Something Special: Crab Cakes

There are some things the Farmer’s Wife is asked to make over and over again. Her hot chocolate. Stuffed Peppers. Clams Casino. Stuffed Mushrooms. And these Crab Cakes

More often than not, she says no. Or suggests something else. Not that these are hard to make, far from it. Then why refuse, you may be asking? Simple. This recipe done and done well is very expensive. Sure, you could substitute lesser crab, but then what would be the point? No. When the Farmer’s Wife makes these, she makes them well, only using crab meat of the lump variety.

Which means, this only gets made on very, very special occasions. And seeing as last night was such a time, in which friends were gathered all in one spot, she can now share this recipe with you.

To begin, you need one small red pepper and one small yellow pepper, chopped fine. Add to this two tablespoons minced sweet onion. This gets placed in a sauté pan with two tablespoons butter and stirred and cooked over medium heat until soft.

Once it is, remove half from the pan and set aside in a medium-sized bowl. To what remains add the juice of one lemon, but first zest it, adding that to the bowl with the peppers and onions. To the pan (that now has half the peppers and onions and lemon juice) add a quarter cup sugar. Return to the heat and stir until it becomes a thick syrup. Turn off the heat and set the pan aside.

Add to it a third cup mayonnaise and stir well. Place in a small bowl and set that in the fridge as well. This is your sauce.

Now, to the bowl. Add a half teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning, a dash of salt and pepper both red and black, an egg, and three quarters cup plain crushed croutons. Stir once or twice. Open the can of lump crab meat (one pound) and dump contents into the bowl. Stir very carefully. Only until just mixed. You want to see those lumps! That’s what you paid all that money for! (You can find this behind the seafood counter of your grocery store. This kind is always kept refrigerated.) Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let sit in the fridge for one hour while all those flavors come together.

When the time comes to cook these, take them from the fridge and form into balls. Again, be careful. Heat a cast iron skillet coated with a good amount of butter. Gently place your crab cakes down, giving yourself plenty of room to flip them. Cook over medium-low heat, checking their bottoms every half-minute or so. You’re looking for golden brown here. Once you see it, gently flip over. Let that side get a bit golden, too. And you’re done. Serve immediately with a smear of sauce alongside.

Now there may be a chunk or two of crab left in the pan. That is an unfortunate happening when you’re dealing with something so delicate. It is your responsibility as the cook to make sure those are taken care of. And if anyone asks you about it, feel free to tell them I said so.