feeling crabby
While this is certainly not a news flash for you crustacean lovers out there, it is Dungeness crab season. The highlight of winter in the bay area. Okay, well, that and Meyer lemons. And what a pair they make. Crab cakes, cracked crab, crab salad, crab risotto (all with a squeeze of a Meyer)… So of course, naturally, the last two times we’ve had gatherings at our house, we’ve made crab cakes. New Year’s Eve we made two trays full of crabby bites of heaven. And tonight, in celebration of one of our closest friends being born, we will crack open a bottle of Prosecco, pluck a few Meyer lemons off the tree, and fry up some tender, delectable crab cakes. If you are now drooling (please wipe your mouth), and feel like you simply cannot go on without a bite of these, please don’t come over, just make them for yourself!
Kim’s Crab Cakes
Makes about 16-18 medium crab cakes
About 1 1/2 pounds fresh Dungeness crabmeat, about 3 medium crabs*
*If you can find them and have the time, cook live crabs; otherwise there are some great seafood markets that cook them fresh each day. Just don’t use canned or frozen! If you use pre-cooked crab, I find it best to gently rinse it in a fine-mesh strainer under cold water and pat it dry before moving on
About 2 cups (fresh) dried bread crumbs**
**I use challah because it’s rich and eggy and a little bit sweet. Just throw the loaf in the Cuisinart and process it until you have fine crumbs then toast in a 350F oven for about 10 minutes or so
2 large eggs (preferably organic), beaten
1/4 cup mayonnaise (preferably homemade)
2 teaspoons dijon mustard
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
large pinch of kosher or sea salt
2 tablespoons of finely diced red bell peppers
1 tablespoon of finely snipped chives
1/4 cup canola oil
Meyer lemons, cut into wedges, for serving
In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, mayo, mustard, Worcestershire, and salt until smooth. Stir in the peppers and chives. Gently stir in the crab meat (try not to break up all the nice meaty chunks!) and then stir in 1 cup of the bread crumbs. The mixture should be fairly wet, but you should be able to form a crab cake. Form into about 16-18 medium-sized cakes. Put the cakes on a plate or platter, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to fry; the cakes can be made up to 3 hours in advance.
Heat the oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Put the remaining cup of bread crumbs onto a plate and lightly coat each side of each crab cake. Place about half of the cakes into the hot pan. You should be able to fry the crab cakes in two batches. Transfer to a paper-towel lined plate to drain, then fry the other half. Serve at once with plenty of Meyer lemons.
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Category: Bay Area Bites Food + Drink, recipes
About the Author (Author Archive)
My life is, in a lot of ways, devoted to food. I've been a baker, a cook, a bartender, a waiter, a restaurant host, a restaurant critic, a food writer, a caterer, a food stylist, a prop stylist, a hand model, a food photographer, and an editor (all with varying degrees of success). I currently make my living as a cookbook editor and a writer. I'm addicted to cookbooks. I even have a (small) room nearly devoted to them. Well that and my baking table. I love British chefs. They are so where it's at. And they make gorgeous cookbooks. I love Fergus Henderson, Nigel Slater, Jamie Oliver, and Anthony Bourdain (even though he's not a Brit). I cannot wait to eat at Kitchin in Edinburgh. Someday I'd love to meet Ferran Adria. I'm incredibly opinionated about food, and probably a wee bit arrogant (about food that is). I am a huge believer in local, seasonal, sustainable, organic food and a big supporter of small farms and artisan producers. I love farmers' markets, and not just the one at the Ferry Building. I feel very lucky to be able to live in San Francisco, and have access to such an incredible array of artisan foodstuffs, produce, meats and seafoods. I like culinary adventures and I'll try (just about) anything once. Some of my more memorable food adventures: digging a deep BBQ pit and burying a whole pig; roasting a whole pig on a spit; making a paella for 150 people over an open fire on the hottest day of the summer, but really enjoying the frozen margaritas that were handed to me; clam digging on Puget Sound; the Pig Dinner at Manresa; curing my own charcuterie; making beer that was actually quite good; and slinging spirits at St. George. (I'm finally starting to learn more about wine and spirits, in particular, Italian wine and Scotch whisky, two new loves in my life.)Subscribe
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