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Maryland loves their crab cakes.  I love crab cakes.  Katrina really loves crab cakes.  Lake Michigan isn’t exactly known for its thriving crab industry as the Pacific Northwest and Chesapeake Bay are, but luckily for us crab cakes are easily made from lump crab meat available in any supermarket.  The inspiration for this dish came from the Crab Cakes Benedict on the brunch menu at Magnolia Cafe in Uptown, Chicago.  We’ve been hooked on these moist crab cakes ever since!






A couple of months ago when it was still relatively warm in Chicago, I took Katrina to brunch at Magnolia Cafe in Uptown for her first time ever.  We ate outside on the enclosed sidewalk patio, sipping some delicious raspberry champagne.  I opted for the Huevos Rancheros and she ordered the Crab Cakes Benedict.  My plate was delicious, but her dish was out of this world.  Since then we’ve been hooked on the crab, popping cakes wherever we go.  To save some money, I sometimes make them at home for Katrina, to cheer her up after a stressful day.  We recently learned that she was becoming a salaried employee at her job, so I rewarded her last night with my awesome crab cakes.  I’ve adjusted my recipe slightly each time I make it, but have finally settled on a version that is tasty and holds together well when cooking.  In the past I’ve been plagued with crab cakes that are a little too moist, and fall apart when flipping in the pan.  Try this recipe and your crab cakes will be perfect every time!


ingredients (makes 6 medium cakes):

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  • 12 oz. lump crab meat (I used Geisha brand)
  • 3 slices fresh bread
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 3 tbs. mayonnaise
  • 1/2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp. dijon mustard (Grey Poupon)
  • 1-1/2 tsp. lemon juice
  • 2 tbs. heavy cream
  • 1-1/2 tsp. seafood seasoning
  • 2 tbs. parsley flakes
  • 1/2 tsp. paprika
  • dash of Tobasco sauce
  • pinch of salt and pepper
  • olive oil

directions:

  1. Open the cans of crab, draining as much liquid as you can without pressing on the crab meat.  Line a small bowl with a couple sheets of paper towel, and fill with crab meat.  Set aside while you are working on the next steps.
  2. Break the bread apart into small pieces with your hands.  You may use a food processor for this step if you must, but I like to keep the chunks on the larger side (about the size of a fingernail), and find the cleanup easier using hands.
  3. Combine bread with the rest of the crab cake ingredients in a medium sized bowl until it is a consistent stuffing-like mixture.
  4. Carefully fold in the crab meat that was set aside earlier.  Try not to shred it up too much while you are mixing it in.  Set aside in the fridge for an hour or so to set up.
  5. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat.  Form crab mixture into six palm sized balls (or four if you want larger cakes), flatten slightly, and place carefully into frying pan.
  6. Fry approximately 3-5 minutes per side, until lightly browned and solidly held together.  Serve by itself as an appetizer, or make a meal out of it!


I’m no crab cake expert, but these turned out pretty darn amazing.  They were slightly crispy on the outside, and warm and moist on the inside.  Katrina and I ate them by themselves as our meal.  They were so juicy on the inside that they didn’t need any kind of dipping sauce.  I’d like to make these again soon, serving them over a toasted english muffin and topping with a freshly poached egg and a dijon sauce.  Look for that recipe soon!

What’s your favorite way to eat crab cakes?


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