Delightfully Simple Crab Cakes

Serves 4 The key to this super simple, yet delectable, crab cake is a delicate touch. You don’t want to overmix your ingredients or pack your cakes too tightly. Let that gorgeous crab meat shine. These make an excellent main. For an appetizer portion, make 8 smaller cakes and reduce the cooking time to 3 minutes per side.

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. jumbo lump Dungeness crab meat, picked over to remove all cartilage and shell fragments
• 2 medium scallions , green part only, minced
• 1 TBS fresh parsley leaves or cilantro, dill, or basil, chopped
• 1½ tsp Old Bay seasoning
• Salt and pepper
• 2 TBS dry bread crumbs
• ¼ cup mayonnaise
• 1 large egg
• ¼ cup flour
• 4 TBS butter (or fat of choice)
• Tartar sauce (optional)

Directions: :

Gently mix crab meat, scallions, herb, Old Bay, bread crumbs, and mayonnaise in medium bowl, being careful not to break up crab lumps. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Carefully fold in egg with rubber spatula until mixture just clings.

Divide mixture into four portions and shape each into a fat, round cake, about 3 inches across and 1 1/2-inches high. Arrange on baking sheet lined with waxed paper; cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes. (Can refrigerate up to 24 hours.)

Put flour on plate or in pie tin. Lightly dredge crab cakes. Heat butter in large, preferably nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Gently lay chilled crab cakes in skillet; pan-fry until outsides are crisp and browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side.

Serve hot, with or without sauce.