Camille's Crab Cakes

The recipes for crab cakes are many, and over the years, I have tried my fair share. By now, I have put together my own recipe that really works for me. When I had my crab cakes mastered, I started to make them on Christmas Eve for the Feast of Seven Fishes.
My mother made us all laugh as she showed her clear shock that I would serve a nontraditional seafood appetizer that was not of Italian origins. However, that very first Christmas Eve when serving those crab cakes, there was not a single one left on the platter!


1 ¼ cup very fine bread crumbs
1 pound jumbo lump crab
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 egg whites
1 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon fresh chives, chopped
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
Canola oil


In a bowl, mix the bread crumbs, lump crab, mayonnaise, egg whites, Tabasco, chives, Dijon mustard, and Old Bay Seasoning. Gently mix with hands. Be careful to keep the jumbo crab in lump pieces. Form into crab cakes, and press tightly to hold ingredients together . You should get about nine or ten. Refrigerate for at least six hours, but overnight is even better.

In a sauté pan, warm canola oil over medium heat. Fry crab cakes in batches until golden, turning over once. Serve with lemon wedges or a favorite sauce.


Camille’s Tips: People often have difficulty with their crab cakes falling apart. A few tips will aid in preventing that. Shape the crab cakes flat on your hand so that they are level. As suggested above, always chill them before frying. This will firm them up. Once they are shaped and chilled, handle them as little as possible. When frying, only turn them once.