Crab cakes of lump and claw meat. The Olde Pink House pairs one with fried green tomatoes and remoulade, Vic's on the River serves a jumbo lump cake, and B. Matthew's a lump and claw cake with spicy remoulade.

Crab cakes are a fixture of Savannah restaurant menus. The Olde Pink House lists a pan-seared jumbo lump crab cake with fried green tomatoes and remoulade sauce among its appetizers, and Vic's on the River lists a jumbo lump crab cake as an appetizer and as an entree. B. Matthew's Eatery serves lump and claw meat crab cakes with green tomato chow chow.

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Make it at home

Serves 41 hrIntermediate

Ingredients

  • 500g jumbo lump Georgia or Atlantic blue crabmeat, hand-picked and shells removed (do not use claw meat for the canonical version; jumbo lump shows visible chunks)
  • 1 large egg, lightly beaten
  • 60ml Duke's Mayonnaise
  • 1 tbsp Creole or Dijon mustard
  • 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tsp Old Bay seasoning
  • 1/2 tsp hot sauce (Crystal or Tabasco)
  • 2 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 tsp finely grated lemon zest
  • Pinch of cayenne, pinch of sea salt, twist of black pepper
  • 60g finely crushed saltine crackers (or panko if unavailable)
  • 4 tbsp unsalted butter and 2 tbsp olive oil for frying
  • For the Lowcountry remoulade: 200ml Duke's Mayonnaise
  • 2 tbsp Creole mustard
  • 2 tsp Worcestershire
  • 2 tsp hot sauce
  • 2 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp drained capers (chopped)
  • 2 cornichons (finely diced)
  • 1 small shallot (finely diced)
  • 1 tbsp finely chopped flat-leaf parsley
  • 1 tsp paprika
  • 1 small garlic clove (crushed)
  • pinch of cayenne
  • To serve: 1 lemon cut into wedges, microgreens or watercress, fresh lemon zest

Method

  1. Pick through the crabmeat carefully on a clean tray, removing every fragment of shell and cartilage. Keep the lumps intact; the visible chunks are the dish's selling point.
  2. Mix the remoulade ingredients in a bowl, season to taste, and chill until needed.
  3. Whisk the egg, mayonnaise, mustard, Worcestershire, Old Bay, hot sauce, parsley, lemon zest, cayenne, salt and pepper in a large bowl to a smooth dressing.
  4. Sprinkle the crushed saltine crumbs over the picked crab in a wide bowl. Add the dressing and fold everything together gently with a rubber spatula, three or four turns only; do not break up the lumps.
  5. Divide into 8 equal portions (about 70g each). Shape into round patties about 7cm wide and 2cm thick; pat lightly to compact without crushing.
  6. Chill the formed cakes on a tray for at least 20 minutes to firm up; this is the structural step to prevent them falling apart in the pan.
  7. Heat the butter and olive oil in a wide heavy skillet over medium heat until the butter foams.
  8. Cook the crab cakes 4 to 5 minutes per side, turning gently with two thin spatulas, until deep golden and hot through (internal 65 degrees Celsius).
  9. Plate 2 crab cakes per portion alongside a generous spoonful of remoulade, a lemon wedge and a small handful of microgreens. Add a final dust of lemon zest.

Editor tip. Jumbo lump crab is the structural step; supermarket flake meat will not hold its shape. The minimum binder rule is essential; if the mix feels firm enough to roll, you have too much breadcrumb in. Chill before frying or the cakes split.

Common allergens: Shellfish, Gluten, Egg, Dairy.