Maryland Style Crab Cakes

• 1 pound of fresh crab meat (jumbo or regular lump)
• ½ teaspoon of salt
• The zest of 1 whole lemon
• The juice of ½ of a lemon
• 2 tablespoons of chives (chopped)
• 2 tablespoons of Italian parsley (picked + chopped)
• 1 clove of garlic (peeled + chopped finely)
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon of Old Bay
• 1 whole egg
• 3 tablespoons of mayo
• 1 tablespoon of dijon mustard
• ½ teaspoon of worcestershire sauce
• ½ teaspoon of hot sauce
• ½ cup of freshly ground breadcrumbs

Note: Makes 6 (4-5) ounce crab cakes

Making the Mixture:

1. Start by carefully picking through the fresh crab meat to ensure there are no shells in the meat.
2. Once picked, gently transfer the crab to a large bowl and set aside.
3. Add the lemon zest and juice, the salt, the chives (chopped), parsley (chopped), garlic (chopped) and old bay to the crab and gently toss to coat the crab.
4. In a separate bowl, add the egg, the mayo, the Dijon, the Worcestershire sauce, and the hot sauce and whisk to combine.
5. Using a rubber spatula, add the dressing to the seasoned crab meat and gently fold the dressing into the crab so that the crab is evenly coated, careful to not to beat or break up the crabmeat.
6. Once the crab meat is dressed, fold in the breadcrumbs and gently toss until all of the breadcrumbs are evenly distributed. Sample the binding by taking a small amount of the mixture in your hand and squeeze to see if there is excess moisture. ‍
7. Finally, sample the seasoning by tasting a small amount of the mixture and adjusting the seasoning as needed.

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Cooking the Crab Cakes:

1. Place a large non-stick skillet or cast-iron skillet on the stove and heat it over medium heat. Add enough oil to barely coat the bottom of the pan and allow the oil to heat for about 30 seconds.
2. When the oil is hot, take about 4-5 ounces of the crab cake mix and gently shape it into a circle in your hands, compressing it lightly so that it holds its shape. Once shaped, place the crab cake into the pan and proceed to place 2-3 of the crab cakes into the pan (depending on the size of the pan) and gently press the top of each crab cake with a spatula to slightly flatten the cakes. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook each crab cake for about 4-5 minutes, or until it turns golden brown on the side that is facedown in the pan.
3. Flip each crab cake and continue to cook for another 3-4 minutes or until both sides are golden-brown and the internal temperature is 135 F.
4. Repeat until all the crab cakes are cooked.