Crab Cakes for a Luxurious Three-Day Weekend

By Lori Powell

Memorial Day...oh, the sheer bliss of having a three-day weekend! Definitely not overrated!

Prior to my new job, I was freelancing for about 2½ years and was not so great about saying NO in this economy to either a job that inspired me or one where I got to work with a great team of people. So holidays, never entered my mind unless I was invited somewhere or family called!

I know it sounds like I led kind of a dismal life or that I am a workaholic…well, possibly a bit of the latter. Funny thing is, when you are fortunate enough to find your passion and love your work, it simply doesn’t feel like work – at least a lot of the time.

However, I do wish, in this day and age, that with technology, we would not be required to be indoors from at least 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. I feel that most of my creativity happens when I first wake up, drinking my first cup of Joe in my skivvies (best kept at home), or right now, sitting on the back porch in my sweats (best kept on the back porch)…watching the sun perch right on the rooftops.

In a minute, shadows will be casting across my computer, just before the sun slips and puts my back porch into a mid-spring darkness.

With the luxury of a three-day weekend, I’m making Memorial Day Crab Cakes! Yes, forget the grill for at least one meal out of the whole weekend and making these yummy decadent cakes….your company will not feel underrated! I know it’s expensive but you’re worth it and the best food is, well, a tad expensive. You are so worth it!!

Note: the best crab cakes are made at home (like meatballs, crab cakes are second to the most ill- prepared items at a restaurant). So many restaurants do not make them well, adding too many fillers and using inferior products.

I suggest that you use the best crab you can get, which in my estimation, is jumbo lump crab that when you open the container, they are nestled as little sweet-smelling nuggets that smell like the ocean.

Memorial Day Crab Cakes
Serves 1 to 2

½ pound jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over
2 cups fresh breadcrumbs from firm white sandwich bread
3 tablespoons plus ¼ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon capers, rinsed and drained
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives (optional)
Lemon wedges

Toss together crabmeat, 1 cup of the bread crumbs, 3 tablespoons mayonnaise, mustard, 1 teaspoon of the lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, and egg until just combined. Form into 4 cakes.

Put remaining bread crumbs in a shallow bowl and coat cakes evenly. Transfer to a plate as coated.

Make mayonnaise sauce by stirring together remaining ¼ cup mayonnaise and 1 teaspoon lemon juice, capers, and salt and pepper to taste.

Heat oil and butter together over moderate heat in a medium, skillet until butter is melted. Add crab cakes and cook, until golden brown and heated through, about 3 minutes per side.

Serve crab cakes over cooked asparagus or sliced heirloom tomatoes. Dollop with mayonnaise sauce and sprinkle with chives.

Variations:
Coatings: Panko, cornmeal, crushed cornflakes, rye bread crumbs, whole wheat bread crumbs, saltines, flax, nigella or sesame seeds.

Stir-ins: Fresh herbs such as basil, tarragon, cilantro or lemon thyme

Spices: Cajun seasoning, cayenne, chopped pickled jalapeno, chile in adobo sauce, wasabi paste, Old Bay Seasoning, smoked paprika, chili powder, hot sauce

Sauces: Tartar, tomato jam, Asian sweet or hot chili, avocado, salsa verde, pesto, remoulade, seasoned salt, crème fraîche, and dare I say it, caviar?

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Comments

[Kristen Hess]

Love Crab Cakes! Perfect weekend to make these too! Thanks for sharing ideas to mix them up with different herbs and spices. Yum!