Really Good Crab Cakes

Crab Cakes

Crab cakes are one of those foods I save for special occasions. I had good  friends over for dinner last night. I wanted to make something special- so I made them crab cakes. They loved them.

Both friends said they had not been big crab cake fans before. Past experiences had been less than amazing. They loved mine- said they were “really good.”

The secret to crab cakes it adding just enough ingredients to hold the crab meat together, without  losing the beautiful texture of the crab in the process. These crab cakes did all that.

I used a little sour cream to help hold them together and to add moisture. I know many who prefer mayo as a binder. Either works, I just like sour cream.

I have pan-fried them in the past, but decided to bake these in the oven. Either method works. It just comes down to what you prefer. By baking them, I had more time to get the rest of the dinner together. We ate our shrimp and corn chowder while the crab cakes baked.

We had them with fresh asparagus with hollandaise , coleslaw and croissants. It was a truly special meal.

Really Good Crab Cakes

2 eggs

2 T. sour cream or Greek yogurt

1 t. thyme

1 t. lemon juice

½ t. cayenne pepper

½ t. dry mustard

Salt to taste

¼ c. fresh chopped parsley

¼ c. fresh chopped green onions or chives

About ½ c. breadcrumbs

1 lb. lump crab meat

Olive oil

Mix all the ingredients together, except oil. Start with about ¼ cup of the breadcrumbs and add just enough to hold the mixture together. Mixture will be crumbly. Form into patties- you can make 4 large or 8 small.

You can cook them one of two ways.

To bake: Place the crab cakes on a lightly oiled baking sheet and brush the cakes with a little more oil. Bake in a preheated 450- degree oven for 15 – 18 minutes, for small cakes. Bake 20-24 minutes for large cakes. Turn them once during baking to brown both sides.

To pan fry: Heat skillet to medium hot. Add oil and gently add the cakes. Cook for 4-5 minutes per side, or until golden brown and crispy. Turn once, carefully, to brown on both sides.