Crab Cakes — pattysplate

Pacific Northwest Blessed! I love that saying and think of it often when I am eating fresh seafood or fresh garden food. Truly, I believe we have some of the best food available here 😛.

A recent trip to the coast resulted in a return trip home with a cooler full of fresh live dungeness crab. After a specially prepared hot tub for these critters, and a little scrubbing and cleaning, they were cooked and ready to eat. And I can eat a lot of crab! 😛

But on the third day of crab it was time to switch it up a little bit, so crab cakes it is! These came out delicious so the recipe must be shared.

I know not everyone can drive to the coast in a day and get fresh crab, but it is still in season right now so it can be found in local markets. This is your chance for fresh crab cakes!

INGREDIENTS

FOR THE CRAB CAKES -

2 large eggs
2 1/2 Tbsp mayonnaise, good quality and Whole30 approved
1 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 cup finely diced celery
2 Tbsp fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 pound crab meat
1/2 cup panko, you can use gluten free panko
Avocado or good quality oil, for cooking

FOR THE TARTAR SAUCE -

1 cup mayonnaise, good quality and Whole30 approved
1 1/2 Tbsp sweet pickle relish
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1 Tbsp red onion, finely minced
2 Tbsp lemon juice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

In a small bowl, whisk together the mayonnaise, relish, mustard, onion, and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and chill until ready to serve.

Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper for easy clean-up.

Combine the eggs, mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, Worcestershire, Old Bay, salt, celery, and parsley in a large bowl and mix well. Add the crab meat, shredding it as you place in the bowl, and remove any possible cartilage left in the meat. Add the panko. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the mixture together until just combined. Shape into 6 cakes, each about ½ cup, and place on the baking sheet. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, this helps them set up.

Preheat a large nonstick pan over medium heat and coat with oil. When the oil is hot, place the crab cakes in the pan and cook until golden brown, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Top the crab cakes with the tartar sauce to serve.

This is a great recipe to prepare in advance - make the crab cakes, cover them and refrigerate up to a day ahead of time. Thank you to Once Upon a Chef for the recipe inspiration!