The Baltimore crab cake is jumbo lump blue crab held together with almost no filler and broiled, not fried, so the sweet meat does the talking. The no-filler version is the local point of pride.

Crab cakes grew out of the Chesapeake's 19th-century oyster-and-crab economy, when Baltimore was the world's leading seafood-packing port. The Maryland style, jumbo lump bound with just egg, mustard and a little binder, then broiled, became fixed as the gold standard. Faidley's at Lexington Market, selling crab cakes since 1886, is often credited with setting the no-filler benchmark that locals still defend against fried, filler-heavy versions elsewhere.

Where to eat Maryland crab cake in Baltimore

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Make it at home

Serves 440 minEasy

Ingredients

  • 1 pound jumbo lump blue crab meat, picked over for shell
  • 1 large egg
  • 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
  • 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
  • 2 tablespoons crushed saltine crackers or fresh breadcrumbs
  • 1 tablespoon chopped parsley
  • Lemon wedges, to serve

Method

  1. Whisk the egg, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire, Old Bay and parsley in a bowl until smooth.
  2. Add the cracker crumbs, then gently fold in the crab meat, keeping the lumps as whole as possible.
  3. Shape into four loose mounds and chill for 20 minutes so they hold together.
  4. Broil 4 inches from the heat for 10 to 12 minutes, until golden on top and hot through.
  5. Serve with lemon wedges and nothing else that competes with the crab.

Editor tip. Fold, do not stir: the goal is intact lumps barely held together, with just enough binder to keep the cake from collapsing.

Common allergens: Shellfish, Egg, Gluten.