the best i ever had was in baltimore. my brother and his fabulous wife live there and are members of a country club that has the kind of everyday laid back salad bar restaurant where they can make you absolutely anything you ask for and it will be very good - although cary did manage to stump them on a baked sweet potato once. but their crabcake is consistently sheer perfection. it was so amazing that i asked for and got the recipe. and i still fail each time i try.
so i’m really trying here. cary loves these things and i have never been able to hit the home run. my crabcakes are ok – but i know the truth. i’m discerning to a fault. but mine are missing that certain ’je ne sais quoi’…
i prefer a broiled crabcake made with old bay, dijon mustard, mayo, breadcrumbs and an egg – maybe a shot of worcestershire sauce and some parsley. that’s pretty much what i did tonight. but it’s just not happening – no crabcakey magic going on. my technique is off – something. the liquid runs out and pools as you can see by the edges, leaving them dry…
any ideas?
i so want to do better…
5 responses so far ↓
1 Tom Bohn // Aug 25, 2007 at 3:40 am
Wassup!
I’m not sure this will do it for you but here are my thoughts=) Onion (scallion or otherwise) and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Fresh crab always makes a difference.
2 Amy // Aug 25, 2007 at 6:16 am
Hey Claudia, you sound just like me. You’ve described exactly what I’m looking for in a crab cake and never can reproduce. I have no solutions for you, but look forward to the day I read about your home run!
3 alec // Aug 25, 2007 at 9:37 am
Hi!
They look great!
I don’t ever use crab, but when I make salmon/assorted seafood cakes, I’ve found that using just a little panko is the way to roll. Use too much … you’re toast. Use just a little and that seafood really shines. Maybe cut back on the bread?
4 Julie // Aug 28, 2007 at 2:06 pm
That’s similiar to my recipe although I use a pinch of cayenne and a little bit of finally minced onion, and I don’t use Old Bay or mustard . I also tend to pan fry them.
Some people chill their crabcakes before baking them to help them hold their shape and that would probably also keep them from giving off as much liquid.
I also find that the quality of the crabmeat makes a difference — some batches just taste better than others and you never know til you’re tasting it. Also, I definitely like lump better than claw or backfin.
The other variable is the bread crumbs. A Pepperidge Farm-type white bread is the standard and I can see how something that was more “rustic” might make the crab cake drier.
5 claudia // Aug 28, 2007 at 3:30 pm
i’ve been buying the phillips canned lump meat from costco. good deal at about $11 per lb.
ok – so i’m going to go for the PF fresh crumbs as opposed to panko. the minced onion sounds great but i am hesitant to use it… if only because it’s not that super classic taste that i love.
the pan frying technique is a winner but i’m also stuck on the baking/broiling method if only due to the lower fat thing – and i’ve had some great baked ones…
i’ll keep you posted on future experiments! and thanks for your time and expertise. i appreciate it.
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