maryland crab cakes + spicy remoulade

When it comes to food, there aren’t many things that I enjoy more than crab cakes. I’m very particular about my crab cakes, {which no doubt comes from my Grandmother who grew up in the crab-eating state of Maryland} so I’ve found it very difficult to find good crab cakes out a restaurants. Most restaurants seem to use way entirely too much “filler” and not enough crab. In the past, I have made them just with a few spices {of course Old Bay}, mayo, bread crumbs and lemon. But after having Founding Farmer’s {in my opinion, one of the best restaurants in D.C. & the only exception to my eating out search for good crab} crab cakes, I decided to try to recreate their delicious dish. I love the added texture and flavor of the vegetables with the crab — it definitely adds a little something to this always fabulous dish! And the spicy remoulade compliments the flavors of the crab cake so perfectly, you will want to eat the remoulade by itself , with a spoon…it’s that good.

Maryland Crab Cakes + Spicy Remoulade

1 small red onion, finely diced

1 red pepper, diced
1 yellow pepper, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ teaspoon Frank’s Red Hot sauce
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
½ tablespoon Old Bay seasoning {I probably put more in, we love Old Bay!}
Salt and pepper to taste
1 pound lump crab meat, drained & picked to remove shells
½ cup panko bread crumbs
½ mayo {I used low fat}
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon whole grain mustard
2 large eggs, beaten
3-4 tablespoons olive oil (for frying)

For the Spicy Remoulade:

½ cup mayo {I used low fat}
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
½ tablespoon whole grain mustard
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

2-3 dashes Frank’s Red Hot sauce

Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in large skillet over medium heat; add red onion, red pepper, yellow pepper, celery, Frank’s Red Hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, Old Bay, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the vegetables are soft, about 15 minutes.

Vegetable Mixture

Allow vegetables to cool to room temperature. In a large bowl, mix the crab meat with the panko, mayo, both mustards and eggs. Add the vegetable mixture to the crab mixture and stir to combine. Chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Shape into 3-inch diameter cakes. Heat the remaining 3-4 tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the crab cakes and cook for 4 minutes {or until golden brown} on each side. Make the crab cakes in batches so as not to crowd the skillet. Place the completed crab cakes on a parchment-lined baking sheet in the warm oven. For the Spicy Remoulade sauce: place the mayo, Dijon and whole grain mustards, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce and Frank’s Red Hot sauce in a medium bowl. Stir to combine. Refrigerate for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Below you will see a very artistic wine photo, taken by my husband {the official A Blonde’s Moment photographer}. My husband is quite the sommelier and always picks the best wine for our meal. The chardonnay was a perfect addition to the crab cakes!

Cakebread Chardonnay