🦀 Crab cakes
Crab cakes are patties of sweet crab meat bound with mayonnaise, egg and a little breadcrumb, seasoned with mustard, lemon and Old Bay-style seafood spice, then pan-fried or baked until golden. The best ones are mostly crab, with a crisp outside and a moist, flaky inside. They are served with lemon wedges and a crisp salad or slaw.
Diets
Allergens
Contains (in a typical recipe):
What it is made of
Recipe
Ingredients
- 450 g crab meat, picked over
- 3 tbsp mayonnaise
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp seafood seasoning (Old Bay style)
- 40 g breadcrumbs
- Juice of 1/2 lemon, plus wedges
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Method
- Mix the mayonnaise, egg, mustard, seasoning and lemon juice.
- Gently fold in the crab and breadcrumbs without breaking up the lumps.
- Shape into 8 patties and chill for 20 minutes.
- Fry in oil over medium heat 3–4 minutes per side until golden, or bake at 220 °C for 12–15 minutes.
- Serve with lemon wedges.
How to make it lighter
- Bake the cakes instead of frying to save oil.
- Use light mayonnaise or less of it.
- Serve with a large green salad instead of fries.
History
Crab cakes are most closely associated with Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay, home of the blue crab. Recipes for crab patties appear in American cookbooks from the 19th century, and the dish is now a signature of the region's seafood restaurants.
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Values are estimates per 100 g for a typical recipe; home and restaurant versions vary. Diets and allergens are worked out from the ingredients of a typical recipe — always check with whoever cooked the dish. Not medical advice. Nutrition data: Me Nutrition dish database v13. How we count →