I still remember when I was out in Philadelphia meeting with team members out there and we took the team out to Happy Hour at McGillin’s. McGillin’s if the oldest operating pub in the city and I was traveling another person who is a total history buff making this one of his favorite places. After happy hour wound down we were pretty tired so we stuck around and had dinner. I ordered crab cakes, I’m not really sure what possessed me to order crab cakes at an old Irish Pub but they sounded good and they were really, really good. So when Tory & I started planning Lent recipes, these crab cakes were on my mind and I decided I’d give crab cakes a try at home.
I started by looking through my cookbooks and found a version in America’s Test Kitchen Light and Healthy 2010 (#CommissionsEarned). I didn’t set out to find a light and healthy version but America’s Test Kitchen has never steered me wrong and looking at the recipe, I decided to give it a shot. The crab cakes were light and tasty and we both really liked the lemon sauce that was a fun twist instead of traditional tartar sauce. It turned out to be a fun spring meal. If you want crisper crab cakes, feel free to make smaller thinner patties.
Here’s what you need:
Start by preparing the crab cake mixture – it’s really basically a dump and stir process – except that stirring has to happen gently so you don’t break up the lump crab meat. Start by adding some light mayo, plain bread crumbs, Dijon mustard, scallions (green parts only), dill, parsley, (ATK’s recipe says any fresh herb such as cilantro, dill, basil or parsley – we went with dill and parsley) and Old Bay Seasoning. Gently fold in the crab meat then season with salt and pepper. Fold in the white of one egg. Add some more breadcrumbs as needed and fold together again just until the mixture holds together.
Score the mixture to divide into 4 equal parts. Or more if you want thinner, crisper crab cakes. I really want to make crab cake sliders with this mixture – I think 6 to 8 equal parts would be perfect depending on the slider buns you get.
Form into round cakes, mine were about an inch thick and transfer to a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Now here is the important part. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 30 minutes. You can do this the day before and chill for up to 24 hours. The cold will help firm up the crab cakes so they don’t break when we cook them.
While the crab cakes chill, let’s whip up a simple lemon-herb sauce.
In a medium bowl, combine light mayo, sour cream, fresh lemon juice, parsley, thyme, scallions, salt and pepper. ATK’s recipes says you can thin with water but we wanted a thicker sauce and opted not to. Allow this to chill for 30 minutes too.
Spread some flour in a shallow dish – I love using my pie pans for breading things. Dredge the crab cakes in flour and shake or pat off the excess.
Heat some canola oil in a 12 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat until it shimmers. Lay the crab cakes in the skillet.
Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side, until well browned. I used a second spatula when I flipped them to help scoot the crab cake onto the first spatula and gently flip them.
Remove and drain on paper towel lined plate for a couple minutes.
Serve with lemon herb sauce and a lemon wedge.
Note: If you don’t plan to eat them all right away, store the extras uncooked for up to a day. These aren’t something that you want to cook and re-heat.
- Crab cakes:
- 1 lb jumbo lump crab, picked over for shell pieces
- ¼ c light mayo (I prefer Hellman’s light)
- 2-4 T plain bread crumbs
- 2 T Dijon mustard
- 4 scallions, green parts only, minced
- 2 t fresh dill, minced
- 2 t fresh parsley, minced
- 1 t Old Bay Seasoning
- Salt
- Pepper
- 1 large egg white
- ¼ flour
- 2 T canola oil
- Lemon and Herb Sauce:
- ½ c light mayo (I prefer Hellman’s light)
- ¼ c sour cream
- 2 T fresh lemon juice
- 4 t fresh parsley, minced
- 4 t fresh thyme, minced
- 1 scallion, minced
- ½ t salt
- ¼ t pepper
- Lemon wedges, for serving
- In a medium bowl, gently fold together crab, mayo, 2 T breadcrumbs, Dijon mustard, scallion, dill, parsley, and old bay. Season with salt and pepper.
- Gently fold in the egg white. Add remaining breadcrumbs if needed so the mixture just holds together.
- Divide mixture into 4 parts. Shape into patties about an inch high. Place on a parchment lined cookie sheet and chill for 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.
- Stir together all ingredients for the lemon and herb sauce, from mayo to pepper. Chill for 30 minutes.
- Spread flour in a shallow pan. Dredge crab cakes in flour mixture and gently pat off the excess.
- Heat oil in a 12 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add crab cakes and cook for 4 to 5 minutes per side until well browned.
- Transfer to a paper towel lined plate and allow to drain.
- Serve with lemon and herb sauce and lemon wedges.
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