Apr 20, 2011
I like a minimal amount of filler in my crab cakes but I was disappointed that no crumbs at all were used in this recipe to bind the crab mixture. It was easy enough to remedy, of course, but in my view it should have been included. I used finely crushed saltine crackers, maybe 1/3 cup, just enough to hold those luscious HUGE chunks of lump crabmeat together. I liked the addition of the mustard and I liked the omission of Old Bay Seasoning, so common in other crab cake recipes, even better. In my opinion it only detracts from the taste of very expensive lump crab. I added a tablespoon of melted butter to the crab mixture for extra richness. I packed the crab cakes firmly before coating them in Japanese panko bread crumbs. I did not use high heat. I wanted to be sure the crab cakes were cooked and heated through before the crumb coating became too dark. Medium to medium-high heat worked well. These were awesome. Big chunks of crab, little filler, minimal additions and seasonings make all the difference in the world for perfect crab cakes. To complement and garnish them I plated them with "Avocado-Mango Salsa," and "Mustard Cream Sauce," recipes also from this site, and a few leaves of arugula.
—naples34102
