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a plate with a crab cake and a lemon wedge

The Best West Coast Crab Cakes

A perfectly cooked crab cake is crispy on the outside and filled with tender, sweet crab meat, lightly seasoned to let the seafood shine. Each bite is a balance of buttery richness and savoury spice, creating a delicious coastal experience in every mouthful. Paired with a tangy seafood sauce, you’ll want to savour bite after delicious bite!
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Prep Time 30 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Course: Appetizer, Main Course
Cuisine: American
Ingredients Method

Ingredients
  

  • 16 ounces Fresh peeled Dungeness Crab A medium size Dungeness crab yields 6 to 8 ounces of crab meat. Pick over for shells. I like to put one or two large lumps of crab in each cake.
  • 1 Egg
  • 3 Tbsp Mayonnaise
  • 1 Tbsp Lemon Juice
  • 1 Tbsp Worcestire Sauce
  • 4 Shots Tabasco
  • 2 Stalks Finely chopped Celery
  • 1 Finely chopped white onion or green onion
  • 1 cup Italian Seasoned Bread Crumbs or Panko You can add more/less to soak up any additional moisture. You should be able to form them into balls without them falling apart.
  • 1 Tbsp Old Bay Spice I have found it at Walmart.
  • 1 Tsp Dry Mustard
  • 1 Tsp Black Pepper
  • 2 Tbsp Unsalted Butter
  • 2 Tbsp Olive Oil or Peanut Oil

Method
 

  1. Mix all of the ingredients into a bowl using a plastic spatula.
  2. Leave a few large lumps of crab in the mix.
  3. Refrigerate the mix for 15 minutes to allow the bread crumbs or panko to absorb the juices. This will also help the cakes bind together.
  4. Heat the butter and olive oil in a large skillet. Peanut oil has a higher flash point and is the best for cooking crab cakes however, I boat with a number of people who have peanut allergies so I use olive or vegetable oil with a splash of butter.
  5. Divide the mix in half and half again (depending on the size of the cakes). I make small cakes for appetizers or larger cakes for an entree. Mold into a patty and lightly press together.
  6. Brown on each side, about 3 minutes per side.
  7. Often, I will then put them in the oven or air fryer for a few minutes to make the outside extra crispy.
  8. Garnish with lemon and serve with a dollop of seafood sauce.