Crab cake recipe

Stopped for lunch on way home at Box Hill Pizza in Abingdon, Md. OMG the crab cakes served there were the best I have ever had. Wondering
If anyone knows how they do it. No filler and such huge chunks of jumbo lump!!!

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I am curious, what’s the size of the cake?

8 oz.( as per their web site)

I’m certain the recipe is fiercely guarded since this is such a signature dish for them for so many years… from their website it’s basically a lot of fresh maryland blue crabs steamed and picked clean, mixed with their “herbs and spices” and a light amount of binder and then chilled.
Serious eats did a bit of research here with their recipe- read the comments, there’s an interesting note about using a bit of dry mustard with a minimal amount of cracker meal and shaping like a baseball and broiling to cook

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Serious Eats has a very good recipe for Maryland crab cake
I think the best crab cake in maryland is at Stoney’s in Broome’s Island.
I know personally that people high-up in the government ( member or the cabinet) goes there for crab cakes.
It is huge, ( 8 ounce), all jumbo lump crab with hardly any filler on a sour dough bun
The crab meat is so large that one has to be careful eating so as not to get embarrassed.
It comes with tartar sauce but I generally ask for tabasco .
The most important ingredient is fresh Jumbo Lump Crab Meat
We are spoiled here but were told years ago that in front of my house has the best place to catch blue crab.

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Whoa, the comments on that Serious Eats recipes sure do get heated:)

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My in-laws are from the Baltimore area; the family takes their crab cakes very seriously - I’ve come to almost dread certain gatherings due to heated expressions of what is/not acceptable when it comes to crab cakes (saltines vs bread crumbs; egg vs no egg; Old Bay vs no Old Bay…and pan fry vs broil is a whole other issue!). On the other hand, the food is excellent!

I know! The comments were fairly entertaining to read…! Passionate points of view there

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I do not know how they make them either but i went there by chance 6 or 7 years ago .Spectacular crab cakes . I drove out of my way by 100 miles twice after that to have them!

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As a non-Marylander (is that the correct term?, I followed the Serious Eats recipe almost to a T for my Baltimore-born hubby’s birthday dinner this past August; however, the prescribed 2 T of Dijon mustard (I used TJ’s whole grain Dijon which we use for salad dressings) was way too overpowering for both of us. Otherwise, they were quite good, even for a crab cake rookie like me.

I would definitely cut back on mustard next time.

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Haha, non-Marylander works! That TJs mustard is intense…(aka why i love it) but that’s a good pointer for the OP, i have found the strength of a dijon can vary wildly from brand to brand as well as fresh jar vs a month old jar.
(True confession: i am a crazy mustard lover and when the Maille store opened in nyc it ruined me forever after…and yes i did give myself a tummy ache from tasting so many mustards in a short period of time! And yes the maille from the store is different from the maille sold at other retailers)

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I don’t get too hung up on crab cakes. Use traditional Maryland recipes but additions that push your buttons are all ok since rules and meant to be broken. Enjoy those beautiful lumps of crab the way you enjoy them. Bottom line, it’s always about what you enjoy

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I once learned that a famous place used extra-thick bechamel to glue together their crab cakes, so I’ve tried that a few times very successfully. It’s been a long time since I’ve made them, but I remember they were very nice without a bread product in them.

1 lb. Maryland crab meat back-fin, lump back-fin, or special
2 eggs
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoon mild wet yellow mustard
1/3 Cup fresh white bread crumbs
2 tablespoons Fresh chopped parsley
1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco or Crystal to taste(opt)
1 tsp. Old Bay seasoning (opt)

Lightly beat Eggs add Mayo and Seasonings, mix well.
Toss Meat with Bread Crumps gently
Fold Egg Mix carefully into Crab to preserve Lumps of Crab. Do not over mix

No need to try to form a Cake before cooking , it only makes you want to coat them or add more binder which is not traditional or necessary

Heat a pan with a thin coat of Oil.
Scoop a 1/6 of the Mixture and mound in the skillet. Repeat with the rest.
With your hand or a utensil lightly flatten to about an inch thick
Cook until lightly browned and starting to set
Turn and brown other side.

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There are a lot of good crab cake recipes online. While most suggest using lump or jumbo lump, I use claw/leg meat. It is far less expensive and many say tastier. The only downside and why it is not used more in restaurants is its color, grayish vs white.

I never met a crab cake I didn’t like, but think a smaller size has a more enjoyable crust to creamy texture ratio.

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I felt like this was discussed to death on Chowhound quite a few times. I am not a fan of the Serious Eats recipe, but the comments there are pretty good. Practice with cheaper crabcakes first. Try pan frying, broil, and even deep frying to see what you like. My only advice: I prefer broiling, but if the crab cake is cold, the inside will remain “raw” (even though the crab is already cooked, it feels raw-ish.) Hey, there’s not a lot of food Maryland is famous for, so we make a big deal about our crab cakes.

Thanks for the review of Box Hill. I always wonder if it’s worth driving all the way up there. We usually just take out-of-towners to the closer places in Baltimore.

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Is this your secret recipe or one close to Box Hill?

I have never eaten a Crab Cake from Box Hill. This is the Recipe my Family taught me. I think it is pretty typical for the Baltimore Area