My recipe for crab cakes, a stuffing for flounder or stuffed crabs.

Crab Cakes, in my opinion, are one of the finest foods. They are a distillation of crab, maybe even more so than simple boiled or steamed crabs because the physical distraction of cracking and picking the precious meat has been done beforehand. Some iterations of crab cakes are very pure–as much crabmeat as possible and minimal garnishes. You’ll see this as a point of pride on menus and in servers’ descriptions: this crab cake has the most crab in it. While I agree with the crab cake being loaded with crab and crabby in its very essence, I do also think that onions and peppers–especially when cooked in butter with that inherently good herb mix of bay, thyme and oregano–elevate the crab and make for a more textural and interesting crab cake. Some crab cake essentials:

• use lump or claw meat; larger pieces make for a better texture, albeit much more delicate

• use quality homemade mayonnaise or a good brand of store-bought, or use Caesar dressing for the added flavor of anchovy, black pepper and umami-rich Parmesan

• allow the breadcrumb, egg and mayonnaise mixture to rest and hydrate for at least 10 minutes so that the crab cakes are less crumbly

• mix the crab pieces in at the very last, and gently to ensure they retain their shape

• coax and form the crab cakes gently; the mix will be very loose and sometimes difficult, but this is why these are so light

• pan-fry the crab cakes in lots of butter and use a small, sharp spatula to deftly and gently flip them for even browning

Crab cakes are great as an appetizer, or even formed into larger patties and made into a sandwich. By far, my favorite way to enjoy them is with a nice salad of tender, mild lettuces (butter lettuce, Bibb, little gem) dressed in an herby and creamy vinaigrette or dressing, along with a basil mayonnaise for the crab cakes. Some red onion and pickled peppers, maybe a cucumber, are also great additions.

Beyond pan-fried cakes, this crab mixture can be used to stuff the carapace, or top shell, of the crab. Sprinkle this with breadcrumbs and bake or broil until browned and bubbling. This mix is also my stuffing for flounder.

Featured in the Crabs Video.

Crab Cake Mix

Serves 4

4 ounces butter

1 medium red or yellow bell pepper or other sweet pepper, finely diced

1 small white or yellow onion, finely diced

Salt and pepper

½ tsp dried thyme or a couple sprigs fresh

½ tsp dried oregano

3 bay leaves

½ cup plain panko breadcrumbs

1 egg

½ cup mayonnaise or Caesar dressing

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

2 cups picked crabmeat

Breading and frying

1 ½ cups panko breadcrumbs

Clarified butter or butter for frying

In a medium pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter and add the pepper, onion, thyme, oregano and bay. Season with salt and pepper and cook until the onions and peppers are tender, about six minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. Discard the bay leaves.

In a bowl, combine ½ cup of the breadcrumbs, egg, mayonnaise or Caesar dressing, Worcestershire and lemon. Add the cooled pepper and onion mixture and stir well to combine. Add the crab meat and gently fold to just distribute the crab throughout. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

Place the remaining breadcrumbs on a plate. Form the crab cakes into golfball sized (or larger if you prefer or if you’re making sandwiches, see below) portions and press into round cakes with flattened tops and bottoms.

Heat enough of the clarified butter or butter in a frying pan to come about 1⁄4 of the way up the cakes. Get the butter nice and hot, but not burnt. Brown the cakes on the first side, about 3 minutes, then gently flip and brown the other side. Remove the crab cakes, cooking them in batches if necessary. Serve on a salad, or as a crab cake sandwich with basil mayonnaise.

Basil Mayonnaise

Use fresh basil for this, but consider a blend of basil, parsley, tarragon, mint marigold, cilantro or dill in any combination, too. Crab loves fresh herbs.

Makes 1 cup

1 egg yolk

1 clove garlic, smashed

Juice and zest of 1 lemon

A big handful of fresh basil leaves, sliced thinly with a sharp knife

¾ cup olive oil

salt to taste

Place the yolk, garlic and the lemon juice in a small blender, food processor or in a pint jar if using an immersion blender. Add enough cold water to cover the blades of the blender or food processor. Blend until smooth, then add the olive oil in a very thin stream until it is completely emulsified and thickened. Add the basil leaves, lemon zest and a pinch of salt and puree again until smooth, adding a tiny bit of water if needed to thin it out. Season to taste with salt.

Stuffed Crabs

serves 4

8 top shells/carapaces from large blue crabs

1 recipe Crab Cake Mix

½ cup panko breadcrumbs

Preheat the broiler to high, or set the oven to 400°F.

Divide the crab cake mixture between the shells, smoothing the tops. Sprinkle the crabs with the breadcrumbs and place under the broiler until browned, bubbling and hot throughout, about 4 minutes (baking will take a little longer). Serve with basil mayonnaise on the side.