jumbo lump crab cakes

Don’t those big, fat lumps of crab look amazing?! Just totally mouth-watering?!

I love crab cakes but lately I’ve had so many bad ones in restaurants that I have sort of gotten out of the habit of ordering them. I always ended up disappointed when they came to the table and the waiter stuck a lump of breadcrumbs down in front of me.  I felt like I was digging for the elusive piece of crabmeat.

So after a few bad crab cakes in a row, I decided to make them at home, tinkering with them until I figured out just what I wanted. These crab cakes, with no filler and full of huge pieces of crabmeat, are perfect.

Start by whisking an egg and 3 tbsp. of mayonnaise in a bowl. I have something important to say about mayonnaise. I consider myself a connoisseur of mayo, and so if you care about the people that you are serving these to, use Duke’s mayonnaise. If not, use the Kroger brand or whatever. I’m telling you, Duke’s makes all the difference.

Okay, and then mix in 4 tbsp. bread crumbs, lemon juice, and the seasonings. Add the cleaned crabmeat to the bowl and fold it in gently. Let the mixture rest in the refrigerator for ten minutes.

Sprinkle the remaining 2 tbsp. bread crumbs on a plate. Divide the crab mixture into four portions and gently form each portion into a loose ball. Press the ball onto the bread crumbs and let it spread into a loose patty. Flip it over and cover the other side in bread crumbs too. Repeat with remaining crab, cover, and refrigerate until ready to cook, up to several hours.

In a skillet over medium heat, warm about ½ inch of canola oil shimmering hot but not smoking. Carefully add crab cakes and turn when nicely colored, about 3 or 4 minutes. Continue cooking second side until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately with mustard sauce.

Crab Cakes:
1 lb. jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over for shells
1 egg
3 tbsp. mayonnaise
6 tbsp. fresh bread crumbs
1/4 tsp. cayenne
1 tsp. ground black pepper
1 tsp. lemon juice
1/2 tsp. salt
mustard sauce, for serving (recipe follows)

Whisk the egg with the mayonnaise, and then 4 tbsp. bread crumbs, lemon juice, and the seasonings, mixing well. Add the cleaned crabmeat to the bowl and fold it in gently. Let the mixture rest in the refrigerator for ten minutes.

Sprinkle the remaining 2 tbsp. bread crumbs on a plate. Divide the crab mixture into four portions and gently form each portion into a loose ball. Press the ball onto the bread crumbs and let it spread into a loose patty. Flip it over and cover the other side in bread crumbs too. Repeat with remaining crab, cover, and refrigerate until ready to cook, up to several hours.

In a skillet over medium heat, warm about ½ inch of canola oil shimmering hot but not smoking. Carefully add crab cakes and turn when nicely colored, about 3 or 4 minutes. Continue cooking second side until golden brown, about 2 minutes. Serve immediately.

Mustard Sauce:
1 cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp. half-and-half
4 tsp. dry mustard
2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp. A.1. Steak Sauce
Kosher salt and freshly ground 
black pepper, to taste

Whisk mayonnaise, half-and-half, mustard, Worcestershire, and A.1. sauce in a bowl until smooth; season with salt and pepper and chill.