Gina: Pat is a meat-and-potatoes man, but me, I’ve gotta have my crab cakes. Every year, we go to a fancy restaurant in Memphis for our wedding anniversary, and I order crab cakes off the menu every time. I love them so much that Pat has started making them at home. Do you think he’s being cheap or treating me special? The secret to these crab cakes is using plenty of crab and not too much filling. The sunny Lime Mayonnaise packs a piquant punch.
Soft, fresh bread crumbs help crab cakes bind together better than dry bread crumbs, and they yield a lighter, more tender final result. A firm, white sandwich bread like Pepperidge Farm, trimmed of crusts and ground in a food processor, is a great choice (you can also use a baguette).
Recipe information
Yield
makes 6 crabs cakes
Ingredients
Lime Mayonnaise
Preparation
Step 1
In a large bowl, whisk together the butter, mayonnaise, egg, scallions, garlic, parsley, lemon juice, Creole mustard, Worcestershire sauce, paprika, salt, cayenne, and black pepper. Gently fold in the crab meat and bread crumbs until they are just combined. Press the crab mixture into 1/2-cup measures, gently shape into six patties, then transfer the cakes to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and dusted with half of the cornmeal. Sprinkle the tops of the cakes with the remaining cornmeal; cover and chill for at least 30 minutes, or up to 2 hours.
Step 2
Preheat the oven to 200°F.
Step 3
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot, carefully place crab cakes, in batches, in the pan, and fry the cakes until golden brown and crisp, 4 to 5 minutes. Carefully flip the crab cakes, and fry on the other side until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Keep the cakes warm on a baking sheet in the oven while you fry the remaining cakes. Serve them warm with Lime Mayonnaise.
Lime Mayonnaise
Step 4
Stir together all the ingredients in a small mixing bowl, and chill until needed.
