In my family growing up, and later as a mom raising my children, the food was the center of our time together. It was just sitting together at the dinner table, or the time spent cooking while the children watched closely wondering what I was preparing, and looking out their tasks, the importance of food in our home. Lindsey was our second of three daughters, and kept talking. This is the story of the crab ULTIMATE CAKE which is the first food my daughter Lindsey ate as a child. Lindsey spit out baby food refusing everything except her bottle. I slaved over the stove preparing homemade baby food, when it does not work I bought every store bought brand and flavor I could find. They all produced the same results, she refused to eat and is held for her bottle. This lasted up to 16 months of age when travel pediatrician me away with instructions to take her bottle and let her sit in her highchair to eat dinner or go hungry. As usual, she refused the baby food I put in front of her, which she clearly would have no part in the meal. When suddenly out of frustration and so far I'm not sure if it was frustration or mine waved a hand at our dinner. You guessed it! We were living on crab cakes, and she wanted what we ate. Her first meal was eaten with the success that put a smile on her face and mine, and give this recipe is adapted from one of the T & C Maryland style crab cake recipes. Lindsey is now 27 years old and when he visits it still wants to fix them for her.
crab CAKES
1 pound jumbo lump crab meat
2 large eggs, beaten
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1 / 2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Old Bay Seasoning
Dash cayenne pepper
freshly ground pepper to taste
3 TBS. minced scallions
1 / 4 cup minced port
1 / 4 cup minced parsley
1 / 3 cup mayonnaise, Hellman's
Few dashes pepper vinegar
1 / 2 to 1 cup of crumbs
Whisk eggs in large bowl with the cream, mustard, Worcestershire, pepper vinegar, Old Bay seasoning, and red pepper to taste until the mixture is well blended. Add scallions, onions, parsley and mayonnaise. Gently fold in crab meat and breadcrumbs taking care not to break the jumbo lumps. Using your hands, divide into 8 crab meat gently shaping into rounds. Chill covered with plastic wrap for 1 hour. Heat a few tablespoons of butter and oil in heavy skillet saute 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown. Keep warm in 200 degree oven. Serve with Spicy Tarter Sauce.
Spicy Tarter SAUCE
2 tablespoons vinegar pepper
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 / 4 tsp sea salt
freshly ground pepper
Tabasco if desired
1 cup Hellman's mayonnaise
1 / 2 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
1 medium onion finely chopped
3 tbsp. chopped dill relish
1 / 4 cup chopped parsley
Lemon juice to taste
Mix ingredients together, chill for 1 hour, the sauce will be thin.
Enjoy the recipe and great crab cakes are served on a bed of lettuce with a dollop of spicy Tarter sauce as a salad entree. For lunch or dinner easy crab cakes are big on toasted bun as a sandwich with lettuce and tomato. For southern twist, garnish with fried green tomatoes.