Best Crab Cakes

This new crab cake recipe uses no egg, mayo or even breadcrumbs in the cakes themselves. It's perfect for those with egg allergies. But yet, they taste even better than the traditional crab cake recipe.

Those that follow this blog know I make crab cakes often and have a recipe for traditional crab cakes with roasted red pepper sauce.  Feel free to use that sauce with this recipe, but once you make these I think you'll agree, these are better. This recipe comes from Cook's Illustrated and America's Test Kitchen who have perfected a recipe for which I could not improve.

I would call these 'restaurant style crab cakes' as they have a crispy crust that you just can't get from the traditional crab cake, but you do find this type often served in restaurants. That's because you brown panko bread crumbs first, then apply them to the outside at the end before frying, making them even more crisp and golden. To make the crab adhere so they can be fried without falling apart, chopped shrimp are mixed with heavy cream and processed vegetables, leaving you with a crab cake that tastes mostly of crab. Ingenious!

Ingredients (makes 8 large crab cakes)

1 pound lump crabmeat
1 cup milk
1 1/2 cups panko bread crumbs
Salt and pepper
2 celery ribs, chopped
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, peeled and smashed
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
4 ounces shrimp, peeled, deveined, and tails removed

  (about 6, 20-25 count shrimp)
1/4 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 - 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning

  (depending on how spicy you like them)
4 tablespoons vegetable oil

Crab Options:  Fresh crabmeat will make these crab cakes taste even better. With packaged crab, if the meat smells clean and fresh when you first open the package, skip steps 1 and 4 and simply drain or blot away any excess liquid. I use the packaged Chicken of the Sea lump crab which I purchase at Costco. It did not require the milk preparation before use. 

Timing: The recipe is a bit time-consuming compared with traditional crab cakes. From start to serving time, allot two hours, as there is a 30 minute rest in the refrigerator which is required to make the cakes easier to handle when cooking. 

Portions: Two crab cakes per person are recommended for an adult dinner serving, or one per person if these are used as an appetizer. If you are only serving two adults for dinner and wish to reserve some cakes for later use, only fry the amount you require. Refrigerate (up to 2 days) or freeze (up to a month) the un-breaded and un-cooked cakes in an air tight container, reserving the bread crumbs in a zip-lock bag until ready for cooking. 

Instructions

1. Place crabmeat and milk in bowl, making sure crab is totally submerged. Cover and refrigerate for at least 20 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, place 3/4 cup panko in small zip-lock bag and finely crush with rolling pin. Transfer crushed panko to 10 to 12-inch nonstick skillet and add remaining 3/4 cup panko. Toast over medium-high heat, stirring constantly, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Transfer panko to shallow dish and stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste. Wipe out skillet.

3. Pulse celery, onion, and garlic in food processor until finely chopped, 5 to 8 pulses, scraping down bowl as needed. Transfer vegetables to large bowl. Rinse processor bowl and blade and reserve. Melt butter in now-empty skillet over medium heat. Add chopped vegetables, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are softened and all moisture has evaporated, 4 to 6 minutes. Return vegetables to large bowl and let cool to room temperature. Rinse out pan and wipe clean.

4 Strain crabmeat through fine-mesh strainer, pressing firmly to remove milk but being careful not to break up lumps of crabmeat.

5. Pulse shrimp in now-empty food processor until finely ground, 12 to 15 pulses, scraping down bowl as needed. Add cream and pulse to combine, 2 to 4 pulses, scraping down bowl as needed. Transfer shrimp puree to bowl with cooled vegetables. Add mustard, hot pepper sauce, lemon juice, and Old Bay seasoning; stir until well combined. Add crabmeat and fold gently with rubber spatula, being careful not to overmix and break up lumps of crabmeat. Divide mixture into 8 balls and firmly press into 1/2-inch-thick patties. Place cakes on rimmed baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover tightly with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

6. Coat each cake in panko, firmly pressing to adhere crumbs to exterior. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in now-empty skillet over medium heat until shimmering. Place 4 cakes in skillet and cook without moving them until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Using 2 spatulas, carefully flip cakes, add 1 tablespoon oil, reduce heat to medium-low, and continue to cook until second side is golden brown, 4 to 6 minutes. Transfer cakes to platter. Wipe out skillet and repeat with remaining 4 cakes and remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Serve immediately.