Best Crabcakes Ever!

Sublime crab cakes recipe

These crab cakes are all about letting the crab shine. Packed with sweet, tender crab meat and just enough saltine crumbs and mayonnaise to gently hold everything together, they stay light, moist, and beautifully delicate. A touch of Tabasco adds quiet warmth without overpowering the flavor, making each bite rich, savory, and perfectly balanced.

This is the kind of classic, no-nonsense crab cake you make when you want something special but unfussy — the sort of recipe you come back to year after year because it simply works.

Ingredients

* 1.7 pounds Live Dungeness Crab (or not live, your option)
* 1 cup mayonnaise
* 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
* 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
* 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* Cayenne pepper
* 1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
* Fine sea salt
* 1 cup finely crushed saltine crackers (3 1/2 ounces)
* 1 large egg, lightly beaten
* 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
* 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
* 1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce

Directions

For the Crab:

1. To assure it will be alive when you begin, purchase your Dungeness Crab live on the date you plan to proceed. (fresh, not-live crab will do as well for those of us in the Midwest!) Think in terms of about 1.7 pounds. Bring a pot of salted water to a full boil, then toss your crab into it. When the water has returned to boiling, cover partially and let continue to boil for 18 minutes. Remove crab with tongs or dump into a colander, then apply cold running water or ice, preferably both, till cooled down. Pull of claws and legs. Use mallet, nutcracker, and knife as needed to remove meat from legs, knuckles, and claws. Pull open the shell from the body, remove and discard viscera, then use your fingers to remove the white lump meat. All told, you should end up with about 1 pound of meat. Then you will need the following:

2. In a medium bowl, whisk the mayonnaise. Gradually whisk in the olive oil and 1/4 cup of the grapeseed oil. Add the lemon juice and season with cayenne. Transfer 1/2 cup of the mayonnaise to a small bowl and reserve. Using the flat side of a chef’s knife, mash the garlic to a paste with a generous pinch of salt. Whisk the garlic paste into the medium bowl of mayonnaise, then transfer the aioli to a serving bowl.

3. In a large bowl, gently mix the crabmeat with the cracker crumbs, egg, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Tabasco and the reserved 1/2 cup of mayonnaise. Shape the mixture into six 1-inch-thick crab cakes and transfer to a wax paper-lined plate. Refrigerate until firm, at least 20 minutes.

4. Preheat the oven to 400°. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of grapeseed oil in a large cast-iron skillet. Add the crab cakes and cook over moderate heat until golden on the bottom, about 4 minutes. Carefully flip the crab cakes, then transfer them to the oven and bake until golden and cooked through, about 10 minutes. Transfer the crab cakes to plates and serve with the garlic oil.

NOTE: Cocktail Match = Margarita made with fresh grapefruit juice!

WINE: Rueda, in northwest Spain, is known for its refreshing whites made from the native Verdejo grape. They’re just the thing for these flavorful crab cakes. Try the crisp Verdejo-dominant 2004. Basa, from star winemaker Telmo Rodriguez, or the lightly herbal, zesty 2004 José Pariente.

Originally created years ago, this recipe still belongs at my table — and here. Jake Slagle’s recipe @ uniqueculinaryadventures