Crab Cake Receipe

[woodtrvl]

Just had the crab cake appetizer on Oasis.  So good I cancelled my entre and ordered double crab cakes, instead!

 

I agree that Maryland makes excellent ones, but these on the Oasis had a little “zing” — would love the recipe!

[Homosassa]

LOL - After 30 years in Maryland, I know how to make great crab cakes. Hint: Old Bay Seasoning isn't in the crab cakes (much less in the kitchen cabinet).

 

For those who don't know the origins of Old Bay Seasoning, there was a small crab operation in Wye, Maryland that would also sell steamed crabs . The crabs would be steamed in salt water and have additional spices throw into the kettle.

 

People like the spice mixture so much that the crabber started packaging his mix for sale for those who were buying live crabs and planned to steam them at home. Those customers also used the salt water from the bay or added salt to the water.

 

Eventually, the spice mixture became commercialized. Salt was still not part of the blend.

 

Fast forward to what ever huge conglomerate bought out the product and further bastardized the blend. The product now is basically salt with cayenne pepper and some other spices.

 

Here is what goes in a Maryland cake:

 

1 1/2 lbs crab

1 cup Hellman's mayonnaise (not Dukes, Blue Ribbon, Miracle Whip or other off brand)

1 egg white

1 TBSP Parsley

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (or 1/4 tsp cayenne if you like spicy)

4 TBSP whole wheat crackers (process into crumbs)

3/4 cup bread crumbs

melted butter

 

bowl blend together the mayo, parsley, egg white, Worcestershire sauce, and cracker crumbs .

 

Gently fold in crab.

 

With wet fingers, divide into twelve portions. Coat with bread crumbs. Put on wax paper and refrigerate at least 15 minutes (the cakes will bind together so that they can be gently moved to a broiling pan).

 

Brush cakes with butter on each side.  Broil five minutes on each side.

 

Hint: If you are served Maryland crab cakes that are basically bread, contains chopped celery, green peppers, or onions, is deep fat fried or has a container of Old Bay Seasoning anywhere within 100 ft of the kitchen, head for the hills - you are either not in Maryland,  in a tourist trap or the home of a mediocre cook. 

 

 

 

[DeltaOne]

14 hours ago, Homosassa said:

LOL - After 30 years in Maryland, I know how to make great crab cakes. Hint: Old Bay Seasoning isn't in the crab cakes (much less in the kitchen cabinet).

 

I was hoping someone would post this!  

 

Life-long Marylander, I've made a lot of crab cakes at home and eaten a lot of good crab cakes around the state.  Maybe 15 cruises and I've NEVER had a crab cake on a cruise ship that even comes close to a good Maryland crab cake.  

 

If you want to sample a good Maryland crab cake, and you can get to Baltimore...go here: http://www.faidleyscrabcakes.com

 

And, as the OP said, they're pretty easy to make at home!

[Tony O]

4 minutes ago, Paul from Maryland said:

 

I was hoping someone would post this!  

 

Life-long Marylander, I've made a lot of crab cakes at home and eaten a lot of good crab cakes around the state.  Maybe 15 cruises and I've NEVER had a crab cake on a cruise ship that even comes close to a good Maryland crab cake.  

 

If you want to sample a good Maryland crab cake, and you can get to Baltimore...go here: http://www.faidleyscrabcakes.com

 

And, as the OP said, they're pretty easy to make at home!

Agree Faidleys are good . But living north of Baltimore  my go to place is Boxhill Pizzeria.  They were voted the best crab cakes in the state. Also they are HUGE !

https://www.boxhillpizzeria.com

[BecciBoo]

I always order them whenever available, but believe it or not, I've eaten crab cakes all over the world and the best one I ever had bar none, was in lowly Little Rock Arkansas...I kid you not...my mouth is watering just thinking about them.  The secret is fresh chunk crab claw meat, a bare minimum of filler i.e. light crumb coating and very little spice in the mix.  Then a ramekin ring to form the cake and baking it just the right amount of time so the meat is just barely cooked and the slight breading is crusty.  The sauce is extremely important, I prefer the Aioli RCCL or this Rose Restaurant in Little Rock had.  I've tried to duplicate it, but can't get it just right and of course had to use canned or packaged meat.  You gotta have that fresh crab!  YUM  It sounds so simple, somehow it's difficult to get them just right.

[DeltaOne]

2 hours ago, Tony O said:

Agree Faidleys are good . But living north of Baltimore  my go to place is Boxhill Pizzeria.  They were voted the best crab cakes in the state. Also they are HUGE !

https://www.boxhillpizzeria.com

Box Hill looks great.  I checked their web site...not sure if it's dine in or only mail order?

 

BTW, I should note...Faidley's is not a fancy place...I recall some stand up tables...and carry-out of course...but it's not your typical restaurant.  

[Homosassa]

1 hour ago, BecciBoo said:

I always order them whenever available, but believe it or not, I've eaten crab cakes all over the world and the best one I ever had bar none, was in lowly Little Rock Arkansas...I kid you not...my mouth is watering just thinking about them.  The secret is fresh chunk crab claw meat, a bare minimum of filler i.e. light crumb coating and very little spice in the mix.  Then a ramekin ring to form the cake and baking it just the right amount of time so the meat is just barely cooked and the slight breading is crusty. 

You have just described a crab cake as made in Maryland (see my recipe post 127).

 

If anyone is coming in for a cruise out of Baltimore and is staying out by BWI airport,  for crab cakes go to a restaurant called Timbuktu on Rte 176 in Hanover.

[Tony O]

1 hour ago, Paul from Maryland said:

Box Hill looks great.  I checked their web site...not sure if it's dine in or only mail order?

 

BTW, I should note...Faidley's is not a fancy place...I recall some stand up tables...and carry-out of course...but it's not your typical restaurant.  

Box hill has dine in., carry out and mail order

I familiar with Faidleys. It's in the Lexington Market  downtown. The market is going through a complete  rebuilding and they hope to be one of the merchants asked back when it reopens

 

[retiredgram]

1 hour ago, Homosassa said:

You have just described a crab cake as made in Maryland (see my recipe post 127).

 

If anyone is coming in for a cruise out of Baltimore and is staying out by BWI airport,  for crab cakes go to a restaurant called Timbuktu on Rte 176 in Hanover.

Also try G&M, They also have great crab cakes.

G&M restaurant and Lounge

804 N Hammonds Ferry Rd, Linthicum Heights, MD 21090 ·

Edited December 14, 2018 by retiredgram

[Homosassa]

8 minutes ago, retiredgram said:

Also try G&M, They also have great crab cakes.

G&M restaurant and Lounge

804 N Hammonds Ferry Rd, Linthicum Heights, MD 21090 ·

Yes, G & M. There is also a restaurant that has great crab cakes on Rte 2 in Glen Burnie (take Rte 176 west, where it ends on Rte 2, take a left and the restaurant is on the right).

 

Unfortunately, the name of the place is lost in my mental file cabinet.

[Yorkvillain]

57 minutes ago, retiredgram said:

Also try G&M, They also have great crab cakes.

G&M restaurant and Lounge

804 N Hammonds Ferry Rd, Linthicum Heights, MD 21090 ·

 

G&M crab cakes have a weird herb that I don’t like. 

 

So far Pappas is my favorite. Box hill is next on my hit list. 

[CapeGal]

3 hours ago, retiredgram said:

Also try G&M, They also have great crab cakes.

G&M restaurant and Lounge

804 N Hammonds Ferry Rd, Linthicum Heights, MD 21090 ·

My husband went on a business trip and came home the next day with two heavenly yummy crab cakes from G&M. We live in Massachusetts! He babied those packages all the way home! DELICIOUS! BTW. He's from Maryland and from that area. :)

Edited December 14, 2018 by CapeGal

[BecciBoo]

5 hours ago, Homosassa said:

You have just described a crab cake as made in Maryland (see my recipe post 127).

 

If anyone is coming in for a cruise out of Baltimore and is staying out by BWI airport,  for crab cakes go to a restaurant called Timbuktu on Rte 176 in Hanover.

I looked up BoxHill and that sounds right but I was unaware it was just Blues and that they use ALL the meat. I thought just the claws...how do they get such big chunks? Thanks for the heads up, if we ever get to Baltimore, you can bet we'll be eating all the seafood I can find!

[gatour]

7 hours ago, BecciBoo said:

I always order them whenever available, but believe it or not, I've eaten crab cakes all over the world and the best one I ever had bar none, was in lowly Little Rock Arkansas...I kid you not...my mouth is watering just thinking about them.  The secret is fresh chunk crab claw meat, a bare minimum of filler i.e. light crumb coating and very little spice in the mix.  Then a ramekin ring to form the cake and baking it just the right amount of time so the meat is just barely cooked and the slight breading is crusty.  The sauce is extremely important, I prefer the Aioli RCCL or this Rose Restaurant in Little Rock had.  I've tried to duplicate it, but can't get it just right and of course had to use canned or packaged meat.  You gotta have that fresh crab!  YUM  It sounds so simple, somehow it's difficult to get them just right.

I always find it amusing when people say "I am from 'such and such a place' so I know good 'insert food item" and the only place you can get that item is from their locale.

 

From my experience, you can get mediocre renditions of a dish that is "local", while getting a great rendition of the same dish many miles from from its origin.

 

It all depends on the ingredients and the preparation.

 

You recipe sounds yummy. 

[retiredgram]

4 hours ago, Yorkvillain said:

 

G&M crab cakes have a weird herb that I don’t like. 

 

So far Pappas is my favorite. Box hill is next on my hit list. 

Going to make a special trip to both.  I admit I have never tried either, but have heard great things about both.  I have tried G&M and Timbuktu.

 

7 hours ago, Homosassa said:

You have just described a crab cake as made in Maryland (see my recipe post 127).

 

If anyone is coming in for a cruise out of Baltimore and is staying out by BWI airport,  for crab cakes go to a restaurant called Timbuktu on Rte 176 in Hanover.

I am going to try your recipe next time I get crab meat.  I usually go with the Old Bay recipe.  Sounds good.

[maria1122]

I have it on good authority that they come in frozen.  

 

[pacruise804]

On 12/13/2018 at 4:24 PM, Homosassa said:

LOL - After 30 years in Maryland, I know how to make great crab cakes. Hint: Old Bay Seasoning isn't in the crab cakes (much less in the kitchen cabinet).

 

For those who don't know the origins of Old Bay Seasoning, there was a small crab operation in Wye, Maryland that would also sell steamed crabs . The crabs would be steamed in salt water and have additional spices throw into the kettle.

 

People like the spice mixture so much that the crabber started packaging his mix for sale for those who were buying live crabs and planned to steam them at home. Those customers also used the salt water from the bay or added salt to the water.

 

Eventually, the spice mixture became commercialized. Salt was still not part of the blend.

 

Fast forward to what ever huge conglomerate bought out the product and further bastardized the blend. The product now is basically salt with cayenne pepper and some other spices.

 

Here is what goes in a Maryland cake:

 

1 1/2 lbs crab

1 cup Hellman's mayonnaise (not Dukes, Blue Ribbon, Miracle Whip or other off brand)

1 egg white

1 TBSP Parsley

1 tsp dry mustard

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce (or 1/4 tsp cayenne if you like spicy)

4 TBSP whole wheat crackers (process into crumbs)

3/4 cup bread crumbs

melted butter

 

bowl blend together the mayo, parsley, egg white, Worcestershire sauce, and cracker crumbs .

 

Gently fold in crab.

 

With wet fingers, divide into twelve portions. Coat with bread crumbs. Put on wax paper and refrigerate at least 15 minutes (the cakes will bind together so that they can be gently moved to a broiling pan).

 

Brush cakes with butter on each side.  Broil five minutes on each side.

 

Hint: If you are served Maryland crab cakes that are basically bread, contains chopped celery, green peppers, or onions, is deep fat fried or has a container of Old Bay Seasoning anywhere within 100 ft of the kitchen, head for the hills - you are either not in Maryland,  in a tourist trap or the home of a mediocre cook. 

 

 

 

Miracle Whip is a salad dressing (mayo plus other ingredients) and our house is also brand loyal to Hellman's and Miracle Whip depending on what it goes on, but no other brands 😉 I have read before that Hellman's is only available in the east, and that the same product is sold under the name Best in the central and western US.

 

Thanks for the history on Old Bay.  I thought I was weird for finding it overpoweringly salty and not a good taste, but lots of people raved about it - I'm guessing they raved about the original 🙂 

 

Your broiled version sounds really good - I'm not a big fan of mayo or heavily fried foods (others in the house like mayo) so I tend to skip crab cakes.  I think your recipe sounds worth trying though

[The Fun Researcher]

On 12/14/2018 at 3:26 PM, gatour said:

I always find it amusing when people say "I am from 'such and such a place' so I know good 'insert food item" and the only place you can get that item is from their locale.

 

From my experience, you can get mediocre renditions of a dish that is "local", while getting a great rendition of the same dish many miles from from its origin.

 

It all depends on the ingredients and the preparation.

 

You recipe sounds yummy. 

 

Exactly, as if it's not possible to make or find a top notch crab cake outside of Maryland.  

 

Dan