Seafood – what’s not to love about it. Shrimp is my favorite followed by crab and lobster. I don’t cook crab often and usually it is in the form of crab cakes like my Crab Cakes With a Spicy Remoulade Sauce. I do use crab in rangoons, wontons, quiche, salads or I will buy crab legs when they are on sale.
In 2018 Food & Wine named this recipe one of their 40 best contributed by Andrew Zimmern. These crab cakes have been the most popular recipe on foodandwine.com since it went live in 2012. Apparently Andrew got the recipe from his best friend’s wife who calls this her “secret country club recipe.”
This recipe showcases the crab – it is not overshadowed by all kinds of ingredients such as red pepper or spices. Absolutely delicious and a must try for all you crab lovers!
I’ve also included a recipe for Russian Dressing by Epicurious.
Baltimore-Style Crab Cakes
Recipe by Andrew Zimmern, slightly adapted
- 1/2 cup mayonnaise (I use Hellman’s light)
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 tsp. hot sauce
- 1 lb. jumbo lump crab meat, picked over
- 20 saltine crackers, finely crushed (I use unsalted tops and a meat pounder to crush them between wax paper)
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- Lemon wedges for serving
- sauce for serving is optional – remoulade, tartar or use the Russian dressing below – there are many sauces you can use if desired
Whisk the mayonnaise, egg, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce until smooth in a small bowl.
In a medium bowl, lightly toss the crabmeat with the cracker crumbs. Gently fold in the mayonnaise mixture. Careful not to overmix! Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
Using a 1/3 cup measure lightly pack the crab into 8 patties, about 1-1/2″ thick. You can also make them smaller and serve as appetizers. In a large skillet, heat the oil, add the crab cakes and cook over moderately high heat until golden and heated through, about 3 minutes per side. Serve with lemon wedges and a sauce is optional.
Andrew suggests serving a crab cake on toast with sliced tomato and Russian dressing. See a recipe below… I like to serve my crab cakes with cole slaw or a green salad and roasted potatoes or maybe some french fries.
Russian Dressing, slightly adapted (Epicurious):
I don’t have my own recipe for this dressing but found this version online. Not to be confused with Thousand Island which is a bit sweet and has pickle relish as an ingredient. Russian dressing is spicier with heat coming from the horseradish and hot sauce.
- 1 tbsp. minced onion (I used a microplane grater)
- 1 cup mayonnaise (I used light)
- 1/4 cup ketchup or chili sauce (I used chili sauce for added flavor)
- 4 tsp. pure horseradish – comes in a jar (or to taste)
- 1 tsp. Frank’s Red Hot Sauce or your favorite hot sauce
- 1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 tsp. sweet paprika
- fine sea salt (optional)
Combine the above ingredients and serve with crab cakes. Will keep for a couple of weeks in the refrigerator.
Recipe by cookingwithauntjuju.com
I’m on board. Send food to my room. lol 😊
LOL – you’re too funny Gail. These crab cakes are sure good 🙂
Great looking crab cakes!
Thanks Ronit!
oh yum this looks so delicious. i love crab but hubby doesn’t so i don’t make seafood dishes at home, more’s the pity:-( cheers sherry
Thanks Sherry – I hear you when it comes to likes and dislikes of husbands! It’s a good recipe should you ever have the opportunity to make it 🙂
Judi, I’m with you when it comes to seafood. I grew up eating shrimp and crab. But the crab cakes or stuffed crab of the south just isn’t the same as those Maryland crab cakes. We once took a weeks vacation up the Maryland coast looking for the perfect crabcake. We fond it in Annapolis. Great looking dish.
Thanks Ron! The south seems to add a lot more veggies and seasonings like my Crab Cakes with a Spicy Remoulade Sauce. Personally, I prefer the Baltimore recipe as the crab is the star and you can kick it up with a sauce on the side. So easy to make too and perfect any time of the year especially now when I want to spend less time cooking as the weather heats up.
They look fabulous. And I agree – they should be about the crab, not the bread crumbs or the spices. One woman I catered for monthly always wanted me to make crab cakes. I originally used a martha stewart recipe, cause I’d never made them before. I remember having a hard time managing them in the skillet because they were so crab-heavy! But they were good. Love your recipe, or the secret recipe!
Thanks Mimi – these crab cakes didn’t fall apart – I have trouble with my other recipe as there is too much “stuff” in them. The recipe is a keeper as I do love my seafood!
These do look like good crab cakes…they are very similar to ones I ordered last night at a country club we visited with friends. It would be funny if it is the same recipe. 😀
Thanks Karen – that would be funny 🙂 It would be nice to know the history of the recipe and where it came from specifically. It’s definitely good and if you enjoy crab you will like these cakes.