Maryland Style Crab Cake

Why Maryland is associated with crab cakes

Historians believe the crab cake was first introduced by Native Americans primarily in the Chesapeake Bay region of Maryland.

Native Americans removed the crab from the shell by hand and formed them into cakes with very few other ingredients.  Once the cakes are formed, they are refrigerated for a couple of hours before cooking.  This method helps the crab stick together during the cooking process.

This was one of the first dishes adopted by early settlers.

Variations of crab cakes

Around the Eastern Shore, which consists of Delaware and the eastern counties of Maryland and Virginia, crab cake recipes have remained more traditional.  

In other areas, recipes can vary depending on the region with different ingredients.  Some non-traditional recipes will add a lot of bread crumbs or crackers to help bind the crab cake.  However, this can take away from the flavor and presentation of the dish.

Parts of a blue crab

Types of crab meat

Jumbo lump crab meat is the meat that forms the muscle for the swimmer fins. This is typically the most expensive variety because each crab only has two of these muscles. Therefore it takes a lot of crabs to make up a container of jumbo lump crabmeat.  Jumbo lump is chunky with a sweeter flavor. 

Lump crab meat comes from the body of the crab. These are smaller chunks of crab compared to jumbo lump crab meat. This is probably the most frequently used in crab cake recipes and is typically a bit less expensive than Jumbo Lump crab meat.

Backfin crab meat is a combination of lump and other meat found in the body of the crab.  The fine texture, sweet flavor, and affordability make this a popular option for crab cakes.

Claw crab meat is darker in color with a stronger crab taste.  This type of crab is great in soups or appetizers but not typically used in crab cakes.

Making traditional Maryland crab cakes

The traditional crab cakes have minimal ingredients including mayo, one egg, mustard, a few bread crumbs, and Old Bay seasoning to taste. 

Follow the recipe below for a light crab cake with a little breadcrumb filler.  You can adjust the recipe with more or less mustard and seasoning to achieve the taste you like best.  Tip: The egg will help bind the crab cake and avoid breaking apart during cooking.

Mix the mayo, egg, and mustard until smooth and creamy.  Fold in the jumbo lump crab meat gently avoiding breaking the lumps apart.  

Sprinkle bread crumbs on the mixture and gently fold until the mixture can be formed into small cakes.  Place cakes on a plate, cover and let them rest in the refrigerator for 30-60 minutes.  This will also help bind the crab cake before cooking.

Before cooking, sprinkle Old Bay seasoning to taste.  Serve with cocktail sauce, ketchup, tarter sauce, or naked! ENJOY!!