Tuesday, February 5, 2008

crab cakes done right

All this crazy weather lately has been giving us the winter blue's. To liven our spirits, we thought we'd make some tasty crab cakes for dinner. There is something very summery about crab cakes - maybe it's the vibrant color of the diced red peppers, or maybe it's the fact that they are light and airy...whatever it is, they are delicious and a sure way to make your day a bit brighter.

Although I love crab cakes, they need to be made a certain way for me to truly enjoy them. The last time I had them was at Ruth's Chris where they were naturally sweet and perfectly meaty. Ever since eating there last summer, I've wanted to recreate a similar crab cake. After searching the web, I came across a similar recipe that I knew would be great. You see, the key to a perfect crab cake is to make sure that there isn't too much filler and that the tender crab meat is the star of the dish.


Crab Cakes

1 pound lump crab meat
1 egg
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
3 tablespoons cracker meal (5 or 6 saltines, crushed)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 tablespoons Creole mustard
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon finely diced red bell pepper
1 tablespoon finely diced green bell pepper

In a medium bowl, whisk together egg and parsley. Add cracker meal, mayonnaise, mustard and pepper; stir until thoroughly blended. Carefully fold in crab, trying not to break up crab pieces. (Mixture may be refrigerated up to 2 days before cooking.)

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Place a heavy baking sheet with sides or a shallow oven proof skillet in the oven to heat.

When pan is hot, drizzle surface with olive oil. Using a 1/4 cup measure, scoop crab mixture onto hot pan and flatten slightly. Bake about 10 minutes, until golden brown and hot on the inside.

NOTE: Baking (rather than the usual pan-frying) makes these soft-textured crab cakes easy to handle, but they are rather pale on top. For a better appearance, bake on the uppermost oven rack, or bake 10 minutes, turn the crab cakes, then bake 2 minutes more.


This past weekend, we went to check out the progress of our house...


Things are slowly (but surely) getting done...we're both learning the art of patience.
Hopefully this week, there will be a more progress to show.

6 comments:

JadedOne said...

Very cool. My hubby recently made imitation crab cakes which didn't hold their shape.

We attempted to make Krabby Patties from Spongebob Square pants, so since my hubby's recipe didn't turn out so good, I think I'll try yours :)

Annie Ruok said...

Yummmm! Love crab cakes! We made them once, good but I had trouble keeping them together - used canned crab. Hope u make these for a family gathering in future, would love to taste them!

So looks like u r still in the condo...do u still have to move to your parents this month? Hard to believe by looking at the pix that u will be cooking in your new kitchen in a short while - I am sure they'll finish in time even tho it may not seem like it now...crossing my fingers 4 u guys & miss u both! Keep in touch!

Aimée said...

Beautiful crab cakes. Just what the doctor ordered for these February blahs- a little taste of the sea.
Exciting house progressions!

Anonymous said...

Looks so yummy, and the house is taking shape inside too, I noticed the insulation, can't wait to see it all ready for you in the spring.

Anonymous said...

I had crab cakes a couple weekends ago and they were fabulous as well! Yours look great.

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