Crabby Crab Cakes

3/26/2014

Crabby Crab Cakes

I’m feeling very crabby today. Super crabby. This is the crabbiest post you’ve seen on WNB yet and it’s all because of my ridiculously delicious Crabby Crab cakes, which I absolutely had to share with you all. Who out there doesn’t like crab cakes? I’m pretty confident that almost everyone alive loves crab cakes. If you don’t, you better make this recipe and reevaluate immediately. Whenever I see them at parties or especially at wedding cocktail hours, I make a beeline for them. Out of the way people, this girl needs her crab cakes! I rarely ever order them in restaurants because they usually come completely soaked with mayonnaise and packed with bread crumbs and miscellaneous nasty ingredients. That’s not how I do my crab cakes. I like them bursting at the seams with crab, and seasoned delicately with lemon, some spices, and fresh herbs. These babies are 95% crab – just how crab cakes should be! 

I got inspired to make these when we were having a little double date at our place. I was thinking we could just make our go-to dinner and BBQ some chicken, roast some veggies, and whip up a kale salad. Then Becca suggested that we get creative and figure out how to make healthy crab cakes. Mission accomplished. Not only are these healthy AND amazing, but they made our double date feel extra special and fancy. We served them over a light arugula salad and it was so perfect and delish! No need to wait until the next wedding to chase the cocktail server with the crab cakes . . . now I’m going to make them whenever we have a dinner party!

You’ll be in heaven when you taste how great these turned out. They’re filling and satisfying, yet totally light and healthy. They have the perfect crunch, the lightness and flavor from the lemon, parsley, and chives, the traditional crab cake spice from the Old Bay seasoning, and of course the good-quality lump crab really seals the deal. Definitely splurge on the good crabmeat because that makes all the difference! We got ours at Bristol Farms and it was perfection.

You feeling crabby?? Here’s all you’ll need to make the perfect dish for your next dinner party:

Ingredients
1 pound lump crabmeat
12(ish) Simple Mills almond flour crackers, crumbled
1 egg - beaten
1 tbsp chives - minced
1 1/2 tbsp Italian flat-leaf parsley - minced
1 tbsp dijon mustard (I like the one with the seeds)
1 tbsp lemon juice 
1/4 lemon - zest only
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
A pinch of cayenne pepper (based on your preference!)
Salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup avocado oil 
Serve with lemon wedges!

Serving: Makes 8 or 9 medium sized crab cakes.

• Preheat oven to 350°. 
• Mix together lemon juice, zest, parsley, chives, olive oil, mustard, cayenne pepper, crumbled Simple Mills crackers, and Old Bay seasoning.
• Add in crabmeat and mix well. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat avocado oil in a skillet. Form crab mixture into medium sized patties.
• Once oil is hot, gently place crab cakes on the skillet and allow to brown before flipping. 
• Cook on each side (about 4-5 minutes each) and make sure to be careful as you flip. The crab cakes are delicate since there is no mayonnaise, etc. holding them together.
• Once crab cakes are finished on the skillet, place carefully on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 5 minutes.
• Serve with lemon wedges and garnish with parsley.

Enjoy and have a happy, healthy week!