Chef Warns Against Making These Mistakes When Cooking Crab Cakes

Once considered a unique specialty enjoyed by those residing on the coast, and in particular the state of Maryland, where blue crabs were abundant in the Chesapeake Bay, crab cakes have become a common appetizer on the menus of restaurants across the country. Crab cakes are essentially fritters or patties made from crab meat, a binder, a filler, and various seasonings, before being baked or fried to crispy perfection. Though their origin is debated, what is incontestable is that they remain a beloved recipe for foodies from all walks of life.

As a professional chef, I consider myself a bit of a crab cake snob. I have eaten and prepared thousands of these delectable appetizers over the course of my career. Personal preferences aside, there are some basic techniques to follow when preparing crab cakes, ranging from the type of crab you use to how you season and serve them. It is my hope that my recommendations on what mistakes to avoid when cooking crab cakes will help you create the most flavorful ones you can, from the comfort of your own home.

Not using spoiled crab meat seems obvious, but assessing freshness can be a challenge. The first step is learning how to properly store crab meat for ultimate shelf life. If you plan to cook a whole crab or crab legs, immediately remove the meat from the shell before storing it in the refrigerator. The shell can harbor pathogens that can transfer to the cooked meat. Once sealed in an airtight container, crab meat should be used within three days.

To determine if the crab has gone bad, use your eyes and nose. There should be no obvious discoloration to the meat, nor should it appear to be slimy or spongy. Lastly, the aroma should be sweet and pleasant. Anything resembling an ammoniated smell indicates the crab has passed its prime and should be discarded.

Though lump crab meat is the gold standard for crab cakes, it can be expensive and hard to find. Claw meat has a more assertive flavor but can produce a nuanced crab cake worthy of any fine dining restaurant. Its smaller size can also help crab cakes hold together more easily than jumbo lump crab meat alone will.

Fresh may be best, but canned crab is perfectly suitable as an alternative if you know what kind to look for. The best options should be sustainably sourced, contain no additives, and be stored in the refrigerated seafood section of the grocery store. Lastly, while it is not my personal preference, if you must, imitation crab can be used, as long as you recognize that it does not have the same taste or texture as the real deal.

Along with the binder, the filler will behave like the proverbial glue of a crab cake. Ingredients like bread crumbs or flour are often combined with eggs and mayonnaise, helping to fuse the delicate crab meat and added seasonings. Unfortunately, the ratio of filler to binder and crab meat is hard to master. Too little will prevent the crab cakes from holding together, and too much will result in heavy, chewy, crab cakes that lack juiciness and can mask the inherent flavor of the sweet seafood.

The key to delectable crab cakes is to go easy on the filler. It will take a few minutes for the filler to absorb the moisture of the binder and adhere to the crab meat. Add a little at a time, until the crab cakes barely hold together when you pan-fry them, adjusting the ratio as needed.

Seasoning is crucial in any recipe, as herbs and spices enhance the natural flavors of whatever you are cooking. That said, it's easy to over- or under-season something as delicate as crab meat. Crab meat is tender and naturally sweet, with just an essence of salty brine peeking through. For this reason, it is crucial to use a deft hand when adding seasoning to your crab cakes.

You always want to layer flavors, allowing them to develop as they begin to infuse the juicy crab meat. I recommend adding a little at a time, and tasting often. This will allow each batch of crab cakes to shine based on the inherent flavor of the crab. This may feel counterintuitive if you like following recipes to a tee, but it will yield a better result.

Squirting fresh lemon juice over fish or seafood isn't exactly revolutionary. The reason this is so crucial is that the brightness and refreshing tang of acidic ingredients helps to cut through the briny, salty flavors of the seafood of your choice, balancing these flavors out when they hit your taste buds.

I generally add lemon juice or zest to my crab cake base before forming the patties and cooking them. On occasion, when I am feeling particularly snazzy and seeking to really add zing to my crab cakes, I turn to my secret weapon — preserved lemons. These fermented lemons, popular in North African cuisine, add a funky yet sophisticated pop of acidity that is unlike anything else. Just be careful to only use the washed peels and discard the flesh of the lemon, which can be extremely salty.

Aromatics, including herbs, spices, and vegetables like garlic and onions, are the foundation of many recipes. They infuse a dish with a rich flavor and aroma that you would miss if they were omitted. When it comes to making crab cakes, these are no less important. As with other ingredients, these should be incorporated skillfully and cautiously, so as not to mask the inherent flavor of the seafood.

Fresh herbs, like dill, fennel fronds, cilantro, or parsley, add a brighter flavor and pop of color. I also like to infuse freshly chopped garlic, green onions, or shallots, though I tend to be more conservative with these, since they will not get thoroughly cooked. If you want to mellow alliums before adding them to crab cakes, lightly sauté and cool them before integrating them into the mixture.

When it comes to forming the perfect crab cake, you may run into a similar problem using your hands as you did with mixing the base — the mixture will heat up and become sticky. It is also challenging to consistently create the same-sized and shaped crab cake. The solution is to use an ice cream scooper for this task.

The ideal scooper to employ is one that has a release handle and is approximately 1½ to 2 inches in diameter. When scooping, I always draw the mixture along the rim of the bowl to flatten out the top, before releasing the base into my exterior coating of choice. This allows me to maintain the same size and easily flatten the cake into the appropriate shape without handling it too much.

If you have ever struggled with your crab cakes falling apart in the pan while you cook them, you may have skipped one crucial step. Refrigerating your formed and coated crab cakes is the key to maintaining their structural integrity. This is particularly important if you didn't add too much binder or filler to hold your cakes together.

For best results, refrigerating the cakes overnight is ideal, giving them plenty of time to set. Just be sure to cover them well with plastic wrap so that the crab aroma does not permeate everything else in your refrigerator. If you are pressed for time, pop them into the freezer for 20 to 30 minutes, but don't leave them there too long; otherwise, the center of the cakes will cook inconsistently.

My preferred method for cooking crab cakes is to pan-fry them over medium-high heat. In addition to using a pan that can tolerate high-heat cooking, like cast iron, carbon, or stainless steel, you should also consider the type of fat you cook them in.

To obtain a golden brown crust, an oil with a high smoke point is required. The best oil to use for this purpose is one that does not have an aggressive flavor, which can easily overwhelm the crab meat. Coconut and peanut oils are great for certain applications, but this is not one of them. A better option would be canola or safflower oil. If you really want the taste of butter but are afraid of it burning before the cakes are browned, opt for clarified butter, which has a higher smoke point.

Now that you have the perfectly executed crab cake, it's time to dig in. This usually involves serving the cakes with the perfect dipping sauce. While a classic remoulade sauce is always a good idea, there are plenty of other options that can help take your crab cakes from casual to cosmopolitan.

Some of my favorite sauces are bold, but not so assertive as to mask the inherent taste of the crab meat. That said, don't be afraid to experiment with different flavor profiles and, more importantly, textures. Sometimes a completely smooth, tangy yogurt and dill spread can seem like a luxurious pleasure. Often, however, there is nothing wrong with a slightly chunky tropical fruit salsa or an herbaceous pesto or salsa verde that is loaded with acidic ingredients to balance out the crisp, juicy crab meat.