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Story & Photography by Christine Fillat
Sweet tender lumps of joy. We all know that in life, the biggest lumps do not come easy. The same holds true for crab meat. It comes at a price. You just have to reach a little deeper into your pocketbook, but honey you won’t be sorry. The recipe here is from a ringer. Mark Devine has been making crab cakes since he was a teenager. He uses the finest crab meat in the market. He knows all about crabs in the market, because he has run a fresh fish stand in Lexington Market. So the man knows a thing or two about the creatures from the sea and how to prepare them. Here is the basic Mark Devine crab cake. You can add your own favorite herbs and spices.
Mark prefers to use Jumbo Lump crab meat from Windmill of Hooper’s Island, Maryland.
CRAB CAKES RECIPE:
Ingredients
• 1 lb. MARYLAND JUMBO Lump Crabmeat
• 3 heaping Tbsp. mayonnaise (Top Shelf)
• 3 tsp. Dijon mustard
• 3 tsp. Yellow mustard
• 4 Tbsp. Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 tsp. Old Bay
• 1 egg
• 1/2 sleeve saltine crackers crushed
• A dash of Tabasco
Instructions
1. Spread the crab meat out in a flat pan and sprinkle the crushed saltines over the top.
2. In a small bowl, mix mayonnaise, egg, mustard, Worcestershire and tabasco.
3. Pour the mayonnaise mixture over the crab meat and gently toss or fold the ingredients together, taking care not
to break up the lumps of crab meat
4. Let the mixture sit for 2-3 minutes before forming the cakes.
5. Form the cakes by hand or with an ice cream scoop into 8 mounds about 3″ in diameter and 3/4″ thick.
6. DO NOT pack the mixture too firmly. The cakes should be as loose as possible, yet still hold their shape.
7. Place the cakes on a tray or platter. If you are not prepared to cook immediately, you may cover and refrigerate before cooking.
8. You may broil or fry:
To fry: Pour oil into a heavy skillet to a depth of about 1 1/2″. Heat oil and fry crab cakes a few at a time, until golden brown, about 4 minutes on each side. Remove with a slotted utensil to a paper towel to drain.
To broil: Slip them under a preheated broiler until nicely browned, about 4-5 minutes.
Makes 4 servings.
Mark and Michele Devine have been happily married for over 20 years and have 5 children.They enjoy their crab cakes by the Magothy River in Anne Arundel County.
Christine Fillat lives on the Magothy River and is an aficionado of Chesapeake Bay cooking and living.
From Vol. 4, No. 4 2013
Annapolis Home Magazine