Best 2 Chesapeake Bay Classic Crab Cakes Recipes

Calling all seafood lovers! Embark on a culinary journey to discover the iconic Chesapeake Bay Classic Crab Cakes, a Maryland specialty that tantalizes taste buds with its succulent crab meat, savory seasonings, and crispy golden-brown crust. This article presents a collection of meticulously curated recipes that capture the essence of this beloved dish, offering a range of variations to suit every palate.

From the traditional Maryland-style crab cakes bursting with fresh crab meat and Old Bay seasoning to the unique lump crab cakes featuring large chunks of crab for a luxurious bite, these recipes provide step-by-step instructions and helpful tips to ensure perfect results. Whether you prefer pan-frying, baking, or broiling your crab cakes, you'll find a method that suits your cooking style.

Additionally, this article explores creative twists on the classic recipe, such as crab cakes with corn and roasted red pepper for a vibrant flavor combination, or crab cakes with sriracha mayonnaise for a spicy kick. For those seeking a healthier option, the article offers a recipe for baked crab cakes with a crispy panko crust, reducing the oil content while maintaining the delectable taste.

Get ready to indulge in a Chesapeake Bay tradition with these delectable crab cake recipes. Whether you're hosting a special occasion or simply craving a taste of the Eastern Shore, these recipes will guide you to crab cake perfection, leaving you with a dish that's sure to impress.

Let's cook with our recipes!

CHESAPEAKE BAY CLASSIC CRAB CAKES

Chesapeake Bay Classic Crab Cakes image

Provided by Food Network

Categories side-dish

Time 1h40m

Yield 4 servings

Number Of Ingredients 22

Ingredients

1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon seafood seasoning (recommended: Old Bay Seasoning)
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1/2 cup peanut or canola oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced scallions, both white and green parts
1 pound lump blue crabmeat, drained and picked clean of shell
4 cups fresh bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves
About 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
Red Cocktail Sauce or Green Cocktail Sauce, recipes follow
4 lemon wedges
1 cup ketchup or chili sauce (recommended: Heinz)
1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
2 dashes hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
1 lemon, juiced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Combine all the ingredients in a small bowl.

Steps:

Put the egg yolk, seafood seasoning, mustard, lemon zest and juice, and vinegar in the bowl of a food processor or a blender and process until smooth. Gradually pour in the oil with the machine running until the mixture emulsifies and forms a mayonnaise. Season with the salt and pepper. (Note: this quantity of mayonnaise will not emulsify in the bowl of the largest size food processor. Use a medium size food processor, a mini processor, or a blender.)
Transfer the mayonnaise to a bowl and, using a rubber spatula, fold in the scallions and the crabmeat until well combined. Combine the bread crumbs and the parsley in a shallow container. Form the crab mixture into 8 patties about 3-inches wide and 3/4-inch thick and drop them into the bread crumb-parsley mixture. Dredge the crab cakes on both sides. If you have time, leave the crab cakes in the container of bread crumbs, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for 1 hour or more.
When you are ready to fry the crab cakes, put 2 large nonstick skillets over medium heat. Add about 2 tablespoons butter to each pan. When the butter is melted, add 4 crab cakes to each pan, patting off excess crumbs first. Slowly fry the crab cakes over medium heat until they are golden brown on both sides and hot through, turning once with a spatula, about 4 minutes per side. If the crab cakes are browning too quickly, reduce the heat. The internal temperature of a cooked crab cake should be 155 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer.
Transfer the crab cakes to plates, 2 per person, and serve with your choice of sauce and lemon wedges.
8 ounces tomatillos, husked and cut into quarters
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons green hot sauce (recommended: Tabasco)
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon mustard seeds, toasted
1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh horseradish
Put the tomatillos in the bowl of a food processor and process until coarsely pureed. Remove the tomatillo puree to a sieve, drain off the liquid and discard. Put the drained puree in a bowl and stir in the vinegar, sugar, hot sauce, garlic, mustard seeds, and horseradish.

CHESAPEAKE BAY CLASSIC CRAB CAKES

Chesapeake Bay Classic Crab Cakes image

Make and share this Chesapeake Bay Classic Crab Cakes recipe from Food.com.

Provided by ratherbeswimmin

Categories Crab

Time 38m

Yield 8 large crab cakes

Number Of Ingredients 15

Ingredients

1 large egg yolk
1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon grated lemon zest
1 1/2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
1/2 cup peanut oil or 1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced scallion, both white and green parts
1 lb lump blue crabmeat, drained and picked clean of shell
4 cups fresh breadcrumbs
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, about
4 lemon wedges

Steps:

Add the yolk, Old Bay, mustard, lemon zest, lemon juice, and vinegar to the bowl of a food processor or blender; process until smooth.
Gradually pour in the oil with the machine running until the mixture emulsifies and forms a mayonnaise.
Season with the salt and pepper (this quantity of mayonnaise will not emulsify in the bowl of the largest food processor; use a medium food processor, a mini processor, or a blender).
Transfer the mayonnaise to a bowl and, using a rubber spatula, fold in the scallions and the crabmeat until well combined.
Combine the bread crumbs and the parsley in a shallow container.
Form the crab mixture into 8 patties about 3 inches wide and 3/4 inch thick and drop them into the bread crumb mixture.
Dredge the crab cakes on both sides; if you have time, leave the crab cakes in the container of bread crumbs, cover with plastic wrap, and chill for an hour or so.
When you are ready to fry the crab cakes, put 2 large nonstick skillets over medium heat.
Add about 2 tablespoons butter to each pan; when the butter is melted, add 4 crab cakes to each pan, patting off excess crumbs first.
Slowly fry the cakes until they are golden brown on both sides and hot through, turning once with a spatula, about 4 minutes per side.
If the crab cakes are browning too quickly, reduce the heat.
The internal temperature of a cooked crab cake should be 155° on an instant-read thermometer.
Transfer the crab cakes to plates, 2 per person, and serve with your choice of sauce and lemon wedges.

Tips:

Use fresh crab meat. Fresh crab meat is essential for making delicious crab cakes. If you can't find fresh crab meat, you can use frozen crab meat, but be sure to thaw it completely before using.
Don't overmix the crab cakes. Overmixing the crab cakes will make them tough. Gently mix the ingredients together until they are just combined.
Use a light hand when forming the crab cakes. The crab cakes should be gently formed, not packed tightly. This will help them to stay moist and tender.
Cook the crab cakes over medium heat. Cooking the crab cakes over medium heat will help them to cook evenly without burning.
Serve the crab cakes with your favorite dipping sauce. Crab cakes are traditionally served with tartar sauce, but you can also serve them with other dipping sauces, such as cocktail sauce or remoulade.

Conclusion:

Chesapeake Bay crab cakes are a delicious and easy-to-make seafood dish. By following these tips, you can make perfect crab cakes that your family and friends will love. Serve them with your favorite dipping sauce and enjoy!