Pat Conroy’s Baby Crab Cakes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound lump crabmeat
  • 1 egg white, light beaten
  • 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
  • 2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
  • 1 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground hot red pepper
  • 2 teaspoons coarse salt, divided
  • 3 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 3 tablespoons oil, cook’s preference, divided
  • Lemon wedges, optional

Instructions

Move the crabmeat to a large bowl and pour the egg white over the crabmeat in a slow stream, stopping occasionally to mix. When the crabmeat has absorbed the egg and feels slightly sticky to the touch, sift the flour over the crabmeat. Sprinkle with chives, peppers, and 1 teaspoon salt. Stir lightly from the bottom, but don’t overhand.

Separate the crabmeat into 16 caked by gently rolling each portion in a flattened palm. Gently press down to form the cake and move to a large plate. Sprinkle with remaining salt. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Melt half of the butter and half of the oil in a large skillet. Move 8 of the crab cakes to the hot fat and cook until a crust forms, about 2 minutes. Turn carefully with a thin metal or plastic spatula and cook another 2 minutes. Remove to a plate and cover loosely with foil. Wipe out the skillet with a paper towel and melt the remaining butter and oil. Cook remaining crab cakes in the same fashion. Serve hot with optional lemon wedges.

Sablefish Fish Cakes

Ingredients

  • 1 pound sablefish
  • 1 egg, lightly beaten
  • 1 tbsp flour
  • 2 tbsp panko, plus more for coating to cook
  • 2 green onions – thinly sliced
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
  • pinch ground cayenne
  • Old Bay
  • 1 tbsp oil
  • 2 tbsp butter

Instructions

  1. Prep fish. Remove skin & bones if necessary. Slice into small cubes & transfer to a mixing bowl.
  2. Gently stir in egg, then sprinkle in flour, panko, scallions, salt & peppers over fish & stir.
  3. Scoop out roughly 1/4 cup fish mixture & use your hands to form into cakes. Transfer to a small sheet pan or plate. Sprinkle with Old Bay. Cover with saran & refrigerate for an hour.
  4. Pour some panko onto a small plate. Coat chilled fish cakes with panko.
  5. Heat a heavy pan over medium-high heat, melt in the butter & oil.
  6. Cook about 2-3 minutes per side, until golden & the fish is just cooked through.

Adapted from Seaforager based on Pat Conroy’s baby crab cake recipe from Mastering the Art of Southern Cooking.

Faidley’s Crab Cakes

Ingredients
  • 1 pound backfin or jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over
  • 1 cup crushed saltine creackers
  • ½ cup mayonnaise
  • 1 egg
  • 1 TB Dijon mustard
  • 1 TB Worcestershire sauce
  • Dash of Tabasco Sauce
  • Unsalted butter or olive oil for sauteeing or Vegetable oil for frying
Directions
  • Spread the crabmeat out on a flat pan/cookie sheet and sprinkle the crushed saltines over the top
  • Mix together the mayonnaise, egg, mustard, Worcestershire, and Tabasco in a small bowl.
  • Pour the mayo mixture over the crabmeat/crackers and gently toss or fold the ingredients together, taking care not to break up the crabmeat lumps. Let the mixture sit for 2 or 3 minutes before forming the cakes.
  • Form the crabcakes by hand or with an ice cream scoop into 8 mounds about 3 inches in diameter and ½ inch thick. Do not pack the mixture too firmly. The cakes should be as loose as possible, yet still hold their shape. Place the cakes on a tray or platter lined with wax paper, cover, and refrigerate at least an hour before cooking.
  • Sautee cakes in unsalted butter over med/high heat for 4 to 5 minutes on each side until golden brown. OR Broil about 5 minutes each side in preheated broiler.

From: Shalavee.