meat, mix evenly and gently. Add cracker crumbs evenly. Shape into 6 cakes. Deep fry in oil at 350 degrees for 2 to 3 minutes until golden brown, or saute in a frying pan with a little oil for 5 minutes on each side. Crab cakes can also be broiled for a few minutes on each side until browned.

Maryland Crab Cakes

By Frances Hughes Glendening

1 pound fresh lump crab meat
1 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon or dry mustard
1 egg, beaten
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
Juice of lemon
7 Saltine crackers, crushed
2 tablespoons fresh minced parsley

Put crab meat in bowl. Mix rest of ingredients and add to crab meat. Chill for 2 hours. Form into 6 to 8 cakes. Place on buttered sheet pan and bake at 450 degrees until golden brown.

Note: Crab cakes can also be cooked in hot oil, pan-fried or broiled. Also, some cooks prefer using 2 slices of white bread torn into pieces instead of crackers.

Crabtowne's Crab Cakes

1 pound fresh lump crab meat, picked
¾ cup Italian-flavored bread crumbs
1 large egg, beaten
¼ cup good quality mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon parsley
Oil for frying
Lemon wedges

Place crab meat in a bowl, add bread crumbs and mix gently. In a separate bowl, combine egg, mayonnaise, Worcestershire, mustard, salt, pepper and parsley. Form into 6 patties. In a large pan, fry the cakes in oil until golden brown. Serve with lemon wedges. Makes 6 to 8 cakes.

Note: Cakes may also be broiled. Broil about 6 minutes on each side or until browned.

Dad's Crab Cakes

From Cherry Barranco

2 pounds crab meat
2 eggs
1 teaspoon lemon juice
½ Cup mayonnaise
¼ cup mustard
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 green pepper, finely chopped
1 cup crushed Saltine crackers
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 ½ teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
1 ounce parsley
Dash of garlic powder

Combine all ingredients in a large bowl, mixing well. Form into crab cakes and refrigerate. Broil in oven or fry in olive oil until golden brown. Serve with fresh salsa or favorite condiments.

Note: This recipe won first place at the Coast Day 1997 Crab Cake Cook-off sponsored by the University of Delaware Sea Grants Program.

No-Fat Crab Cakes

From "Chesapeake Bay Gourmet"

¾ cup cracker crumbs
¾ cup bread crumbs
½ teaspoon Old Bay®
¼ teaspoon salt
2 egg whites
2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon minced green onions
¼ cup nonfat mayonnaise
1 teaspoon no-salt Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon Dijon-style mustard
2 tablespoons water
½ pound backfin crab meat
3 tablespoons olive oil

Clean crab meat and set aside in refrigerator. Mix dry ingredients. Mix wet ingredients. Blend both mixtures together, then gently add crab meat. For best results, refrigerate about 1 hour before preparing. Pan fry in lightly oiled pan on medium heat for 6 minutes on each side. Makes about 6 crab cakes.

Best Backfin Crab Cakes

By Char Ann Smith

2 pounds jumbo lump crab meat
2 eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons parsley flakes
2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
2 teaspoons wet mustard
2 teaspoons dry mustard
2 tablespoons worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon pepper
4 tablespoons salad dressing
Cracker crumbs

Beat eggs. Add parsley flakes, Old Bay seasoning, mustards, Worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Combine with crab meat and salad dressing. Shape into balls and roll in cracker crumbs. Fry briefly in oil or bake in a 375-degree oven for 20 minutes.

Note: This recipe placed second in the Coast Day 1997 Crab Cake Cookoff.

Gertie's Crab Cakes

From John Shields' Chesapeake Bay Crab Cookbook

1 egg
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon dry mustard
½ teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
Dash of Tabasco sauce
1 pound lump or backfin crabmeat, picked over for shells
¼ cup cracker crumbs

In a blender or mixing bowl, combine the egg, mayonnaise, mustard, pepper, Old Bay, Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce. Mix until frothy. Place the crabmeat in a bowl, sprinkle on the cracker crumbs and pour the egg mixture over the top. Gently toss or fold the ingredients together, taking care not to break up the lumps of crabmeat.

Form the cakes by hand or with an ice cream scoop into rounded mounds about 3 inches in diameter and 1 inch thick. Do not pack the batter too firmly. The cakes should be as loose as possible, yet still hold their shape. Cakes may be sauteed, broiled or deep fried in oil heated to 375 degrees. If deep fried, drain on paper towels. Cooking time is brief, about three minutes on each side or until the cakes are nice and brown. Serves 4.

Eastern Shore Crab Cakes

From the Chesapeake Bay Crab Book

1 pound backfin or lump crabmeat, picked over for shells
1 egg
¼ pound butter, melted and cooled
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
¾ to 1 cup fine dried bread crumbs

Place the crabmeat in a mixing bowl and set aside. In a small mixing bowl, combine the egg, butter, lemon juice, Worcerstershire sauce and parsley. Mix until frothy. Sprinkle crabmeat with bread crumbs and pour the egg mixture over the top. Gently toss or fold the ingredients together, taking care not to break up the lumps of crabmeat. Mold and cook as suggested in the above recipe. Serves 4. Serve with Tartar Sauce, if desired.