Tricks And Tips For The Perfect Easy Crab Cakes
As with any dish, there are some best practices for making the best crab cakes.
- Avoid over-mixing the ingredients. If you stir too vigorously, your crab meat will begin to break apart.
- Slowly and gently fold all of your ingredients together so that the crab meat remains intact.
- After mixing your ingredients together, put the mixture in the fridge for about half an hour. Doing this will make it much easier to form your crab cakes and they will also be more likely to bind together.
- Use fresh crab meat for the best results and the tastiest crab cakes.
- Dont omit the Old Bay Seasoning or substitute another seasoning mix. Old Bay Seasoning is the secret to making the best crab cake recipe shine.
- Try baked crab cakes. Crab cakes that are baked or cooked in the air fryer are just as tasty as fried crab cakes.
- Serve your crab cake with a tasty crab cake sauce such as tartar sauce, hot sauce, or remoulade sauce. Melted butter also makes a wonderful dipping sauce for crab cakes.
Best Sides For Crab Cakes
Crab cakes are loaded with juicy crab chunks and fresh flavors. Whether youre baking, grilling, deep-frying or sautéing this Maryland staple food, you cant forget about the sides. Luckily, crab cakes are very versatile, and you can easily pair them with pasta, veggies, salad and more. These are some of our go-to crab cake sides great for breakfast, brunch, and snacks!
Choosing a side for crab cakes can be dependent on a couple of things. Who youre feeding? How many people are you feeding? Spice or no spice, and what time of the year it is?
Be sure to read on to find some great sides and sauces that will not only compliment your crab cakes but will also complete your dish!
Overview: How To Make Maryland Crab Cakes
Crab cakes make a wonderful main dish or even as sandwich on a toasted bun. If shaped smaller, mini crab cakes are an awesome finger food. With this recipe, you can be confident that you ALWAYS have a quick dinner recipe in your back pocket, as well as an impressive crowd-pleasing appetizer. They make great leftovers, too.
The full written recipe is below, but heres an overview.
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Side Dishes For Crab Cakes
Are you wondering what to serve with your delicious crab cakes? You can create a delicious and memorable meal when you pair crab cakes with the perfect side dishes. Here are some ideas.
- French fries
- Green salad with vinaigrette or creamy dressing
- Cornbread or hush puppies
- Potato salad
- Veggies like green onion, sliced tomatoes, or sliced cucumbers
For condiments, you can use tartar sauce, French remoulade sauce, and even ketchup if thats what your family likes. We are partial to tartar sauce. Crab cakes are also delicious with some lemon juice.
Are Crab Cakes Better Baked Or Fried
You can either bake or fry these crab cakes. My personal preference is to bake them because its easier and they are less prone to drying out .
The upside of frying is you get a wonderful crispness on the outside of your crab cakes that I love. I havent tried these in the air fryer yet, but Im thinking that might give me the best of both worlds and its on my list to try the next time Im making these. If you have one and want to experiment, let me know in the comments how it goes!
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How To Make It
Follow along with these easy to prepare instructions with images to make this amazing crab cakes recipe:
In a large bowl gently combine together all of the ingredients until they are thoroughly mixed together.
Next, form the crab cakes into balls and then gently press them down.
Coat the crab cakes on each side with leftover buttered crackers and set them aside.
Fry the crab cakes in oil for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through.
Serve by itself or with your favorite crab cake sauce.
Best Maryland Crab Cake Recipe
Growing up in Maryland, I spent a lot of time at the beach, loving the feeling of the sand and water on my feet, the smell of fresh seafood, picking crabs, and of course, eating crab cakes!
When my family went to the beach, we either went out for crabs or ribs. Its like no other food existed during beach week. But french fries were always a part of any meal.
Truth be told, and youd never know it now, but I used to hate Old Bay Seasoning as a kid . I even went as far as to ask for my crabs to be washed because I thought they were soo spicy!
Fresh crabs can never truly be replaced, but do you really want to steam a huge blue crab in your kitchen? I dont think so and this Maryland crab cake recipe is going to get you so close than the crab shacks of Maryland.
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When Is Crab Season
In Maryland crab season usually starts in April and runs until December. However, if you are buying crab off-season and are wondering where it is coming from, it is more than likely coming from North Carolina and Louisiana.
Sometimes it might even come from oversees if theres a crab shortage or they arent in season but are in high demand.
The most traditional time to eat crab, aside from all the time, is June through August. When you get towards the end of crab season, you can usually pick some up at your local fish market for a good price!
What Type Of Crabs Have The Best Meat
Now that you know which types of crab meat are best for making crab cakes, which type of crab has the best meat for crab cakes?
Some people suggest that meat from blue crabs makes the most flavorful crab cakes. Blue crab meat has an incredible buttery flavor that is unlike any other crab meat.
Nevertheless, other folks believe that meat from the huge west coast Dungeness crabs is perfect for your lump crab cake recipe.
Whichever type of crab meat you use for your crab cakes recipe, the most important factor is that you have fresh crab.
Can you make crab cakes with imitation crab meat? You can, but of course, fresh crab meat is always best.
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What Goes With Maryland Crab Cakes
Much like regular crab cakes, you will want to first pair them with a delicious remoulade sauce. The Louisiana spice really goes a long way in giving those crab cakes that extra oomph!
However, the best side dish for Maryland crabcakes is a nice coleslaw. You can opt to make a grilled one or keep it fresh withfreshly cut ingredients. The mild taste of the coleslaw helps to balance outthe spiciness of the crab cakes and is refreshing at the same time.
Best Crab Cakes In Baltimore: 6 Delicious Spots
August 3, 2020 by Molly Beauchemin
You cant visit Baltimore without trying some succulent Maryland blue crab the prized local ingredient that makes Baltimores crab cakes so delicious and renown. Crab is so popular here that its no surprise the worlds favorite crab seasoningOld Bay was actually invented in Baltimore.
Baltimore, moreover, is known for its crab cakes, and there are a number of intriguing places to eat them here. Each of the restaurants on this list use recipes that have their own flavor, nuance, and style.
Some people swear by no-frills takeout counters like Faidleys, while others prefer the charming dining experience at sea-to-fork establishments like Gertrudes.
Either way, no matter what kind of crab cakes youre looking for in Baltimore, the ones below will not disappoint. The seasonings and presentation might differ, but the fresh local crab at the core of each recipe offers an indelibly authentic taste of Maryland.
For the quintessential Baltimore crab cake experience, try more than one crab cake. Then, decide for yourself which one you like best.
Also: Crab is a rich source of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, which helps quell inflammation and improve mood.
Below, we spotlight the best places to try authentic Baltimore crab cakes in the city. Enjoy!
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What Is The Best Type Of Crab Meat For Making Crab Cakes
When you first learn how to make crab cakes, you may be wondering which type of crab is the best for making the best crab cakes. If youre surprised that there is more than one type of crabmeat, read on.
There are four different crab meat types and while you can use any crab meat in crab meat recipes, some types of meat are better suited than others for crab cakes.
What Kind Of Crab Meat Is Best For Crab Cakes
Typically, lump blue crab meat is used for crab cakes. Other varieties of crab, such as dungeness and rock crab can also be used. The important part is to make sure whatever type of crab you choose, that you use large chunks or lump style meat. The bigger the pieces, the better! Its also important to gently stir the crab into the seasoning mixture so that you dont break it up into smaller pieces.
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How To Choose The Best Crab Meat For Crab Cakes
Its unusual to find live crabs for sale at supermarkets, but out-of-the-shell crab meat is typically sold cooked and ready to serve.
In other cases, you can buy canned crab meat or frozen crab meat, but neither of these is ideal for making crab cakes. If you can find refrigerated crab meat, youre off to a better start.
When youre selecting crab meat for your Maryland style crab cake recipe, look for meat that is labeled hand-picked or fresh-picked. This indicates that the meat is nearly always free from cartilage and shells.
By Step Photos And Instructions:
- STEP #1: In a small bowl whisk together mayonnaise, dijon, Worcestershire, Old Bay Seasoning, lemon juice, egg and parsley.
- STEP #2: Add the crab meat and panko. Gently fold them in. Be careful not to break up the crab, you want full pieces of crab in each bite.
- STEP #3: Scoop about 1/2 cup of mixture into rounds on a parchment lined baking sheet. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to let them set.
- STEP #4: Lightly coat a skillet with oil and heat over medium high heat. Add crab cakes and cook 2 3 minutes per side or until golden brown and cooked through. Serve hot.
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What Is A Good Side Dish That Goes With Crab Cakes
The top side dish that goes with crab cakes is a grilled or baked potato. Yes, you may be questioning the pairing of a starchy dish with crab cakes, but its one of the best comfort food that pairs perfectly with the saltiness of the crab cakes.
Gazpacho or remoulade sauce is another perfectside dish that you will want to serve with crab cakes. That extra bit of spicecompliments the crab while the sauce soaks into the cake to provide a moistflavor.
Patch Asked Who Has Your Favorite Crabcakes In Maryland And You Responded See Where The Best Crabcakes Are According To Your Neighbors
Asking folks who makes Maryland’s best crabcakes can be akin to bringing up politics at Sunday dinner .
But here at Patch, we were willing to take the risk. We asked who makes your favorite crabcakes and, boy, did you respond. Nearly 2,000 of you had some strong feelings about the best around.
Three readers said theirs were the best , and one nominated her daughter-in-law.
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Phillips Frozen Crab Cake
You cannot complete a seafood list without at least one Phillips product. If you have eaten other Phillips seafood, you surely know that they are finger-licking good and worth every penny. This crab cake is perfectly packed and arrives on dry ice. If you think the products mentioned above are small in size, this crab cake with large chunks of crabmeat will be a great pick for you.
The packaging of Phillips Frozen Crab Cakes contains twelve four-ounce delicious and mouth-watering crab cakes. This product is rich in healthy nutrients such as Omega-3, proteins, and calories. Plus, this product is quite easy to bake simply bake it with medium heat in oil and keep the internal temperature up to 165-degree Fahrenheit.
Why do we like it?
- Pack of Twelve
- No Artificial Flavors or Colors
- Rich in Proteins
Ingredients In Maryland Crab Cakes
Lets walk through each ingredient so you understand its importance. While there are a few flavorful and binding ingredients, the real star of this crab cake is the crab itself. These flavors and binders simply enhance the true taste of crab.
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