Crispy Maryland crab cakes with a melt-in-your-mouth interior served with a side of slightly spicy remoulade sauce. Whether for an elegant lunch or a casual weeknight dinner. So easy to make and flavorful, this is undoubtedly a go-to recipe. Additionally, the spicy remoulade sauce adds just the right amount of heat to elevate the cakes into something special.
Making the Cakes
While the recipe is straight-forward, it takes some practice to get the Maryland crab cakes just right. The balance between too wet and too dry can be challenging. Also, the crab is very delicate and breaks up easily. This type of dish is made ‘by feel’ when mixing the ingredients in order to get the right consistency. The measurements in the exact recipe are really just a guide. You may need a little more or less of some ingredients. With a little practice, you will have a feel for the right consistency. One of the most useful tools for preparing the cakes are ring molds for food. Place the molds directly into a hot pan and fill with the crab mixture gently tamp down to form the cake. Remove the molds before flipping the cakes and continue cooking as normal.
Saving a Maryland Crab Cake Fail
Suppose the crab ends up falling apart while cooking, we have an easy fix for that. First, turn the cakes into a topping for a salad. Serve the broken up cakes over mixed greens lightly dressed with the remoulade. A few squeezes of lemon makes it look and taste purposeful. Undoubtedly, mistakes can be delish too!
Jumbo Lump versus Lump Crab
Most importantly, all commercial crab meat is sold fully cooked. Jumbo Lump Crabmeat is the required type for this recipe. This is what will give you large succulent pieces of crab throughout the cake. Used in most all crab cake recipes. Lump crab is just the broken up and flaked pieces from the crab. For the best success definitely use jumbo lump.
Spicy Remoulade Sauce
The star of the sauce is clearly Hoy Fong’s Sambal Oelek. Along with giving the sauce a bite, it also adds a brightness to the sauce. The spiciness plays well with the horseradish, Worcestershire sauce, and mustard. Alternatively, if you enjoy making your own hot sauce, you can replace the sambal it with our Roasted Red Chili Garlic Paste. Both work perfectly.
Maryland Crab Cake with Spicy Remoulade Sauce
Ingredients
Crab Cakes
- 1 lbs Jumbo Lump Crab
- ¾ cup soda crackers , such as saltines
- 1 egg
- ¼ cup mayonaise
- 2 tbsp flat leaf italian parsley fresh,, minched
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 2 tsp worcestershire sauce
- 1½ tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tsp lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil for frying
- 2 tbsp unsalted butter for frying
Spicy Remoulade Sauce
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp Sambal Oelek
- 1 tbsp dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp lemon juice fresh squeezed
- 1½ tsp Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp granulated garlic
- 1 tsp sea salt or to taste
- ½ tsp lemon zest
- ½ tsp white pepper
Instructions
Crab Cakes
- Inspect jumbo lump crab, pick through to remove any shell or cartilage. Place in a large mixing bowl with the crumbled saltine crackers
- In a separate bowl wisk together the egg, mayonnaise, parsley, mustard, worchestershire, old bay, and lemon juice until completely combined. Add this wet mixture to the crab and cracker-crumb. Using your hands (wearing food service gloves) fold the wet ingredients in with the crab, Use care in order to not break up the crab lumps. Then refrigerate crab mixture from 1 hour to overnight.
- Make remoulade sauce by mixing all ingredients together cover and refrigerate while crab mixture sets up.
- When ready to cook, heat the 2 tablespoons of oil and 2 tablespoons of butter together in a large, wide fry pan when the oil starts to shimmer it is ready. Portion out the crab using a 1/2 cup scoop or measuring cup., loosely pack into a thick (1-1/2 inch patty). Carefully place into fry pan cooking 3 at a time, working in batchsd, as not to overcrowd the pan. Fry cakes for 4 to 5 minutes each side, Cakes are cooked when cakes feel slightly firm.
- Serve immediately while warm with a side of the sauce.
