My husband is from Maryland and he has friends who send us crab cakes every year during the holidays. They come from a place that has been written up in multiple publications as having the best crab cakes in Baltimore. They are very rich and greasy. Frankly speaking, I don't like them at all. Regardless of my somewhat militant ways when it comes to cooking and how I eat, I do happen to believe that almost anything fried is delicious and my favorite treat is french fries.
When it comes to crab cakes, I prefer something with a cleaner flavor that is not masked by too much oil, bread, and seasonings. I like to let the flavor of the crab take center stage without too much bread and the addition of fresh herbs like a combination of parsley and dill. This recipe for crab cakes is extremely easy to make, bakes in the oven, and can be prepared ahead of time making it ideal for family dinners as well as entertaining. It's not worth it to spend the money for fresh crab since it is getting made into cakes that will be cooked. Canned lump crab is excellent. It is a refrigerated product that will usually keep for about a year. It is a great thing to keep handy for dinners when you might not have time to get to the market.
|
Baked Crab Cakes Serves 4 as and entree and 6-8 as an appetizer |
|
| 1 pound |
lump crab meat, canned or fresh if desired (canned crab meat can be found in fish department of stores and is refrigerated) |
| 1 | egg |
| 1 cup |
Glutino gluten free breadcrumbs or breadcrumbs (Freshly made are best. Most grocery store bakery departments offer freshly made bread crumbs for sale) |
| 1/4 cup |
Veganaise or mayonnaise |
| 1/4 cup |
fresh parsley, chopped |
| 1 tablespoon |
fresh dill, chopped (optional) |
| 1 teaspoon |
gluten free worcestershire sauce or standard |
| 1/4 teaspoon |
sweet paprika |
| 1/2 teaspoon | dried mustard |
| pinch | ground cumin |
| pinch | cayenne pepper |
| sea salt | |
| freshly ground black pepper | |
|
Quick and Easy Tartar Sauce |
|
| 1 cup |
Veganaise or mayonaise |
| 3 tablespoons | fresh parsley, chopped |
| 1 tablespoon | fresh tarragon, chopped |
| 1-2 tablespoons | shallots, minced |
| 6 | cornichons pickles, chopped |
| 2 tablespoons | capers |
| 2 teaspoons | fresh lemon juice |
| sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste | |
|
Preheat the oven to 425 F. In a large bowl, combine the crab meat with the egg, Veganaise, worcestershire sauce, paprika, dry mustard, cumin, cayenne, salt, and peeper. Gently mix together. Add the bread crumbs, parsley, and dill. Mix to combine. Form the mixture into 12 patties. At this point you can put the prepared raw cakes in the refrigerator for up to 6 hours or freeze. If you opt to freeze the cakes, lay them on a parchment lined baking sheet and freeze thoroughly before putting them into a sealed and dated zip bag. Place the prepared crab cakes onto an oiled baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes on each side until golden brown. If necessary, brush the cakes with a little olive oil and put the tray under the broiler for the final 3-5 minutes for added color. Serve warm with fresh lemon, herbs, and tartar sauce or aioli. I like to serve crab cakes with simple greens such as arugula or watercress, roasted or boiled red bliss potatoes, and sauteed fresh corn kernels and julienned red peppers when they are in season.The photographed plate is with arugula, lemon, and potatoes roasted with thickly sliced sweet onions. For the tartar sauce. Combine all of the ingredients and taste to adjust seasonings. If you don't have all of the ingredients, improvise or leave them out. It will still be a good accompaniment to the crab cakes. It will keep well in the refrigerator for about 5 days. |
|
