History

Charleston crab cakes have been a staple of the city's harbourside cooking since the late 19th century, when local blue crab (Callinectes sapidus) from the tidal estuaries was sold by the bushel at the city docks. The Karesh family ran a wholesale business at 215 Meeting Street from 1890; their descendants opened Hyman's Seafood there in 1987, and the dish remains the house signature. The contemporary fine-dining versions at The Ordinary, Leon's and Husk follow the same restraint, the meat barely held together so it falls apart on the fork.

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Common allergens: Crustaceans, Egg, Dairy, Gluten

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 25 minTotal 1 hr 30 minDifficulty Easy

Ingredients

  • 450g jumbo-lump blue crab meat, picked clean of shell
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 3 tablespoons mayonnaise (Duke's, ideally)
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
  • Half teaspoon hot sauce
  • 2 tablespoons fresh parsley, finely chopped
  • Juice of half a lemon
  • 40g fine fresh white-bread crumbs (crumbs from one slice of bread)
  • Sea salt and black pepper
  • 30g unsalted butter, plus 1 tablespoon neutral oil, for searing
  • For the remoulade: 150ml mayonnaise, 1 tablespoon Creole mustard, 1 teaspoon prepared horseradish, 1 teaspoon hot sauce, 1 tablespoon capers chopped, 1 tablespoon pickle chopped, half teaspoon paprika, juice of half a lemon
  • Lemon wedges, to serve

Method

  1. Whisk egg, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire, Old Bay, hot sauce, parsley and lemon juice in a wide bowl.
  2. Gently fold in the crab meat, trying to keep the lumps intact. The mixture should look mostly white from the crab, not yellow from the binder.
  3. Sprinkle in the breadcrumbs and season with salt and pepper. Fold once more, the bare minimum to bind.
  4. Divide into 4 portions of about 130g each. Shape into loose patties 8cm across and 3cm thick. Rest on a tray in the fridge 1 hour to set.
  5. Whisk all the remoulade ingredients in a small bowl. Chill.
  6. Heat the butter and oil in a heavy non-stick or cast-iron pan over medium-high heat until foaming.
  7. Lay the cakes in the pan gently. Sear 4 minutes a side until the surface is deep gold and crusted.
  8. Lift onto warm plates. Serve with a spoonful of remoulade and a lemon wedge.

Tip from the editors. Almost no binder is the Charleston discipline; if the cakes hold a perfect round shape, you used too much breadcrumb. They should look like they barely cohere on the plate.

Where to eat charleston crab cake

Charleston crab cake in Charleston

Hyman's Seafood ★ 4.0

$$$ Seafood, LowcountryDowntown

Hyman's Seafood in Charleston serves the city from a Meeting Street row of historic buildings the Karesh-Hyman family has held since 1890; the seafood.

OrderShe-crab soup and a fried-fish plate with hushpuppies.

TipNo reservations; arrive before 17:30 or expect a 45-minute wait. Hush puppies are free.

Directions Book

The Ordinary ★ 4.7

$$$$ Tasting $70-130 a la carteSeafood, Raw BarUpper KingChef Mike Lata

Mike Lata's The Ordinary in Charleston converted a 1927 bank building on King Street into the city's most ambitious raw bar in 2013. Located in Upper King.

OrderCrispy oyster sliders, then the seafood tower for the table.

Book3 weeks ahead

TipBook on Resy in advance. Bar seats are walk-in only and worth the wait.

Directions Book

Leon's Fine Poultry and Oysters ★ 4.4

$$ Fried Chicken, OystersUpper King

Leon's Fine Poultry and Oysters in Charleston runs buttermilk-brined fried chicken and char-grilled oysters from a converted body shop on King Street.

OrderThe fried chicken sandwich and a half-dozen char-grilled oysters.

TipWalk-in counter seating. Weekday lunch easier than weekend dinner.

Directions Book

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