Dungeness Crab Cake
Photo: Missvain · CC BY 4.0

History

Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister) is the Pacific Northwest's defining crustacean, named for Dungeness Spit in the Olympic Peninsula. Oregon's commercial season opens December 1 and runs through August, with peak quality and price at opening. Portland has run high-end Dungeness crab cakes since Jake's Famous Crawfish opened in 1892 and codified the West Coast crab cake format: minimal binder, sweet crab as the dominant flavour, light coating, served warm with citrus aioli. The dish is now standard at Le Pigeon, Departure and Olympia Provisions.

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Common allergens: Shellfish, Gluten, Egg, Dairy

Make it at home

Yield 4Hands-on 30 minTotal 1 hrDifficulty Intermediate

Ingredients

  • 500g fresh Pacific Northwest Dungeness crabmeat, hand-picked and shells checked thoroughly (lump or claw meat, not pasteurised tinned; if Dungeness is unavailable, use fresh blue crab)
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 3 tbsp Kewpie or quality whole-egg mayonnaise
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/4 tsp Tabasco or other hot sauce
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped tarragon (the Portland-canonical herb)
  • 1 spring onion, very finely sliced
  • Zest of 1 Meyer lemon (or regular lemon)
  • Pinch of sea salt and a turn of white pepper
  • 60g panko breadcrumbs, plus more for coating
  • 60g unsalted butter and 2 tbsp olive oil for frying
  • For the Meyer lemon aioli: 200ml Kewpie mayonnaise
  • zest and juice of 1 Meyer lemon
  • 1 small garlic clove (crushed)
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • pinch of sea salt
  • To serve: 1 small head butter lettuce, 1 Meyer lemon cut in wedges, microgreens or pea shoots

Method

  1. Pick through the crabmeat carefully on a tray with your fingers, removing every fragment of shell and cartilage. Do not break up the lumps; the structural lump pieces are the visible payoff in the finished cake.
  2. Whisk the egg, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire, hot sauce, herbs, spring onion and lemon zest in a large bowl with a pinch of salt and a turn of pepper.
  3. Gently fold in the crab and 60g panko; the mixture should just hold together. Add a tablespoon more panko only if absolutely necessary; the goal is minimum binder.
  4. Form into 8 cakes about 7cm wide and 2cm thick; press gently to compact, not crush.
  5. Roll each cake in a shallow plate of panko to coat the exterior lightly.
  6. Chill the cakes 15 minutes on a tray to firm up.
  7. Whisk all the aioli ingredients together; chill until needed.
  8. Heat the butter and olive oil in a wide heavy frying pan over medium heat until the butter foams.
  9. Fry the crab cakes 4 minutes per side, turning gently with two thin spatulas, until deep golden and hot through (internal 65 degrees Celsius).
  10. Lay 2 to 3 leaves of butter lettuce on each plate; set 2 crab cakes on top. Spoon a generous dollop of Meyer lemon aioli alongside, garnish with microgreens and a lemon wedge.

Tip from the editors. Hand-pick the Dungeness very carefully; one piece of shell ruins the dish. Minimum binder is the structural rule; if the mix feels firm enough to pile high, you have too much breadcrumb in. Use Kewpie mayonnaise for the proper Pacific Northwest creaminess.

Where to eat dungeness crab cake

Dungeness Crab Cake in Portland

Le Pigeon ★ 4.8

$$$$ Tasting $95-150French fine diningEast Burnside KernsChef Gabriel Rucker

James Beard winner Gabriel Rucker's communal-table French in Portland, with a chef's tasting available at the counter for spontaneous diners.

Book3 weeks ahead

TipThree communal tables take reservations on Tock. The chef's counter is walk-in only and turns over from 17:00.

Directions Book

Tusk ★ 4.4

$$$$ Tasting $75-95Middle EasternEast Burnside KernsChef Sam Smith alum kitchen

The plant-led Middle Eastern dining room on East Burnside in Portland, with a chef's selection menu of mezze, lamb shoulder and seasonal vegetables.

Book2 weeks ahead

TipOrder the chef's selection menu for the table. The covered patio is the best seat in summer.

Directions

Olympia Provisions Southeast ★ 4.4

$$ EuropeanHawthorne Belmont

Portland's first salumeria, now a refined European bistro in the Central Eastside with house-cured charcuterie and a long pastry bar at the front.

OrderThe chef's charcuterie board with house-baked rye

TipChoucroute royale is on the menu year-round but tastes right in winter. Brunch on weekends from 10:00.

Directions Book

Andina ★ 4.5

$$$ PeruvianPearl District

Peter Platt and Doris Rodriguez de Platt's Peruvian dining room in the Pearl District of Portland, open since 2003 with PNW produce and ceviche.

OrderThe classic ceviche mixto

TipLive Latin music in the bar every night. Happy hour from 16:00-17:00 is the best value in the Pearl.

Directions

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