As sister says, “Old Bay is the food of my people.” Having been born and raised in Maryland, loving Old Bay is a requirement. The smokey, salty, slightly spicy flavor of Old Bay does pair perfectly with seafood (it’s also great on potatoes!). If you for some reason don’t feel like adding Old Bay to your crab cakes you can leave it out, but it definitely gives these an authentic sea-side taste that can’t be beat. While these were a bit of a challenge to fry up, that just means that they’re full of delicious crab and not a lot of filler. They’re crisp on the outside, tender and moist on the inside, and definitely feel like an indulgent, fancy meal.
Maryland Crab Cakes
Makes 12 large crab cakes
Adapted from Cooking Light
- 2/3 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions (about 4)
- 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper
- 2 Tbsp Old Bay, divided
- 4 whole eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 2/3 cups panko breadcrumbs, divided
- 2 lbs lump crabmeat
- canola oil for frying
In a large bowl, combine bell pepper, green onions, mayo, salt, pepper and 1 Tbsp Old Bay, and mix well. Add in the eggs and mix well. Then fold in 2/3 cup panko and the crabmeat.
In a separate shallow dish, mix together 1 Tbsp Old Bay with 1 cup panko. 
Using a 1/4 cup scoop, form patties with the crabmeat mixture, then cover the patties in the panko mixture. Once your patties are formed, heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Cook patties for about 4 minutes on each side, or until golden brown. Serve immediately with remoulade.
Lightened Up Remoulade
- 1/4 cup light mayonnaise
- 1/2 cup fat-free plain Greek yogurt
- 3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
- salt and pepper, to taste
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl and serve with crab cakes.
