I’ve
had friends in Baltimore for nigh on twenty years now, and when I visit them, I
always make sure to enjoy some of that most ubiquitous of Maryland dishes, blue
crab. Way back in the mid Nineties, my
friends Les, Chris and Donna treated me to an official Maryland Crab Boil
(though they were steamed, actually), and we sat for hours on Chris’s back
porch pickin’ crab and drinking lots of Natty Boh Beer. Those were some good times, hon.
But,
as fun and tasty as that was, I’ve found that the way I best enjoy the meat of
these little Chesapeake Bay bugs is pre-picked and formed into a delicious,
spicy crab cake. Not only is it easier,
but I think it’s tastier too, as the crab meat is augmented with some herbs and
spices to really make it sing. Then of
course, it’s fried. Fried stuff always
tastes better.
Oh,
and did I mention spice? Well, proper
Maryland crab cakes are spiced up with a product called Old Bay Seasoning.
Old Bay is to Maryland what Tabasco is to
Louisiana. Fact is, they put it on
everything up there...eggs, slaws, potato chips, corn on the cob, etc. And of course, I don’t blame them, because
Old Bay is delicious. I keep a can in my
spice rack at all times.
So,
a couple of weeks ago the Superbowl (pretty much the biggest yearly sporting
event here in the States) took place. My Baltimore friends were quite excited,
as their team, the Ravens, were playing in the affair. I too enjoy the Superbowl, even though my
beloved Dallas Cowboys haven’t been in it for quite some time now. Anyway, when we watch the Big Game, the wife
and I like to whip up some grub to enjoy as we watch. I thought, ‘Hey, Baltimore’s in the game, why
not make some crab cakes?”
Well,
I’d never made them before, so I inquired of my friends for their recipes. They obliged, and the wife and I went with a
somewhat hybrid version of what they sent.
The crab cakes came out great, so I decided to get ‘em up on the blog as
quick as I could. I hope y’ins enjoy
‘em, hon.
Maryland
Style Crab Cakes
12 oz Lump Crab Meat, Blue Crab if available
10 Ritz Crackers, crumbled very fine
1 Egg
Juice of 1 Lemon
2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons Chopped Parsley
2 Teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
1 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
Dash Cracked Black Pepper
1 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
10 Ritz Crackers, crumbled very fine
1 Egg
Juice of 1 Lemon
2 Tablespoons Mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons Chopped Parsley
2 Teaspoons Old Bay Seasoning
1 Teaspoon Worcestershire Sauce
Dash Cracked Black Pepper
1 Cup Panko Bread Crumbs
Crush
the Ritz crackers very fine. Pulsing in
your food processor works great. Mix
with the egg, lemon juice, mayo, parsley, Old Bay, Worcestershire and black
pepper. Stir until all is
incorporated.
Now
for the crab. If you can get hold of
fresh blue crab meat, this is your best yet, but if you live in Texas or
similar, like me, you may have to settle for canned. If so, get the best quality canned crab you
can afford. It’ll make a difference. We made our crab cakes during the Superbowl
with canned, and they were great, so don’t sweat it too much.
Pour
your crab meat into a separate bowl from what you’ve already mixed and pick
through the meat to make sure there is no cartilage or bits of shell. Once this is done, slowly add the crab meat to
the spice/mayo mixture, stirring until all is incorporated. Don’t over stir the mixture, do only enough
to combine. Too much mixing and you’ll
break up the nice lumps of crab meat into shreds.
Shape
the mixture into five or six small patties...
Coat with the Panko bread crumbs
...then refrigerate them for at least an hour.
Heat
a skillet with vegetable oil about ½ inch deep in it to 375F. Use a fork to lower the cakes into the oil,
and fry them on each side until they are golden brown.
Serve immediately by themselves, or with some
tartar or remoulade sauce.
Until
next time,
No
need to get crabby, have some crab cakes!
I like this recipe I am from New Orleans but like this version I will try it
ReplyDeleteSounds great. Hope you enjoy!
Deletecan you bake instead of frying
ReplyDelete