Hooray for Crab Cakes

It’s summer and that means crab.  Here, the season opens July 1st and usually lasts until Labor Day.  We freeze cracked crab so we can make crab cakes all winter long.  These beauties are on a bed of diced watermelon and arugula tossed with olive oil with a side of mango salsa.  I can’t give you an actual crab cake recipe, I can only give you the ingredients.  Everything will depend on the amount of crab you have.

In a good sized bowl, I place my well drained crab.  I don’t like it broken up so I like to give it some room.  Add finely diced red and/or yellow peppers, finely diced yellow onion, finely diced celery, S & P.  I add 1 egg for each 2 cups of crab and enough mayonnaise to just moisten.   No seafood seasonings for this girl, I want to taste crab, but lots of people like a smidgen of Old Bay.  I form this amount into approximately 8 to 10 cakes.  Place them in the refrigerator to firm up a bit, 20 minutes or all afternoon.  When you’re ready to cook them, preheat your oven to 400-425 degrees.  Have a bowl with a couple of beaten eggs and a bowl of Panko ready to go.  Dip each cake in the egg and then in the Panko.  Place on a greased cookie sheet, drizzle with melted butter and bake for 10 to 15 minutes.  They will be crispy on the outside and nummy on the inside.

Keenan was staying up here one summer.  He and GPa had excellent luck salmon fishing.  We invented salmon cakes that year.  They are almost identical to the crab cakes only without the celery.  Depending on how you cooked the salmon originally, more S & P may be needed.  Finish them up just the same.

Hints about coating…..from the Recipe Box

This is amazing.  If you are trying to eat a protein diet, but miss the ability to coat something in breading before baking or frying, I discovered something you will love….finely ground pork rinds.  I know, shut up!

Last night I was making crab cakes for someone who doesn’t eat gluten.  I wanted a crispy exterior.  What to do, what to do???  I bought some gluten-free bread crumbs, but they did not rock my world.  Instead, I thought of all the options on a protein diet and worked from there.

Eureka!!!  Pork rinds!

I mixed up my crab cake basics:  crab (well drained), finely diced peppers, finely diced onion, finely diced celery, eggs, mayo, and S & P and formed them into 3” patties.

I placed pork rinds in a ziplock bag and bashed the living daylights out of them.  I used the spicy variety because I could, and I prefer a little extra punch.

Whip up a couple of eggs and place in a shallow bowl.  Place the pork rind crumbs in another bowl.  Dip the crab cakes in the eggs and then the pork rind crumbs.  Place on a baking sheet.  Drizzle with melted butter.   Bake at 425 degrees for about 10 to 15 minutes.  They were perfect.  My gluten-free company felt the love.

I can’t wait to try this pork rind idea with my chicken cutlet recipe or for my green bean casserole topping or, well, you get the picture.

And remember:  I would trade 2 of my other cousins for you.  Big Kiss, Lynn