Crab Cake Night

The seafood market had fresh lump crabmeat today so that only means one thing around our house - Crab Cake Night!
 
Grated hard-boiled egg, celery, onions, seasonings and raw egg:
 

 
Mayo and tiny bread cubes mixed in:
 

 
Now the crab is mixed in and ready to shape:
 

 
In the pan and ready to bake, then broil:
 

 
Dinner's ready:
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

*drools*
any leftovers?  i can be there in about an hour...

Can I swear? Holy ^%$#&*()^%$, (*&!@#$%^&& WOW, great and I mean GREAT job, enjoy and I am jealous.

Ruby, nice pics! Sounds and looks delicious...........
Thank you,
Rouxdog

That looks really good.  I don't think I've ever had a crabcake with hard boiled egg in it.  But I like the idea.

RubyRose -  Thanks for the step by step photos.
Everything looks great. 

Looks very delicious, fresh, lumpy,crabby cakes.

Ruby Rose:
Could you be a little more specific about your Recipe please? (Quantities, Temps Etc)
 I've never tried baking Crab Cakes, I've always pan fried them but I'd like to give it a whirl!

Ruby - Interesting combination....thanks for the pictures and your efforts.

It all started last week when the Allentown newspaper printed a story about the owner of Cossie Snyder's restaurant (closed a few years ago) finally revealing her recipe for her crab cakes.

http://www.mcall.com/features/food/all-crabcakelede.6789350mar11,0,214000.story

The recipe is in this link:

http://www.mcall.com/features/food/all-crabcakerecipe.6788507mar11,0,6343306.story

I modified the recipe to have slightly less filler.

COSSIE SNYDER'S CRAB CAKES (almost)

Combine:
1/4 cup grated celery
3 Tbs. grated onion
1 grated hard boiled egg
1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
2 tsp. parsley flakes

Add to the first mixture in the order given:
1 raw egg
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
3 Tbs. mayonnaise
dash of hot pepper sauce
3 slices white bread, crusts removed and then cut in tiny cubes

Mix until smooth.  Then add 1 pound of lump crabmeat and mix gently with your fingers to avoid breaking up the crab.

Refrigerate for 1/2 hour; then form into six patties.  Sprinkle with paprika and bake on center rack of oven at 375 degrees for about 20 minutes.  Turn on broiler, leaving the cakes on the center rack and brown tops of patties.

They were delicious.  I had never added the hard boiled egg before.


  

Ruby Rose - THANX! Great Idea! Less chance of them falling apart when you flip them in a saute' pan 

My husband loves crab cakes-thanks for the recipe! Do you serve them with a remoulade sauce, or are they good enough to eat as is?

annpeeples


My husband loves crab cakes-thanks for the recipe! Do you serve them with a remoulade sauce, or are they good enough to eat as is?

No sauce, and don't squeeze any lemon on them.   The only change I'd make next time is to add about a Tbs. of grated sweet red pepper along with the celery and onions. 

I like your recipe and will try it sometime after the shad roe season is over. We had the first roe of the season last night- delicious!!

When we use the inexpensive  "Maine Jonah Crab" , which consists of tiny flakes and bits and pieces -no big lumps, we finely dice the vegetables (onion, sweet pepper, celery), but I guess the grated vegetables would help to hold the  expensive lumps in your recipe  together better... Also, with the more cohesive Jonah crab, we use less bread crumbs and no mayo -the fresh egg is binder enough. I'm not sure what that hard boiled egg does for the crab cake but we'll surely try it next time. 

Cheers, John 

Thank you Ruby, we moved from Johns neck of the woods in Daytona Beach to Roanoke VA and we are missing seafood, we are going to make this Sunday

Mitch

Those are gorgeous crab cakes!  I miss having crab readily available as it was during my days in Annapolis, MD.  Sigh.

I've never heard of hard boiled eggs in Crabcakes before but I dont put onions celery or peppers in my crabcakes either.Iwill give you a tip and that is Use just the egg white to bind your crabcakes,that is all you need.

jellybear


I've never heard of hard boiled eggs in Crabcakes before but I dont put onions celery or peppers in my crabcakes either.Iwill give you a tip and that is Use just the egg white to bind your crabcakes,that is all you need.

If you just want the crab without the "cake", why not serve the lumps of crab in butter, like old-style seafood houses like Obrycki's do?

I think that's called "Crab Norfolk" and what a delicious decadent delight it is - nothing but butter and lumps of crab. We first had it in a dingy lunchroom in, of all places, downtown Norfolk, VA about 30 years ago. We made a long detour thru Norfolk the next year and the joint was gone- a victim of urban renewal (otherwise known as Mom and Pop removal). 

We have found  Crab Norfolk again  on rare occasions, but it has never matched up to the original at that unknown joint in Norfolk. Does anyone out there know of anyplace besides Obricki's ( a restaurant we would be happy to revisit someday) that still serves a good version of that dish?   

Cheers, John 

They looked better than any Cakes you get in Bawlmore, great job!

Its kinda hard eating a Crabcake Sandwich with butter dripping thru the bun.

nice cakes there Ruby.

seafarer john


I think that's called "Crab Norfolk" and what a delicious decadent delight it is - nothing but butter and lumps of crab. We first had it in a dingy lunchroom in, of all places, downtown Norfolk, VA about 30 years ago. We made a long detour thru Norfolk the next year and the joint was gone- a victim of urban renewal (otherwise known as Mom and Pop removal). 

We have found  Crab Norfolk again  on rare occasions, but it has never matched up to the original at that unknown joint in Norfolk. Does anyone out there know of anyplace besides Obricki's ( a restaurant we would be happy to revisit someday) that still serves a good version of that dish?   

Cheers, John

Although I had a great lump crabmeat saute at the Fisherman's Inn in Kent Narrows, MD last fall, they do have Crab Norfolk on the menu so I would imagine it would also be a good version.
 
It's my observation that most places that still make the jumbo crab chunks in butter usually have a more croquette style crabcake with backfin, which is now out of fashion.  Restaurants that specialize in crabcakes made with the jumbo lumps don't serve it in many other ways.

Damn, we eat at Fisherman's Inn in Kent Narrows about twice a year - on our way south and on our way back - but I never saw it on the menu. But, then, Gail says I'm not very observant of what's available and I only go for what I already know i want. Next time I'll look for it...  

BTW: I never knew such a thing as oyster plates existed until I entered Fisherman's Inn - what a magnificent collection they have !!

Cheres, John  

My preference is for crabcakes of the type from G&M. Hardly anything but crab. I;ve had tons of crabcakes over the years that were crammed full of various fillers. Some of them were quite good. But when you add onions and celery, and in some cases peppers,  to delicate crab, then I believe you defeat the point of the crab.

My goodness gracious, Ruby Rose, that looks great!I  have never had a crabcake that looked that good. I hope you don't mind if I try to copy that creation. Thanks for your post.

===But when you add onions and celery, and in some cases peppers,  to delicate crab, then I believe you defeat the point of the crab.===

You would think so, but the proof is in the photos. Celery,  onion and eggs are not traditional in Baltimore's versions, but think about it.  I have used celery salt/seed in the past.
Crabcakes need egg to bind them yes, but the cooked egg adds a richness and one more thing, mayonaisse is whipped egg yolks.
The onions? Three tablespoons to one pound of crab meat won't do any real damage.

There are so many chefs and restaurants that have totally screwed up crabcakes throughout the nation. Only recently are the real things becoming recognized as the proper way to prepare them.

Finally, they really look good.... Really, really good!!!

mark

  

Celery,Onions,Chopped Egg.Sweet Red Peppers, Who ordered the Chopped Salad?

doggydaddy


===But when you add onions and celery, and in some cases peppers,  to delicate crab, then I believe you defeat the point of the crab.===

You would think so, but the proof is in the photos. Celery,  onion and eggs are not traditional in Baltimore's versions, but think about it.  I have used celery salt/seed in the past.
Crabcakes need egg to bind them yes, but the cooked egg adds a richness and one more thing, mayonaisse is whipped egg yolks.
The onions? Three tablespoons to one pound of crab meat won't do any real damage.

There are so many chefs and restaurants that have totally screwed up crabcakes throughout the nation. Only recently are the real things becoming recognized as the proper way to prepare them.

Finally, they really look good.... Really, really good!!!

mark

 

The finished product does look good. But they are not crabcakes as I like them. I don't want anyting in my crabcakes besides crab, seasoning, a touch of mayonnaise and a couple of crushed crackers.

===The finished product does look good. But they are not crabcakes as I like them. I don't want anyting in my crabcakes besides crab, seasoning, a touch of mayonnaise and a couple of crushed crackers. ===

That is how I make them, nothing more, nothing less. But I have made and seen worse things than you could ever imagine. Some are made with Krab. There are some pretty creative crabcakes on the menu from 'chefs' who have never eaten a Baltimore version.

Ruby's crabcakes has everything chopped so fine that you would be hard pressed to notice any difference. This recipe doesn't stray far away from the real thing.

My complaint? What's that tomato doing there..?

mark