Crab – “Held Together Politely”

Credit goes to Chef Darius at The Weeknight Table

Minimalist ingredients are what let the true star of any crab cake shine brightly. The dome shapes that get baked instead of fried make these beauties truly different and appealing. As Chef Darius says: "These are not crab cakes made with crab... This is crab... held together politely." ENJOY!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb jumbo lump crab meat, picked over very carefully
• 1 lge egg
• 2 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1/2 cup crushed saltine crackers (measured after crushing)
• 1 tsp lemon zest
• 1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• fresh parsley, very finely chopped - optional
• 1.5 tsp Old Bay seasoning
• 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
• 1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• pinch of kosher salt only if needed
• 1 stick salted butter - use as a tool to put a good base in the baking dish - not the whole stick

Preparation:

In a large bowl, gently whisk together the egg, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire sauce, lemon zest, lemon juice, Old Bay, and black pepper until smooth. If using parsley, fold it in lightly.

Add the crushed saltines and stir just until incorporated. The mixture should look loose — this is a binder, not filler.

Carefully fold in the jumbo lump crab meat using a spatula or just your hands, lifting and turning gently to keep the lumps intact. The mixture should barely hold together when lightly pressed. If it feels too loose, add 1 tablespoon more crushed saltines — no more.

Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to allow the crab mix to firm up. Set your oven to 400 F.

Coat an oven proof skillet with butter. Form the mix into four large dome shaped crab cakes, packing just enough to hold together without compressing the crab. Set the domes in the cool pan and place the baking dish in the oven. Do not press them down. Bake for about 15-20 minutes for a light golden brown finish with the crab heated through.

Serve hot with lemon wedges and a vegetable of your choosing.

Blessed be… and happy cooking!