2 lbs. Louisiana whole lump or white-select crabmeat
1 cup seasoned breadcrumbs
1 extra-large egg, beaten well
1/2 cup real mayonnaise
2 Tbsp. parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp. celery, minced
4 Tbsp. green onions, sliced
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. Frank Davis Seafood Seasoning
1/2 tsp. white pepper
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. dry mustard
Margarine and butter for frying (equal amounts)
First, place the crabmeat into a deep glass bowl, pick through it gently, and carefully remove all of shell fragments you find.
Then, in a second bowl, uniformly mix together the breadcrumbs, the egg, the mayonnaise, the parsley, the celery, the green onions, and all of the seasonings (salt, white pepper, seafood seasoning, Worcestershire, Dijon, and dry mustard).
At his point, add the crabmeat to the breadcrumb mixture and gently fold everything to a 'stuffing' consistency. I emphasize the word 'fold' because you don't want to break the large lumps of crabmeat into shreds. In other words, mix gently but mix thoroughly. Here's a hint: if the texture appears to be too dry, add a little more mayonnaise. Now the next step, and it's an important one, is to chill the mix for about 2 hours unless you allow the mix to 'bind' the cakes will fall apart in the pan.
Finally, when you're ready to eat, take your hands and shape the mix into about a dozen 3-inch crab cakes. Then, using just enough butter and margarine to prevent sticking, cook the cakes in a frying pan until they are toasty brown (it will take about 5 minutes on each side).
Serve them piping hot right from the skillet with tartar sauce and Louisiana Hot Sauce, alongside a small mountain of mashed potatoes and a Romaine and avocado salad.
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Chef's Hints
I recommend you use two spatulas to turn the crab cakes, and turn them gingerly. They come out so light and delicate that if you treat them too rough they'll literally fall apart.
Some recipes call for pan sauteing in pure butter. Some suggest straight margarine. For the ultimate in flavor I recommend you use equal portions of margarine and butter butter for the taste and margarine to raise the sauteing temperature.
To get the recipe to come out right, the ingredients 'must' be chilled for 2 hours. But that's the minimum amount of time. It's actually possible to prepare the cakes a day in advance and keep them refrigerated until time to saute.
I prefer to use white select or jumbo lump crabmeat. But there's not a thing wrong with crab cakes made with claw meat either. This part of the recipe you can alter without seriously affecting the final flavors. However, under no circumstances can you substitute imitation crabmeat! Never!
