Don’t be crabby…

Too many smashed fingers from little wooden mallets? Still hungry after an hour of prying miniscule pieces of meat from stubborn shells? Wondering why you are surrounded by a pile of dead carcasses? Well, sounds like you need to put the mallet down and learn how to make some crab cakes!

I’ve been to my share of Maryland crab feasts. Sure, they are great for sitting around socializing and eating other things to fill up on; but lets face it, I want to have a full belly of crab. Maryland blue crab cakes can be made anywhere now, thanks to hand-picked cans of crab meat bought at your local seafood counter. This saves you a ton of time, not to mention the people who pick the crabs are much better at it than you or I (this means less shells to pick out of your teeth).

After spending Labor Day weekend in Baltimore for the Indycar race, the smell of Old Bay spice everywhere I went reminded me it was time to write this post. I am pretty sure they melt the snow and ice on Baltimore roads with Old Bay in the wintertime…

Recipe for Maryland crab cakes with chipotle lime mayo sauce. Good for 4 tennis ball sized cakes.

• 1/2 lb jumbo lump crab meat
• 1/2 lb backfin crab meat
• 8 Ritz crackers crushed
• 1/4 C mayonnaise
• 1 Tbls honey dijon mustard
• 1 Tbls whole grain mustard
• 1 tsp sri racha hot sauce
• 1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp chipotle powder
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1 Tbls diced chives
• 1 egg
• Olive oil for basting.

Preheat oven to 450. Combine all ingredients except for the olive oil in a large bowl and gently toss to combine. Refrigerate for at least half an hour to let the flavors get to know each other. Scoop a handful of the mixture, gently form into a ball and place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes. Remove crab cakes and drizzle with olive oil. Fire up your broiler and broil the cakes until browned and crusty on top. Sprinkle extra chives on top and serve with chipotle mayo sauce.

Chipotle Mayo Sauce:

• 1/4 C mayonnaise
• 1/2 tsp chipotle powder
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• juice from half a lime

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth and incorporated.