This is the story of THE ULTIMATE CRAB CAKE which is the
first food my daughter Lindsey ate as a toddler. Lindsey
spit out her baby food refusing everything except her
bottle. I slaved over the stove preparing homemade baby
food, when that didn't work I bought every store bought
brand and taste I could find. They all produced the same
results, she refused to eat and held out for her bottle.
This went on till 16 months of age when a trip to the
pediatrician sent me away with instructions to take away
her bottle and let her sit her in her high chair at dinner
to eat or go hungry. As usual, she refused the baby food
I put in front of her, making clear she would have no
part in the meal. When suddenly out of frustration and
to this day I am not sure if was her frustration or mine
she waved her hand at our dinner. You guessed it! We were
dining on crab cakes, and she wanted what we were eating.
Her first meal was eaten with success which put a smile
on her face and mine and is owed to this recipe which
has been adapted from one of the T&C Maryland style
crab cake recipes. Lindsey is now 27 years old and when
she visits she still wants me to fix them for her.
CRAB CAKES
1 lb jumbo lump crab meat
2 large eggs beaten
3 Tbsp heavy cream
1/2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 Tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
dash cayenne pepper
fresh ground pepper to taste
3 Tbs. minced scallions
1/4 cup minced onions
1/4 cup minced parsley
1/3 cup Hellman's mayonnaise
Few dashes pepper vinegar
1/2 to 1 cup bread crumbs
Whisk the eggs in a large bowl with the cream, mustard,
Worcestershire, pepper vinegar, Old Bay seasoning, cayenne
and pepper to taste until mixture is well blended. Add
the scallions, onions, parsley and mayonnaise. Gently
fold in the crab meat and breadcrumbs taking care not
to break up the jumbo lumps. Using your hands, divide
the crab meat into 8 shaping them gently into rounds.
Chill covered in plastic wrap for 1 hour. Heat a few
Tbsp butter and oil in heavy skillet sauté 3-4
minutes each side till golden brown. Keep warm in a
200 degree oven. Serve with Spicy tarter sauce.
SPICY TARTER SAUCE
2 Tbsp pepper vinegar
1 Tbsp Dijon Mustard
1/4 tsp sea salt
fresh ground pepper
Tabasco to taste
1 cup Hellman's mayonnaise
1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
1 medium onion finely chopped
3 Tbsp. chopped dill relish
1/4 cup chopped parsley
Lemon juice to taste
Mix ingredients together, chill 1 hour, sauce will
be thin.
Enjoy the recipe, these Crab Cakes are great served
on a bed of lettuce with a dollop of spicy tarter sauce
as a salad entrée. For a lunch time or easy dinner,
crab cakes are great on toasted bun as a sandwich with
lettuce and tomato. For a southern twist, garnish with
a fried green tomato.
About the Author:
An empty nester, recently remarried to a "meat
and potatoes" guy, I have miserbly failed at reinventing
myself into a "meat and potatoes"cook. Don't
get me wrong I love simple food, but the good kind of
simple food, the kind that can't come out of a can or
popped in the oven from a box neatly tucked in the freezer.
So I am about to embark on a journey to find my way
back to the kitchen I once knew, and return to my love
of preparing good food for my family, despite my long
hours of work. Grab a cup of coffee and a comfy chair
while you visit me at www.GoodFoodJustGotBetter.com
