Crab Cakes Chesapeake
Crab cooks pretty much agree that crab cakes should use as little "binder" as possible, that the mixture has to rest before forming into balls and that cooking should be as brief as possible. These are deep-fried for a mere 45 seconds, then continue to cook through briefly in a hot oven. They are memorable.
- 1 pound lump crab meat
- 1 large egg
- 2 Tablespoons real mayonnaise
- 1/3 cup soft, fresh bread crumbs, no crust
- 1 Tablespoon minced parsley
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- ½ to 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
- Dash of freshly ground pepper
- Saltine crackers, about 12, crushed
- Peanut oil for deep frying
Combine crab, egg, mayo, crumbs, parsley, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay, and pepper. Mix to combine and refrigerate 4 hours. Form into balls using a 1/3 cup measure. Gently roll the balls in cracker crumbs and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. Gently deep-fry about 45 seconds or until golden. Transfer to a 350-degree oven for 5 minutes to finish cooking. Some cooks will increase the frying time and not bother with the oven.
Makes 8 cakes or 4 servings.
*Note* I can't say I have peanut oil in the house so I used regular vegetable oil. Also, I didn't have any saltines so I used Ritz...worked for me!
