Thursday, July 5, 2007

Baltimore's Best Crab Cakes

Think you've had good crab cakes? Try this recipe, a classic from Baltimore!

Prep: 15 minutes + chilling
Cook: 15 minutes
Yield: 6 crab cakes

1 egg, beaten
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
1/3 cup plain breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
salt and pepper to taste
1 pound lump crabmeat, cartilage removed
breadcrumbs for coating crab cakes

In a bowl, combine beaten egg, mayonnaise, bread crumbs, parsley, Old Bay, Worcestershire sauce, mustard, salt and pepper and mix well. Pour mixture over crabmeat and toss gently but thoroughly.

Form into 6 crab cakes and coat with breadcrumbs. Refrigerate 15 minutes.

Place on a baking sheet and bake at 425 for 8 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.

Tips and Tricks
If using dried parsley, use 1 teaspoon. The crab cakes can be made ahead of time and refrigerated until baking. Light mayonnaise is OK to use, but do not use fat-free mayonnaise, as the texture is not thick enough to hold the cakes together. Crab cakes can also be broiled for 5 minutes on each side, or fried in oil.
Make It Healthier
Omit the salt. Use less Old Bay. Use whole wheat bread crumbs, Bake or broil crab cakes instead of frying.
How Kids Can Help
Measure ingredients. Stir ingredients together. Older kids can form the crab cakes.

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