Maryland Crab Cakes

Originated in the Maryland's Way cookbook.  My grandparents lived in Baltimore for 35 years and taught me all about what to do with a crab.  The first year I lived in San Francisco, I missed out on crab season - nobody told me we had one!  But you can bet I've taken advantage of it every year since. Dungeness is similar in flavor to Maryland's blue crabs, so the recipes adapt quite well.  The major difference is that Dungeness are considerably larger.  In my opinion, that's all to the good: less time spent picking means more time spent eating!

Crab mathematics: Half a pound (8 oz.) of crab meat will make four 1/3 c. crab cakes and will feed two adults for dinner.  Half a pound of meat can reliably be picked from one large ~2 lb. Dungeness.  If you want to double the recipe to make eight 1/3 c. crab cakes (or six 1/2 c. cakes), you can't just multiply everything by two: pay attention to the special values for the egg, mayonnaise, and breadcrumbs.

Maryland Crab Cakes

serves 2

Combine in a bowl:

1 egg, beaten (if doubling: still just 1 egg)

1/4 c. chopped parsley

1 tsp. Coleman’s dry mustard

1 tsp. prepared brown mustard

1/4 tsp. Worcestershire

2 tbsp. mayonnaise (if doubling: 3 tbsp.)

1/8 tsp. Old Bay seasoning

Stir in:

1/3 c. plain breadcrumbs (if doubling: 1/2 cup)

Fold in gently:

8 oz. crab, picked over for cartilage

Measure out into portions on a plate using a 1/3 c. measuring cup.  Pat cakes together with your hands until they will just hold their shape.  Either cook them immediately or refrigerate them, covered with saran wrap, for a few hours.  Refrigerated cakes set up and tend to hold their shape better during cooking.

Saute cakes in a non-stick pan on medium heat in half butter, half olive oil and brown both sides well. (The butter produces a tasty brown crust via the Maillard reaction, so don't leave it out in a spasm of healthfulness!) They will take about 3-5 minutes per side.

Recommended products:

• Best Foods/Hellman's reduced fat mayonnaise
• Progresso plain bread crumbs
• Old Bay 30% less sodium seasoning

If you're having trouble locating Old Bay in the spice aisle of your local supermarket, check for it at the seafood counter instead.

When I introduced my San Francisco friends to this recipe, the most common comment I got was "What on earth is Old Bay seasoning?"  So here's a little history lesson: Old Bay is an herb and spice blend that was originally developed in the 1940s in the Chesapeake Bay area of Maryland.  Back then, blue crabs were so plentiful that bars in Baltimore would serve them up for free as bar snacks.  Spicy seasoning blends like Old Bay were invented so that patrons who were chowing down would then get thirsty and buy more beer.