Crab Cakes
Lump crabmeat bound with buttery cracker crumbs and a zesty mayonnaise mixture, pan-fried in peanut oil until golden and crisp.
- 1 lb crabmeat, picked free of shells
- 1/3 cup crushed buttery crackers
- 3 finely chopped green onions (green and white parts)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped bell pepper
- 1/4 cup mayonnaise
- 1 egg
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 teaspoon dry mustard
- 1/2 lemon, juiced
- 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Dash of cayenne pepper
- Flour, for dusting
- 1/2 cup peanut oil
- In a large bowl, gently mix together the crabmeat, crushed crackers, green onions, bell pepper, mayonnaise, egg, Worcestershire sauce, dry mustard, lemon juice, garlic powder, salt, and cayenne. Fold everything together carefully rather than stirring vigorously, so you don't break up the crabmeat into shreds.
- Shape the mixture into patties, then dust both sides lightly with flour. The flour coating helps the cakes hold together in the pan and gives the outside a light, crisp finish once fried.
- Heat the peanut oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, carefully place the crab cakes into the pan in batches, being careful not to overcrowd them, and fry until browned, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Carefully flip the crab cakes and fry the other side until golden brown, about 4 minutes more. Serve warm with your preferred sauce.
Chef's Note: Buttery crackers instead of plain breadcrumbs are what give these crab cakes their rich flavor and slightly sweet edge, and using just enough to bind the mixture — rather than a heavy filler — keeps the focus on the crab itself. Mixing gently rather than stirring hard is worth the extra care; overworking the mixture breaks the crab into smaller shreds and loses that satisfying lump texture in the finished cake.
Peanut oil is a good choice here for its high smoke point, letting the cakes fry at a steady medium heat without burning before the inside heats through. If the mixture feels too soft to hold its shape, a short stint in the fridge before frying firms it up and makes shaping and flipping much easier.
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