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Dungeness Crab Cakes

A Classic Pacific Northwest Crab Cake Recipe. Perfect for a main dish or appetizer.
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Prep Time:10 minutes
Cook Time:20 minutes
"Picking" Crab Meat:30 minutes
Total Time:1 hour
Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Crab Cake Recipe, Crab Cakes, Dungeness Crab, Dungeness Crab Cake Recipe, Dungeness Crab Cakes, Dungeness Crab Recipe
Servings: 9 Crab Cakes

Ingredients

  • 1 Pound Cooked Dungeness crab meat
  • 2 Tbsp Fresh Chopped Flat Leaf Parsley
  • 1/2 tsp Dried Mustard
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 2 Tbsp Mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp Freshly Squeezed Lemon Juice
  • Salt & Pepper
  • 1/2 Cup Fresh Bread Crumbs
  • 1 Package Panko
  • Butter for frying
  • Lemon Slices for Serving

Instructions

Preparing the Crab

  • After crab is cleaned and boiled, use crab crackers and crab picks to clean the meat out of the crab. Make sure to get all the meat out of the body where the legs are attached.
  • Set crab meat aside.

Preparing Crab Cake Mixture

  • Tear small pieces of bread off of a slice to create your 1/2 cup of fresh bread crumbs. Set aside.
  • In a medium bowl, add the Parsley, Dried Mustard, Worcestershire Sauce, Eggs, Mayonnaise, Lemon Juice, Salt, and Pepper. Mix together until well combined.
  • Add the Crab Meat and Fresh Bread Crumbs to the egg mixture. Combine well, but do so gently.

Cooking Crab Cakes

  • Set a cast iron frying pan over medium heat. Add butter to pan just before you are ready to cook your crab cakes. Start cooking once butter has melted.
  • Dump a pile of Panko Bread Crumbs in the middle of a tray.
  • Using a 1/3 Cup, scoop up some crab mixture. Level out the crab mixture.
  • Gently dump the mixture onto the pile of Panko. It will be VERY loose. Gently shape and press it into the crumbs.
  • Using a spatula, gently flip the crab cake to coat the other side of the cake with the Panko.
  • After coating the other side, gently move the crab cake to the heated pan. You may need to re-shape it once it is in the pan. Not to worry. It will turn out perfectly!
  • Cook for about 4 minutes, turning when you start to see the edges turning golden.
  • Cook next side for 4 minutes. Remove to serving tray.
  • Continue refreshing your pile of Panko and gently coating and cooking the crab cakes. You may need to clean the pan of "too toasty" bread crumbs in between batches.
  • Serve with a slice of fresh lemon to use to drizzle fresh lemon juice over the crab cakes. Enjoy!