American · Main course · SAMPLE RECIPE
Maryland-style crab cakes · golden lump-crab patties
Tender crab cakes with plenty of lump crab, a light breadcrumb binder, mustard, and Chesapeake-style seasoning. A short chill helps them hold together in the skillet.
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A NOTE FROM THE KITCHEN
Fold gently to keep the crab in pieces.
The base batch makes eight small cakes, two per serving. Use refrigerated pasteurized cooked lump crabmeat, not imitation crab. Drain it well and check carefully for shell fragments. These are a home Maryland-style preparation, with enough binder to turn comfortably in a skillet.
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Maryland-style crab cakes · golden lump-crab patties
Sample recipe awaiting kitchen testing. Timings are estimates.
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BEHIND THE DISH · Maryland and the Chesapeake Bay
Maryland-style crab cakes · golden lump-crab pattiesBeyond the plate.
Crab cakes put the delicate texture of picked crabmeat at the center of a small golden patty.
ORIGINS & EVOLUTION
A regional seafood signature.
Crab is closely woven into Maryland’s food culture and the working-waterfront heritage of the Chesapeake region. Crab cakes offer a different way to enjoy the meat from a table of steamed whole crabs. Their binders and seasonings vary, but the crab remains the central ingredient.
CULTURAL CONTEXT
A balance between delicacy and structure.
Lump crabmeat brings visible pieces and a tender bite. Breadcrumbs, egg, and mayonnaise help a home cook shape and turn the cakes, while mustard and seafood seasoning add flavor. Heavy handling can turn those distinctive flakes into a uniform paste.
AT THE TABLE
Small cakes with a brief chill.
We make eight modest patties from the base mixture and chill them before pan-frying. Pasteurized cooked crab makes the starting point clear, and the egg binder is cooked through. A lemon wedge supplies the only accompaniment shown.
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