Description
If you’ve ever been to Maryland, you know they pride themselves in their crab. My husband lived down there Monday through Friday for almost three years, coming home to New Jersey each weekend. It sucked! But, we took trips down there to visit and do something different for long weekends.
There are three places that stood out to me for their seafood. O’Leary’s in Annapolis had AMAZING soft shell crab. They had to be the largest, best served soft shell I’ve had, with Vietnam being a close second. In Alexandria (I know, not Maryland!), Hank’s Oyster Bar was delicious across their entire menu, but notably their octopus was to die for. And then, this small little place in National Harbor called the Crab Cake Cafe served delicious crab cakes!
Well, my husband has been back home for two years, so we have no more excuses to spend long weekends in the DC area anymore. Among the many recipes we’ve brought home from our travels, I was bound and determined to perfect a crab cake recipe. My husband said not to bother because “crab cakes are so much work to make.” Honestly, they may seem daunting, but these crab cakes are super easy to make.
The first trick for me, I buy fresh canned crab meat. Rather than taking on the extra work of cooking fresh crab and then pulling the meat, fresh canned crab is just as delicious minus all the extra work! To make it a little cheaper, I buy one pound of lump crab meat and half a pound of crab leg meat. After that, the only work is chopping the vegetables, frying the vegetables until they’re tender, and then forming your crab cakes!
I find that first forming the crab into tight balls before gently flattening them into patties helps keep them together. They’re gentle though! So they can fall apart easily. Be careful when frying the patties and flipping them to reduce breakage.
Crab cakes are so often served on a bun, and I do sometimes make these as sandwiches. But what I LOVE about this recipe is that it is super light. The breadcrumbs in the patties are the only “carb” intensive item, so if you wanted to make this keto or paleo friendly, you could probably switch out the breadcrumbs for crumbled pork rind!
These crab cakes pair so well with this light, zesty arugula salad. I had leftover pickled red onions from the Greek burgers I made the other day, so I added those to the salad. They are super simple to make and are a great addition to this salad. But, if you don’t want to make them, slice up some fresh red onion and it will still be delicious!
Oooo, and that aioli! This is probably the best aioli you can make to pair with seafood. The brown butter is what really tops it off. Don’t let browning the butter intimidate you if you’ve never done it before. You want to cook the butter long enough for brown flecks to fill the melted butter. Stir it frequently enough and it won’t burn. When it starts to brown, keep going, stirring frequently. It will quickly turn a deep golden color and will emit a very pleasant, nutty aroma. Now it’s done! Butter has a pretty high burn point, so it’s hard to screw this up! When you pour the browned butter over the mayonnaise, make sure you scrape the browned residual from the pan into the bowl also!
I have to say, these are better than any crab cake you’ll find in Maryland!
Enjoy!
Ingredients
Crab Cakes
½ small red pepper, diced
½ small green pepper, diced
½ small sweet onion, diced
6 large garlic cloves, minced
2 TBs olive oil, divided
2 TBs Dijon mustard
2 TBs Worcestershire sauce
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
pinch of salt & pepper
1 cup breadcrumbs
2 large eggs
1 ½ lbs lump crabmeat
2 TBs butter
Brown Butter Aioli
2 TBs butter
1/2 cup mayonnaise
zest & juice of 1 lemon
2 garlic cloves minced
1/4 tsp cayenne
pinch of salt & pepper
Arugula Salad
5 oz arugula
pickled red onions, or fresh red onions sliced
shaved Parmesan
zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 TBs white wine vinegar
¼ cup olive oil
pinch of salt & pepper
Instructions
Make the aioli
In a small frying pan, melt the butter, stirring occasionally until the butter turns a deep golden color and emits a nutty aroma. In a small bowl, add the mayonnaise, lemon juice and zest, garlic cloves, cayenne pepper, and a pinch of salt and pepper. When the butter is browned, add to the bowl and stir to combine. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
Make the salad
In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the lemon juice and zest, white wine vinegar, olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. In a large bowl, toss the arugula, red onions, and shaved Parmesan. Slowly add in the dressing, tossing to combine, until coated to the degree you prefer. Set aside.
Note: if making the salad ahead of time, don’t add the dressing until ready to serve.
Make the crab cakes.
In a medium frying pan or cast iron pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add in the onions, peppers, and garlic. Sauté for about 5 minutes, or until just starting to tenderize.
Add the mustard, Worcestershire sauce, cayenne, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Stir in the breadcrumbs and toast for about 1 minute. Transfer to a large bowl and let cool for about 5 minutes. Wipe your pan clean and set aside.
Add the eggs and crab meat to the large bowl. Mix thoroughly by hand. Divide evenly into four patties, forming by first rolling into a ball and then gently flattening into a patty. When ready, using your frying pan or cast iron pan, heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. Add the crab cakes, cooking in two batches if necessary. Cook for about 3 minutes per side, or until browned and warmed through.
Serve with the salad and a side of aioli for dipping.
Enjoy!
Keywords: Crab Cakes, Lemon Aioli, Arugula Salad, Keto-friendly, Paleo