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📍 Maryland

Maryland crab cakes

· Lunch

Blue crab cakes with very little filler, seasoned with Old Bay and browned until crisp on the outside.

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Maryland crab cakes: Blue crab cakes with very little filler, seasoned with Old Bay and browned until crisp on the outside.
Photo: Stu Spivack · CC BY-SA 2.0 · via Wikimedia CommonsPhoto resized, converted to WebP and cropped for display.
⏱ 52 min🍽 4 servings📊 Intermediate🏷 Commonly associated
Preparation
20 min
Cooking
12 min
Waiting and resting
20 min

History

The blue crab of Chesapeake Bay is a symbol of Maryland cooking. Traditional crab cakes pride themselves on packing in as much crab meat as possible and just enough binder, brightened with Old Bay seasoning, a spice blend born in Baltimore. They are served fried or baked, on their own or in a sandwich.

Ingredients

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Preparation

  1. 1

    Beat the egg with the mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay, and lemon juice.

  2. 2

    Stir in the crushed crackers and parsley.

  3. 3

    Fold in the crab meat carefully, mixing without breaking up the lumps.

  4. 4

    Form into cakes and refrigerate them 20 minutes so they firm up.

  5. 5

    Brown them in butter over medium heat about 4 minutes per side, or bake them, until golden.

  6. 6

    Serve with lemon wedges and tartar sauce.

Cooking tips

  • Keep the crab pieces intact and chill the cakes before browning so they hold their shape.

References to consult

References provide information about the dish, its context or a technique. Quantities in this version may differ from those in the source.

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