Blackstone Maryland Crab Cakes
Mostly lump crab with just enough binder to hold together, seasoned with Old Bay and griddled golden in butter. Southern Maryland approved.
- Blackstone
- Griddle
- Seafood
- Dinner
- 50 min total
- Serves 4
Ingredients
Ingredients for servings
Enter a number of at least ½, in steps of ½.
Original recipe serves 4. Ingredient amounts adjust automatically. Cooking times and pan size may need adjusting separately.
- 1 lb jumbo lump crab meat, picked over for shells
- 1/4 cup mayo
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1 1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning, plus more for sprinkling
- 1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
- 1 tsp lemon juice
- 10 saltine crackers, finely crushed, about 0.33 cup
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
To serve
- 1 lemon, cut in wedges
- tartar or cocktail sauce
Gear
- Blackstone griddle
- Wide, thin spatula
- Rubber spatula
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Steps
Step 1: Spread the crab on a sheet pan and gently feel through it for bits of shell. Try not to break up the lumps.
Step 2: In a large bowl, whisk the mayo, egg, mustard, Worcestershire, Old Bay, parsley and lemon juice. Stir in the crushed saltines.
Step 3: Add the crab and fold it in gently with a rubber spatula until just coated. You want big lumps still showing.
Step 4: Shape into 4 thick cakes (about 1/2 cup each) or 8 smaller ones. Set them on a plate, cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. This is what keeps them from falling apart.
Step 5: Heat the Blackstone to medium (about 350°F). Melt the butter with the oil on one zone.
Step 6: Lay the cakes in the butter and cook 4 to 5 minutes until deep golden. Flip gently with a wide spatula and cook 4 to 5 minutes more, until hot in the center (about 160°F because of the egg).
Step 7: Sprinkle with a little Old Bay and serve with lemon wedges and sauce.
Swaps
- Crab: Backfin or lump crab costs less than jumbo lump. Claw meat has stronger flavor and works fine.
- Binder: Panko or crushed Ritz instead of saltines.
- Sauce: Mix mayo with Old Bay, lemon and a little hot sauce for a quick remoulade.
Tips
- Fold, don’t stir. Every stir breaks up the lumps you paid for.
- Use a thin, wide spatula to flip. Crab cakes are delicate until the crust forms.
The story
HAM Cooking. Let’s fire it up.
I’m from Southern Maryland, so I have to be careful here. Folks around the Chesapeake take crab cakes as seriously as other people take religion. So let me just say what everybody back home agrees on: it should taste like crab, not bread.
That’s why there’s barely any filler in this recipe. The mayo and egg hold it together, the saltines soak up extra moisture, and the crab does the rest. But a cake that’s mostly crab is fragile, so the fridge does the heavy lifting. Chilling firms up the mayo and lets the crackers absorb moisture, so the cakes hold their shape on the griddle.
Lemon on the side. Old Bay on top. Argue about the rest at the table.
HAM out.
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