With decadent simplicity, this delicious crab cakes recipe puts Pacific NW Dungeness crab on center stage. Makes eight 3-inch main dish crab cakes, or 14-16 2-inch appetizers.
In a medium bowl, beat egg with a fork, and whisk in mayonnaise, lemon juice, lemon zest, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, hot sauce, and seafood seasoning. Fold in cracker crumbs and mix thoroughly.
Very gently fold the crab meat into the wet ingredient mixture, taking care to not break up the crab meat too much.
Cover and refrigerate for 1-2 hours.
Form Patties
Use a 3-inch cutter for main dish size crab cakes, or a 2-inch cutter for appetizer size cakes. Amounts are given for 3-inch cutter, with 2-inch in parenthesis.(A) Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.(B) Place cutter on the parchment where you want the crab cake to be.(C) Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of fresh bread crumbs evenly in the bottom of the cutter. (½ tablespoon)(D) Add about ⅓-cup of the crab mixture on top of the fresh crumbs, pressing very gently to flatten. (~3 tablespoons)(E) Sprinkle another tablespoon of fresh bread crumbs on top and press again gently. (½ tablespoon)(F) Carefully lift the cutter up and off, leaving the formed crab cake on the tray.
Once the patties are formed, leave them on the baking sheet and refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
Cook Patties
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C).Heat an electric skillet or griddle to 375°F (190°C), or a heavy skillet over medium heat.
Melt 3 tablespoons of butter in 3 tablespoons of neutral oil (i.e., canola, light olive oil) in the skillet.
Using a flat metal spatula, gently transfer the crab cakes into the heated skillet and pan-fry until golden brown; about 2 minutes per side.Carefully transfer the pan-fried crab cakes to a parchment-lined baking sheet.
When all the crab cakes have been fried, place them into the preheated oven and bake for 10 minutes.
Sauce plates and arrange crab cakes on top, or serve cakes on a bed of greens with the sauce on the side.
Notes
Forming Crab Cakes: Crab cake mix is fragile. This recipe outlines the easiest, most reliable way to form the patties, by building them inside a biscuit or cookie cutter; however, you can build them any way that works for you. Make Crab Cakes Ahead of Time: Formed, uncooked crab cakes can be frozen for up to 1 month.To freeze, leave the formed crab cakes on the baking tray and put in the freezer until firm; about an hour. Wrap each one individually in plastic wrap, put them all in an air-tight freezer bag or container, and put them back into the freezer. (Prefreezing helps them keep their shape while you wrap them.) Defrost in the refrigerator before cooking.